Database schema introduction
| Warning: This page is no longer in use. The information contained on the page should NOT be seen as relevant or reliable. |
| Warning: This page is no longer in use. The information contained on the page should NOT be seen as relevant or reliable. |
The Moodle database has around 200 tables, and can be quite daunting at first sight. The good news is that you don't have to understand it all at once. For example, there are eight tables called forum_something. If you are interested in the forum module, then obviously you need to understand these tables, and the places they link into core tables. But if you are not interested in the forum module, you can forget about them. The same is true of each activity module. Once you take out the tables for each activity module in this way, and similarly take out the tables belonging to the enrolment plugins, question types, etc. You are left with about 50 core tables. But the good news is that even here they break down into groups that mostly you can understand together, or ignore. This page lists the core database tables in these groups. Later, it would be good to add more detailed documentation explaining some of these groups.
The database structure is defined, edited and upgraded using the XMLDB system.
Automatically generated documentation
The install.xml files that define Moodle's database structure (are supposed to) contain comments on each table and database field, to document their purpose.
From Moodle 2.0 onwards, you can view this documentation in HTML format by going to Administration -> Development -> XMLDB editor and then clicking on the [Doc] links.
Configuration
- config
"id" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"name" NVARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
"value" NVARCHAR(-1) NOT NULL
- config_log
"id" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"userid" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"timemodified" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"plugin" NVARCHAR(100) NULL,
"name" NVARCHAR(100) NOT NULL,
"value" NVARCHAR(-1) NULL,
"oldvalue" NVARCHAR(-1) NULL
- config_plugins
"id" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"plugin" NVARCHAR(100) NOT NULL,
"name" NVARCHAR(100) NOT NULL,
"value" NVARCHAR(-1) NOT NULL
Users and their profiles
- user
"id" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"auth" NVARCHAR(20) NOT NULL,
"confirmed" SMALLINT NOT NULL,
"policyagreed" SMALLINT NOT NULL,
"deleted" SMALLINT NOT NULL,
"suspended" SMALLINT NOT NULL,
"mnethostid" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"username" NVARCHAR(100) NOT NULL,
"password" NVARCHAR(32) NOT NULL,
"idnumber" NVARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
"firstname" NVARCHAR(100) NOT NULL,
"lastname" NVARCHAR(100) NOT NULL,
"email" NVARCHAR(100) NOT NULL,
"emailstop" SMALLINT NOT NULL,
"icq" NVARCHAR(15) NOT NULL,
"skype" NVARCHAR(50) NOT NULL,
"yahoo" NVARCHAR(50) NOT NULL,
"aim" NVARCHAR(50) NOT NULL,
"msn" NVARCHAR(50) NOT NULL,
"phone1" NVARCHAR(20) NOT NULL,
"phone2" NVARCHAR(20) NOT NULL,
"institution" NVARCHAR(40) NOT NULL,
"department" NVARCHAR(30) NOT NULL,
"address" NVARCHAR(70) NOT NULL,
"city" NVARCHAR(120) NOT NULL,
"country" NVARCHAR(2) NOT NULL,
"lang" NVARCHAR(30) NOT NULL,
"theme" NVARCHAR(50) NOT NULL,
"timezone" NVARCHAR(100) NOT NULL,
"firstaccess" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"lastaccess" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"lastlogin" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"currentlogin" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"lastip" NVARCHAR(45) NOT NULL,
"secret" NVARCHAR(15) NOT NULL,
"picture" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"url" NVARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
"description" NVARCHAR(-1) NULL,
"descriptionformat" SMALLINT NOT NULL,
"mailformat" SMALLINT NOT NULL,
"maildigest" SMALLINT NOT NULL,
"maildisplay" SMALLINT NOT NULL,
"htmleditor" SMALLINT NOT NULL,
"autosubscribe" SMALLINT NOT NULL,
"trackforums" SMALLINT NOT NULL,
"timecreated" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"timemodified" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"trustbitmask" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"imagealt" NVARCHAR(255) NULL,
"screenreader" SMALLINT NOT NULL
- user_enrolments
"id" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"status" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"enrolid" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"userid" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"timestart" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"timeend" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"modifierid" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"timecreated" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"timemodified" BIGINT NOT NULL
- user_info_category
"id" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"name" NVARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
"sortorder" BIGINT NOT NULL
- user_info_data
"id" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"userid" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"fieldid" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"data" NVARCHAR(-1) NOT NULL,
"dataformat" SMALLINT NOT NULL
- user_info_field
