Note:

If you want to create a new page for developers, you should create it on the Moodle Developer Resource site.

Core APIs: Difference between revisions

From MoodleDocs
No edit summary
(Add Privacy API)
(20 intermediate revisions by 10 users not shown)
Line 26: Line 26:
=== Logging API (log) ===
=== Logging API (log) ===


The [[Logging API]] allows you to add new entries to the Moodle log and define how they get displayed in reports.
The [[Event 2]] API allows you to log events in Moodle, while [[Logging 2]] describes how logs are stored and retrieved.


=== Navigation API (navigation) ===
=== Navigation API (navigation) ===
Line 46: Line 46:
=== Upgrade API (upgrade) ===
=== Upgrade API (upgrade) ===


The [[Upgrade API]] is how your module installs and upgrades itself, by keeping track of it's own version.
The [[Upgrade API]] is how your module installs and upgrades itself, by keeping track of its own version.


=== Moodlelib API (core) ===
=== Moodlelib API (core) ===
Line 57: Line 57:


The [[Admin settings]] API deals with providing configuration options for each plugin and Moodle core.
The [[Admin settings]] API deals with providing configuration options for each plugin and Moodle core.
=== Analytics API (analytics) ===
The [[Analytics API]] allow you to create prediction models and generate insights.
=== Availability (availability) ===
The [[Availability API]] controls access to activities and sections.


=== Backup API (backup) ===
=== Backup API (backup) ===


The [[Backup API]] defines exactly how to convert course data into XML for backup purposes, and the [[Restore API]] describes how to convert it back the other way.
The [[Backup API]] defines exactly how to convert course data into XML for backup purposes, and the [[Restore API]] describes how to convert it back the other way.
=== Cache API (cache) ===
The [[The Moodle Universal Cache (MUC)]] is the structure for storing cache data within Moodle. [[Cache_API]] explains some of what is needed to use a cache in your code.


=== Calendar API (calendar) ===
=== Calendar API (calendar) ===
Line 69: Line 81:


The [[Comment API]] allows you to save and retrieve user comments, so that you can easily add commenting to any of your code.
The [[Comment API]] allows you to save and retrieve user comments, so that you can easily add commenting to any of your code.
=== Competency API (competency) ===
The [[Competency API]] allows you to list and add evidence of competencies to learning plans, learning plan templates, frameworks, courses and activities.


=== Data definition API (ddl) ===
=== Data definition API (ddl) ===
Line 80: Line 96:
=== Events API (event) ===
=== Events API (event) ===


The [[Events API]] allows to define "events" with payload data to be fired whenever you like, and it also allows you to define handlers to react to these events when they happen.  This is the recommended form of inter-plugin communication.
The [[Event 2]] allows to define "events" with payload data to be fired whenever you like, and it also allows you to define handlers to react to these events when they happen.  This is the recommended form of inter-plugin communication. This also forms the basis for logging in Moodle.


=== External functions API (external) ===
=== External functions API (external) ===
Line 96: Line 112:
=== Media API (media) ===
=== Media API (media) ===


The [[Media embedding]] API can be used to embed media items such as audio, video, and Flash.
The [[Media_players#Using_media_players|Media]] API can be used to embed media items such as audio, video, and Flash.
 
=== My profile API ===
 
The [[My profile API]] is used to add things to the profile page.
 
=== OAuth 2 API (oauth2) ===
 
The [[OAuth 2 API]] is used to provide a common place to configure and manage external systems using OAuth 2.


=== Preference API (preference) ===
=== Preference API (preference) ===
Line 105: Line 129:


The [[Portfolio API]] allows you to add portfolio interfaces on your pages and allows users to package up data to send to their portfolios.
The [[Portfolio API]] allows you to add portfolio interfaces on your pages and allows users to package up data to send to their portfolios.
=== Privacy API (privacy) ===
The [[Privacy API]] allows you to describe the personal data that you store, and provides the means for that data to be discovered, exported, and deleted on a per-user basis.
This allows compliance with regulation such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe.


=== Rating API (rating) ===
=== Rating API (rating) ===
Line 112: Line 141:
=== RSS API (rss) ===
=== RSS API (rss) ===


The [[RSS API]] allows you to create secure RSS feeds of data in your module.  
The [[RSS API]] allows you to create secure RSS feeds of data in your module.
 
