MoodleDocs - User contributions [en]

Moodle 2.3 release notes

2012-05-25T05:17:26Z

Drex: Added in sone kudos for UNSW for funding the Conditional Topics feature.

[[Releases]] > {{FULLPAGENAME}}

Release date: 18th June 2012 (expected)

Here is [http://tracker.moodle.org/secure/IssueNavigator!executeAdvanced.jspa?jqlQuery=project+%3D+mdl+AND+resolution+%3D+fixed+AND+fixVersion+in+%28%222.3%22%29+ORDER+BY+priority+DESC&runQuery=true&clear=true the full list of fixed issues in 2.3].

Many thanks to [http://moodle.org/dev/contributions.php?version=2.3.x everyone that worked on the new features in this release], particularly:

* Everyone at [http://moodle.com/hq/team Moodle HQ]
* Tim Hunt and Sam Marshall from [http://www.open.ac.uk/ The Open University]
* Damyon and Raymond from [http://www.netspot.com.au/ NetSpot]
* Andrew and Ruslan from [http://www.luns.net.uk/ Lancaster University Network Services]
* Davo Smith from [http://www.synergy-learning.com/ Synergy Learning]
* Main web services contributors: Fabio Souto, Juan Leyva, Paul Charsley, Yang Yang
* ...

===Requirements===

* Minimum browser: Firefox 4, Internet Explorer 8, Safari 5 (New!)
* Moodle upgrade: Moodle 2.2 or later (if upgrading from earlier versions, you must upgrade to 2.2 as a first step)
* Minimum PHP / DB versions: the same as for Moodle 2.2

===Major new features===

====Files usability====
(insert screenshots with realistic example files)

* Nicer-looking File Picker with fewer clicks
* Images now display as true thumbnails in the file picker and file manager
* Other files have pretty icons for most file types
* Files view can be easily toggled between icons view, or a table view with sizes and dates, or a hierarchical list view.
* You can now drag and drop files directly from your desktop straight into file areas!
* File info (eg license information, sizes, dates) can be easily edited and viewed in a popup dialog
* Files can be created as "aliases/shortcuts" of other files. This allows you to, for example, use a single file in your private files area multiple times in all your courses. If you update the original file then all the aliases will automatically update!
* Aliases are easily identifiable in the file manager interface.
(MDL-31907)

====Repository improvements====

* MDL-28666 - If a repository supports it then it's possible to make an alias/shortcut to a file in an external repository. If the file is updated in the repository, then this change is reflected in Moodle. The fie remains under Moodle access control however, and the original URL is not usually revealed. In the 2.3 core release, this is supported by Equella, Filesystem, user private, coursefiles and box.net repositories.
* The repository plugin is now able to take over the whole right-hand pane of the file picker and provide it's own searching/browsing interface.
* MDL-31675 - Server files repository now available for database, forum and glossary activities.

====Improvements to editing course pages ====

* MDL-31263 - Blocks drag and drop returns
* MDL-31052 - All AJAX editing on the course pages has been modernised and cleaned up. It's on by default now too.
* MDL-30617 - An optional new popup [https://docs.moodle.org/23/en/Course_homepage "Activity chooser"] has been added with full introduction, examples and links about each activity or resource module.
* MDL-22504 - You can now drag files straight into the course page and they will be added as resources.
* MDL-31215 - You can edit the name of any activity without having to enter the activity settings (works particularly well with drag and drop).
* MDL-32771 - You can now add/remove sections directly from the [https://docs.moodle.org/23/en/Course_homepage course page].

====Assignment module====

* MDL-26997 - Complete rewrite of the assignment module from scratch, by [http://www.netspot.com.au/ NetSpot] (Moodle Partner in Australia)
* Assignment subtypes no longer needed
* MDL-31731 - New 'marking guide' advanced grading method, where a teacher enters a comment per criterion and a mark up to a maximum

====Book module====

* MDL-32709 - The most popular third-party resource module ever, [https://docs.moodle.org/23/en/Book_module Book], by our very own Petr Skoda, finally joins core. Welcome!

====Quiz module====

* MDL-3030 - More robust handling of quiz attempts that are not submitted by the deadline.
* MDL-3054 & MDL-11047 - There is now an option for teacher to force students to answer the quiz questions strictly in order. As part of this, the quiz remembers which page the student was last on, and will take them back there when they resume an attempt.