"id" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"shortname" NVARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
"name" NVARCHAR(-1) NOT NULL,
"datatype" NVARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
"description" NVARCHAR(-1) NULL,
"descriptionformat" SMALLINT NOT NULL,
"categoryid" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"sortorder" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"required" SMALLINT NOT NULL,
"locked" SMALLINT NOT NULL,
"visible" SMALLINT NOT NULL,
"forceunique" SMALLINT NOT NULL,
"signup" SMALLINT NOT NULL,
"defaultdata" NVARCHAR(-1) NULL,
"defaultdataformat" SMALLINT NOT NULL,
"param1" NVARCHAR(-1) NULL,
"param2" NVARCHAR(-1) NULL,
"param3" NVARCHAR(-1) NULL,
"param4" NVARCHAR(-1) NULL,
"param5" NVARCHAR(-1) NULL
- user_lastaccess
- this is separated from the user table for performance reasons
"id" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"userid" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"courseid" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"timeaccess" BIGINT NOT NULL
- user_preferences
"id" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"userid" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"name" NVARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
"value" NVARCHAR(1333) NOT NULL
- user_private_key
"id" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"script" NVARCHAR(128) NOT NULL,
"value" NVARCHAR(128) NOT NULL,
"userid" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"instance" BIGINT NULL,
"iprestriction" NVARCHAR(255) NULL,
"validuntil" BIGINT NULL,
"timecreated" BIGINT NULL
ER Diagram of the Users and profiles tables
/
EER Diagram of the User tables with their relations
The roles and capabilities system
- role
- defines a role, its name, etc. Other parts of the role definition are stored in the role_capabilities and role_context_levels tables.
- capabilites
- the various permissions that can be granted.
- context
- a context is a scope in Moodle, for example the whole system, a course, a particular activity. The type is given by contextlevel, and depending on context level, instanceid points to one of a number of different tables.
- role_allow_assign
- which roles can assign which other roles
- role_allow_override
- which roles can override which other roles
- role_allow_switch
- which roles can switch to which other roles (Moodle 2.0 onwards.)
- role_assignments
- which users are assigned which roles in which contexts
- role_capabilities
- the permission for each capability in either a role definition (if contextid points to the system context) or a role override (if contextid points to some other context)
- role_context_levels
- the context levels at which each role can be assigned. (Moodle 2.0 onwards)
- role_names
- used to implement the feature where roles can be given different names in different courses (or, more gererally, contexts)
- role_sortorder
- is not actually used anywhere in the code!
The following diagram shows the tables with their columns and the relationships between them, and other tables in Moodle.
Courses and their organisation into categories
- course
- course_categories
- course_display
- course_meta
- course_request
Activities and their arrangement within courses
(Here is the Dia file, should you need to edit this image: File:Course modules database.dia.)
- modules
- course_allowed_modules
- course_modules
- course_sections
See also the tables belonging to particular activity modules. For example forum_*, quiz_*, etc.
Groups and groupings
- groups
"id" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"courseid" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"name" NVARCHAR(254) NOT NULL,
"description" NVARCHAR(-1) NULL,
"descriptionformat" SMALLINT NOT NULL,
"enrolmentkey" NVARCHAR(50) NULL,
"picture" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"hidepicture" SMALLINT NOT NULL,
"timecreated" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"timemodified" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"idnumber" NVARCHAR(100) NOT NULL
- groups_members
"id" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"groupid" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"userid" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"timeadded" BIGINT NOT NULL
- groupings
"id" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"courseid" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"name" NVARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
"description" NVARCHAR(-1) NULL,
"descriptionformat" SMALLINT NOT NULL,
"configdata" NVARCHAR(-1) NULL,
"timecreated" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"timemodified" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"idnumber" NVARCHAR(100) NOT NULL
- groupings_groups
"id" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"groupingid" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"groupid" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"timeadded" BIGINT NOT NULL
ER Diagram of the Groups system
The logging system
- log
- log_display
Blocks system
- block
- block_instance
- block_rss_client
- block_pinned
- block_search_documents
Some particular blocks also have their own database tables. For example block_rss_client. See:
- ER Diagram of the Blocks system
- Blocks#Database support
- Unit 7 - Part A - Block Basics of the Introduction to Moodle Programming course.
