Courses lists upgrade to 2.5

There are significant changes in course-related functions and UI in 2.5. This document is aimed to assist migration from 2.4 to 2.5. This is NOT a complete documentation on 2.5 features.

Theme developers

All course listings are now performed through the same renderer functions.

There are significant changes to CSS classes used

Pages that are affected by the new renderer functions

To test your theme make sure that your site has several course categories with courses. Also some courses have summaries. Some courses should have enrollment methods other than manual (i.e. self enrollment). Some courses should have enrolled users with roles listed in $CFG->coursecontact. See screenshots attached to MDL-37009

Pages and responsible renderer functions:

• Courses lists on frontpage (see $CFG->frontpage, $CFG->frontpageloggedin) - core_course_renderer::courses_list_frontpage()
  • List of courses where user is enrolled (please note, this is no longer recommended setting, use 'my' page instead!)
  • List of all available courses
  • Categories list ($CFG->maxcategorydepth will affect how many subcategories levels to display)
  • Combo list ($CFG->maxcategorydepth will affect how many subcategories levels to display)
• View courses (/course/index.php, /course/category.php) - core_course_renderer::course_category()
  • Category is empty
  • Category has only subcategories
  • Category has only subcategories and there are more than $CFG->coursesperpage of them
  • Category has only courses and there are less courses than $CFG->courseswithsummarieslimit
  • Category has only courses and there are more than $CFG->courseswithsummarieslimit but less than $CFG->coursesperpage
  • Category has only courses and there are more than $CFG->coursesperpage
  • Category has both courses and categories and at least one of the lists is bigger than $CFG->coursesperpage (make sure to click "more" link for both courses and categories list).
• Search courses - core_course_renderer::search_courses()
  • No courses found
  • Less than $CFG->coursesperpage courses found
  • More than $CFG->coursesperpage courses found
• Courses with tag - core_course_renderer::tagged_courses()
  • Enable tag functionality, tag some courses with the same tag, add Tags block, click on tag name, the list of tagged courses is displayed (this is very similar to search results)
• Course information (.course-info-box) - core_course_renderer::course_info_box()
  • If course has self enrollment, when student clicks on course name he is redirected to /enrol/index.php
  • In collapsed courses listing there is an "i" icon next to the course name, click on it, /course/info.php is opened

Hint. To change $CFG->xxx type xxx in the search box in Administration block.

New renderer functions

One course: core_course_renderer::coursecat_coursebox()

How to use	What you get (HTML/CSS)
This function is used to render courses lists, print course information and/or display courses and categories trees in many places. To print information about one course on php page: $renderer = $PAGE->get_renderer('core', 'course'); echo $renderer->course_info_box($course); Function course_info_box() also existed in Moodle 2.4. Remember that function print_course() is deprecated in 2.5.	div.coursebox.expanded h3.name a[.dimmed] div.enrolmenticons div.moreinfo /* empty, may be populated with JS */ div.summary div.coursecat a[.dimmed] ul.teachers li or div.coursebox.collapsed div.name /* Note that it is not any more */ a div.enrolmenticons div.moreinfo /* contains link to /course/info.php or empty */

List of courses: core_course_renderer::coursecat_courses()

How to use	What you get (HTML/CSS)
Also is already used in many course listings. To print custom list of courses on php page: $renderer = $PAGE->get_renderer('core', 'course'); echo $renderer->courses_list($courses); Remember that function print_courses() is deprecated.	CSS classes div.courses div.paging /* pagination for courses */ div.coursebox(.expanded|.collapsed).odd.first div.coursebox(.expanded|.collapsed).even ... div.coursebox(.expanded|.collapsed)(.odd|.even).last div.paging /* pagination for courses or 'more' link */

List of subcategories: core_course_renderer::coursecat_subcategories()

How to use	What you get (HTML/CSS)
Can be used only as part of tree	CSS classes div.subcategories div.paging /* pagination for categories */ div.category[.with_children[.loaded[.collapsed]|.notloaded]] div.header [h3|h4].name /* for nested categories */ a div.subcategories .... /* recursive */ div.courses ... /* see above */ div.category div.category ... div.paging /* pagination for categories or 'more' link */

Courses and categories tree: core_course_renderer::render_coursecat_renderable()

How to use

What you get (HTML/CSS)

Can be called as $renderer->render($coursecat) but since the class coursecat_renderable is defined inside /course/renderer.php it is not recommended to use it from outside of the class. Used in functions: $renderer = $PAGE->get_renderer('core', 'course'); echo $renderer->courses_list_frontpage($displaymode); echo $renderer->search_courses($searchcriteria); echo $renderer->tagged_courses($tagid); echo $renderer->course_category($id);

div.course_category_tree /* plus extra class for each particular listing */ div.subcategories ... /* see above */ div.courses ... /* see above */

CSS classes hierarchy

Listings of courses only where courses information is expanded:

• search results
• tagged courses
• list of enrolled or available courses on the front page
• category page where category does not have subcategories and number of courses is less than $CFG->courseswithsummarieslimit

Moodle 2.4	Moodle 2.5
div.box.courseboxes /* category view only */ ul.unlist /* category view and frontpage */ li /* category view and frontpage */ div.coursebox div.info h3.name a ul.teachers li div.summary div.no-overflow ... p.category /* search results only */ div.enrolmenticons img	div.course_category_tree.courses-only div.courses div.paging /* pagination */ div.course h3.course_name /* never */ a.course_link /* has background image 'course' */ div.course_info img, a img /* enrolmenticons */ div.course_summary div.course-category /* search results and tagged courses */ ul.course_contacts li div.course div.course ... div.paging /* may be pagination or 'more' link */

Tree of categories and courses

• category page (except case listed above)
• 'Courses' page (/course/index.php without specifying category id)
• categories tree on the front page
• combo list on the front page

All those listings show not only courses but also subcategories, either expanded or not.