====SCORM module====
* MDL-29745 - new graph report plugin

====Workshop module====

* MDL-26099 - [https://docs.moodle.org/23/en/Workshop_settings Option to make the workshop switch to the assessment phase] automatically after the submissions deadline (including automatic allocation of submissions for assessment)
* MDL-25660 - Workshop submission deadlines are shown in the calendar
* MDL-27508 - Improved support for pagination and filtering workshop submissions by group
* MDL-32638 - Workshop supports file browsing via Server files repository (including improved access control when serving submission files)

====Available update notifications====

*MDL-20438 - Admins are sent [https://docs.moodle.org/23/en/Notifications notification of any updates available] for core code and for any contributed plugins installed on the site (from the [http://moodle.org/plugins plugins directory]). Admins can also check for available updates using buttons on the notifications and plugins overview pages.

===Other highlights===

* MDL-32508 - Sections can now be displayed to all users as "one section per page" (via a new [https://docs.moodle.org/23/en/Course_settings course setting 'Course layout']) with full navigation. Currently only supported by Weeks and Topics formats. (AKA death to scroll-of-death)
* MDL-31121 - Option in [https://docs.moodle.org/23/en/File_module_settings file resource settings] to display file size and/or type on course page
* MDL-32009 - Admin option for uninstalling messaging outputs and report of messaging output statuses on plugins overview page
* MDL-29941 - Admin option to enable a CSS optimiser that analyses and refactors CSS before caching it
* MDL-24419 - [https://docs.moodle.org/23/en/Conditional_activities_settings Conditional activities setting] enabling teachers to restrict access to a course section using similar logic to Conditional Activities (with thanks to the [http://www.unsw.edu.au/ University of New South Wales] for funding and [http://www.netspot.com.au/ NetSpot] for developing this feature)
* MDL-26901 - Option to add extra fonts to the [https://docs.moodle.org/23/en/Text_editor TinyMCE HTML editor]

===Security issues===

All security issues that were fixed in 2.2.x and 2.1.x were also fixed in 2.3.

===For developers: API changes===

====Core API changes====
* MDL-31902 All xxx_get_participants() functions are removed from core
* As a part of MDL-32471, the signature of send_stored_file() has been [http://git.moodle.org/gw?p=moodle.git;a=commitdiff;h=796495fed29f12e4a81bd406558d8eeffd0e64ac modified]. The last two parameters $filename and $dontdie were replaced with a single array containing additional options for the file serving. The pluginfile callbacks in plugins are supposed to transfer these options from the caller to send_stored_file() - see the note below.
* MDL-28666 Files API changes, added ability to create file reference using file_storage::create_file_from_reference() method, update file record attributes using stored_file class
* MDL-28666 Repository API changes, added new APIs repository::get_file_reference(), repository::get_file_by_reference(), repository::get_reference_details(), repository::send_file(), the new APIs make serving files from external repository possible

====Plugin API changes====

* As a part of MDL-32471, the API of the plugin function xyz_pluginfile() has been extended. There is a new array parameter passed to these callbacks containing additional options for the file serving. The array should be re-passed to send_stored_file(). The change is pretty trivial - see [http://git.moodle.org/gw?p=moodle.git;a=commitdiff;h=261cbbacc15ef1732a357d689908c91c15e0617a examples].

====Webservice changes====
Few changes could break existing web service clients in 2.3 - untill this version we tried not to break anything. However these changes will make the client's developer life easier, so we prefered to do them now than later. Please take in consideration these improvements and retest your clients:
* [https://docs.moodle.org/dev/Errors_handling_in_web_services Error codes and Warnings]
* All text fields have an additional format field as parameter and return value (MDL-32581)
* Thanks to the increasing number of contributions, we improved our [https://docs.moodle.org/dev/How_to_contribute_a_web_service_function_to_core contributor web service guide]
* From 2.3, all web service functions integrated in master will land (when possible) in supported minor versions (e.g. 2.3.1, 2.3.2...).
* Many [http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-31253 fixes] and new [http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-29934 API functions].

====Unit tests====

We have switched completely to using [[PHPUnit]] for all our unit tests now. All existing simpletests have been rewritten, and new tests have been added.

We intend to move towards a completely unit-test-driven development methodology (where the tests are written first!) for significant new code, and we also encourage all developers to implement unit tests covering at least the core features of their code.

Moodle HQ run these tests on an automated basis for all new code submitted for integration, as well as on each weekly release.

==== Community hub changes ====
Some bug fixes and improvements in [http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-30247 core] and in the [http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/CONTRIB-3348 plugin]. Hub administrators must update their hub to the most recent version regarding CONTRIB-3646.