Events
- event
- events_handlers
- events_queue
- events_queue_handlers
Backup and restore
- backup_config
- backup_courses
- backup_files
- backup_ids
- backup_log
ER Diagram of the Backup system
Statistics
- stats_daily
- stats_monthly
- stats_user_daily
- stats_user_monthly
- stats_user_weekly
- stats_weekly
Tags
- tag_*
Gradebook
- grade_*
ER Diagram of the Gradebook system
Question bank and question engine
Note that the tables for the core question bank, and also the tables for the individual question types, all have names starting with question_, however, it is easier to think of them separately.
- question
- question_answers
- question_attempts
- question_categories
- question_sessions
- question_states
See below for a list of question type tables.
Messaging system
- message
"id" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"useridfrom" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"useridto" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"subject" NVARCHAR(-1) NULL,
"fullmessage" NVARCHAR(-1) NULL,
"fullmessageformat" SMALLINT NULL,
"fullmessagehtml" NVARCHAR(-1) NULL,
"smallmessage" NVARCHAR(-1) NULL,
"notification" SMALLINT NULL,
"contexturl" NVARCHAR(-1) NULL,
"contexturlname" NVARCHAR(-1) NULL,
"timecreated" BIGINT NOT NULL
- message_contacts
"id" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"userid" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"contactid" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"blocked" SMALLINT NOT NULL
- message_processors
"id" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"name" NVARCHAR(166) NOT NULL,
"enabled" SMALLINT NOT NULL
- message_providers
"id" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"name" NVARCHAR(100) NOT NULL,
"component" NVARCHAR(200) NOT NULL,
"capability" NVARCHAR(255) NULL
- message_read
"id" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"useridfrom" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"useridto" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"subject" NVARCHAR(-1) NULL,
"fullmessage" NVARCHAR(-1) NULL,
"fullmessageformat" SMALLINT NULL,
"fullmessagehtml" NVARCHAR(-1) NULL,
"smallmessage" NVARCHAR(-1) NULL,
"notification" SMALLINT NULL,
"contexturl" NVARCHAR(-1) NULL,
"contexturlname" NVARCHAR(-1) NULL,
"timecreated" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"timeread" BIGINT NOT NULL
- message_working
"id" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"unreadmessageid" BIGINT NOT NULL,
"processorid" BIGINT NOT NULL
Moodle Network
- mnet_application
- mnet_enrol_assignments
- mnet_enrol_course
- mnet_host
- mnet_host2service
- mnet_log
- mnet_rpc
- mnet_service
- mnet_service2rpc
- mnet_session
- mnet_sso_access_control
Caching
- cache_filters
- cache_flags
- cache_text
Miscellaneous
- scale
- scale_history
- sessions2
- timezone
- post
Activity modules
- Assignment
- Chat
- Choice
- Data
- Feedback
- Forum
- Glossary
- Hotpot
- Label
- Lesson
- Quiz
- Resource
- SCORM
- Survey
- Wiki
- Workshop
Authentication plugins
- ...
Blocks
- block
- block_instance
- block_pinned
- block_rss_client
- block__search_documents
Enrolment plugins
- ...
Question types
- Calculated
- Matching
- Multiple choice
- Multi-answer (Cloze)
- Numerical
- Random short-answer matching
- Short answer
- True/false
See also
- ER Diagram of the installed system - a single big png image
- Database_Schema - some automatically generated diagrams.
- Database FAQ
- XMLDB_Documentation - the XMLDB system used to define, edit, and update the database structure.
- Moodle 2.2 ER Diagram by Marcus Green
- Moodle ER Diagram HowTo: Creating a Moodle ER Diagram by generating a log from the install process
- Why moodle's DB dont have relationship and foreign Keys? Using Moodle forum discussion.
- Why No Relationship between tables Exist Using Moodle forum discussion.
- Moodle Database Schema Visualized and detailed view of database schema