Moodle 2.4	Moodle 2.5	Comments
Combo list on frontpage div.course_category_tree div.category[.with_children] /* in some themes has background image with gradient */ div.category_label /* has background image 'collapsed'/'expanded' */ a.category_link div.subcategories div.category ... /* recursive */ div.courses div.course a.course_link div.course_info img, a img /* enrolment icons and link to /course/info.php */	div.course_category_tree div.subcategories div.paging /* pagination */ div.category[.with_children[.loaded[.collapsed]|.notloaded]] /* does NOT have background image any more */ div.category_label /* in some themes has background image with gradient */ [h3|h4].category_name /* for nested categories; has background image 'collapsed'/'expanded' */ a.category_link div.subcategories .... /* recursive */ div.courses .... div.category div.category ... div.paging /* may be pagination or 'more' link */ div.courses div.paging /* pagination */ div.course [div|h3].course_name /* In this listing type it is usually . May be if course is shown expanded, with summary and contacts */ a.course_link /* has background image 'course' */ div.course_info div.course_summary /* usually not present in this listing */ ul.course_contacts /* usually not present in this listing */ li div.course div.course ... div.paging /* may be pagination or 'more' link */
Categories list on frontpage div.box.generalbox.categorybox div.categorylist div.category a span.numberofcourse div.category div.indentation /* maybe several nested */ a span.numberofcourse
Category view with subcategories table.generalbox.boxaligncenter.category_subcategories thead tr th /* 'Sub-categories' */ tbody tr td a tr ... div.box.courseboxes ul.unlist li div.coursebox div.info h3.name a ul.teachers li div.summary div.no-overflow ... p.category /* search results only */ div.enrolmenticons img div.coursebox ...
Category view with paginated courses or category with more than $CFG->courseswithsummarieslimit courses table.generalbox.boxaligncenter.category_subcategories ... /* see above */ div.paging /* applies to courses only! */ table.generalbox.boxaligncenter tbody tr th /* 'Courses' */ th /* empty */ tr td a /* link to course */ td img, a img /* enrolment icons and link to /course/info.php */ tr ...
/course/index.php div.box.categorybox div.categorylist div.category div.image img /* 'i/course' */ div.name a div.clearfloat /* empty */ div.course /* note that it is not nested in .category */ div.indentation div.name img /* enrolment icon */ a /* link to course */ div.info a /* link to /course/info.php */ img div.course ... /* other courses */ div.categorylist div.category div.indentation /* indicates that this category is nested */ div.image div.name div.course div.indentation div.indentation div.name div.info ... /* other courses */ ... /* other categories */

Pages, displaying information about one course only

• /course/info.php
• /enrol/index.php (in Moodle 2.4 had url /course/enrol.php)

Moodle 2.4	Moodle 2.5
h2.main /* course/info.php only */ a /* link to course */ br /* plus short course name in parenthesis */ div.box.generalbox.info div.no-overflow /* missing if there is no summary */ ul.teachers li	div.box.generalbox.info div.coursebox.expanded h3.name a[.dimmed] div.enrolmenticons div.moreinfo /* empty */ div.summary ul.teachers li

Some common CSS rules that need to be changed

Moodle 2.4	Moodle 2.5
.course_category_tree .courses. > .course	.course_category_tree .courses. > .coursebox (or .coursebox.collapsed)
.course_category_tree .courses. > .course > .course-info	.course_category_tree .courses. > .coursebox > .icons
.course_category_tree .courses. > .course > .course_link	.course_category_tree .courses. > .coursebox > .name > a
.course_category_tree .category > .category_label > .category_link	.course_category_tree .category > .header > .name > a
.coursebox	.coursebox.expanded (when applying big margin/padding)
.coursebox > .info > .name > a	.coursebox > .name > a
.coursebox > .info > ul.teachers > li	.coursebox > ul.teachers > li
.coursebox > .summary > p.category	.coursebox > div.coursecat (could not use word 'category' any more because it might cause CSS confusions)
.coursebox > .summary > .enrolmenticons	.coursebox > div.icons
.categorylist > .category div.name > a	.course_category_tree .subcategories > .category > div.header > .name > a
.categorylist > .category .image	does not exist anymore, if you want to add an icon for category add it as background for .category .name > a
.categorylist .indentation	does not exist anymore, all subcategories and courses are nested div's now
.categorylist .course	.course_category_tree .courses. > .coursebox
.courseboxes	.category-browse
table.category_subcategories	.course_category_tree .subcategories (no more tables!)