<noinclude>==See also==

* [https://docs.moodle.org/23/en/Category:New_features User documentation of new features in Moodle 2.3]
* [https://docs.moodle.org/23/en/Upgrading_to_Moodle_2.3 Upgrading to Moodle 2.3] - information for admins who are upgrading from earlier versions
*[[Moodle 2.2 release notes]]

[[Category:Release notes]]
[[Category:Moodle 2.3]]

[[fr:Notes de mise à jour de Moodle 2.3]]
</noinclude>

Talk:Assignment

2011-11-22T05:48:01Z

Drex: /* Project meetings */ new section

Martin originally wrote:

===Problem 1===
The four core subtypes we have are really confusing from a GUI point of view for new users, and are in fact all very similar.

SOLUTION:
Collapse all these four into a single new assignment module that can support any or all of these at once:
* Teacher-written text to students
* Teacher-supplied files to students
* Student-written text for teacher
* Student-supplied files for teacher

===Problem 2===
The support of subtypes makes it slightly easier to write new assignment types but also makes them less flexible, and so people tend to create hacks.

SOLUTION:
# Remove subtypes from the default assignment module and implement all core features as above.
# Allow normal activity modules to declare themselves as "Assignment" modules (similar to resource modules) so that the GUI can group them if required.
# Provide lib/assignmentlib.php with some core classes to help the migration of subtypes to become full modules.

I understand "Provide lib/assignmentlib.php with some core classes" in two ways:
- write the new Assignment module in a way that makes it possible to migrate an instance with the old four-pronged Assignment module. All migrated Assignment modules would turn into new Assignment modules with the appropriate settings.
OR
- make available a library with classes so that other modules that currently are not Assignment modules ("hacks") to be upgraded to become Assignment modules as well. Examples for this would be the Mahara View Assignment and BIM.

===Problem 3===
We have no good support for team-based assignments.

SOLUTION:

# Support course groups and groupings.
# Add a switch to settings to "Enable team assignments" which will allow users in groups to share one file area and one text response per group.
# Add good logging of changes made by the users.

===Problem 4===
Implement web services for all functionality of Moodle to support LightWork and mobile

== Project meetings ==

==Assignment Module Redevelopment meetings==
The NetSpot development team will use this space to document notes from meetings as they happen.
===Meeting 1 - 22 Nov 2011===
Project team:
* Mark Drechsler - NetSpot project sponsor
* Damyon Weise - Lead developer
* Victor Herrera - Project Manager
* Ashley Holman - Code Architect, all round good guy
* Minh-Tam Nguyen - Functional Consultant
* Plus future input from the consortium of Australian universities who will support NetSpot's development effort through a range of means. Details to be added soon.

First step is to establish the functional specification for the 'bare minimum' of changes needed to meet the design goals listed by Moodle HQ. Once we have these we can start to look in more detail at the requirements of the Consortium and see how many of these are feasible and how many overlap with existing Tracker 'wish list' items from the broader community.

Project team will be meeting regularly in the lead up to Xmas 2011 to try and be ready to hit some development tasks in early 2012.

Talk:Advanced grading methods

2011-09-05T04:39:45Z

Drex: Created page with "Just wanted to say how good this looks - well done to the designers. One thing which is different from how I'd envisaged it is the absence of a 'Rubric Manager' screen where gra..."

Just wanted to say how good this looks - well done to the designers.

One thing which is different from how I'd envisaged it is the absence of a 'Rubric Manager' screen where grading forms could be uploaded first, then use later. After a bit of thought it does make sense in terms of consistency with the Moodle 2.x file management paradigm to only have rubrics created within the respective assignment.

Now the big question: is this still on track for 2.2?

Talk:Mobile app

2011-02-03T23:58:06Z

Drex: /* Timeframe? */ new section

I'd love to see the ability for students to take quizzes be included in a 1.0 mobile app. Comparative LMS (BB) have not yet achieved this with their own Mobile apps and it would be a boon for mobile learning (or learning utilizing tablet devices).

== Timeframe? ==

Do we have even a ballpark estimate for when this might be available? A year would be sufficient :)

Looks great btw :)

Talk:Process

2010-11-25T10:33:14Z

Drex: Suggestion for wording change for User role

I think 'User' should be described as both 'finding issues' and 'suggesting improvements' for Moodle, even if the detail of how things are implemented are left for the Product Owner. Just thinking that a good chunk of the things I add to the Tracker are suggestions for improvement rather than 'issues' as such and that we should promote this idea as a general rule - maybe :)