=== Search API (search) ===
 
The [[Search API]] allows you to index contents in a search engine and query the search engine for results.


=== Tag API (tag) ===
=== Tag API (tag) ===
Line 137: Line 170:


The [[Web services API]] allows you to expose particular functions (usually external functions) as web services.
The [[Web services API]] allows you to expose particular functions (usually external functions) as web services.
=== Badges API (OpenBadges) ===
The [https://docs.moodle.org/dev/OpenBadges_User_Documentation Badges] user documentation (is a temp page until we compile a proper page with all the classes and APIs that allows you to manage particular badges and OpenBadges Backpack).


== Activity module APIs ==
== Activity module APIs ==
Line 150: Line 187:
The [[Advanced grading API]] allows you to add more advanced grading interfaces (such as rubrics) that can produce simple grades for the gradebook.
The [[Advanced grading API]] allows you to add more advanced grading interfaces (such as rubrics) that can produce simple grades for the gradebook.


=== Conditional activities API (condition) ===
=== Conditional activities API (condition) - deprecated in 2.7 ===


The [[Conditional activities API]] is so you can tell the system how to show or hide the activity automatically.
The deprecated [[Conditional activities API]] used to provide conditional access to modules and sections in Moodle 2.6 and below. It has been replaced by the [[Availability API]].


=== Groups API (group) ===
=== Groups API (group) ===
Line 173: Line 210:


* [[Plugins]] - plugin types also have their own APIs
* [[Plugins]] - plugin types also have their own APIs
* [[Callbacks]] - list of all callbacks in Moodle
* [[Coding style]] - general information about writing PHP code for Moodle
* [[Coding style]] - general information about writing PHP code for Moodle

Revision as of 00:17, 2 March 2018

Moodle has a number of core APIs that provide tools for Moodle scripts.

They are essential when writing Moodle plugins.


Most-used General APIs

These APIs are critical and will be used by nearly every Moodle plugin.

Access API (access)

The Access API gives you functions so you can determine what the current user is allowed to do, and it allows modules to extend Moodle with new capabilities.

Data manipulation API (dml)

The Data manipulation API allows you to read/write to databases in a consistent and safe way.

File API (files)

The File API controls the storage of files in connection to various plugins.

Form API (form)

The Form API defines and handles user data via web forms.

Logging API (log)

The Event 2 API allows you to log events in Moodle, while Logging 2 describes how logs are stored and retrieved.

Navigation API (navigation)

The Navigation API allows you to manipulate the navigation tree to add and remove items as you wish.

Page API (page)

The Page API is used to set up the current page, add JavaScript, and configure how things will be displayed to the user.

Output API (output)

The Output API is used to render the HTML for all parts of the page.

String API (string)

The String API is how you get language text strings to use in the user interface. It handles any language translations that might be available.

Upgrade API (upgrade)

The Upgrade API is how your module installs and upgrades itself, by keeping track of its own version.

Moodlelib API (core)

The Moodlelib API is the central library file of miscellaneous general-purpose Moodle functions. Functions can over the handling of request parameters, configs, user preferences, time, login, mnet, plugins, strings and others. There are plenty of defined constants too.

Other General APIs

Admin settings (admin)

The Admin settings API deals with providing configuration options for each plugin and Moodle core.

Analytics API (analytics)

The Analytics API allow you to create prediction models and generate insights.

Availability (availability)

The Availability API controls access to activities and sections.

Backup API (backup)

The Backup API defines exactly how to convert course data into XML for backup purposes, and the Restore API describes how to convert it back the other way.

Cache API (cache)

The The Moodle Universal Cache (MUC) is the structure for storing cache data within Moodle. Cache_API explains some of what is needed to use a cache in your code.

Calendar API (calendar)

The Calendar API allows you to add and modify events in the calendar for user, groups, courses, or the whole site.

Comment API (comment)

The Comment API allows you to save and retrieve user comments, so that you can easily add commenting to any of your code.

Competency API (competency)

The Competency API allows you to list and add evidence of competencies to learning plans, learning plan templates, frameworks, courses and activities.

Data definition API (ddl)

The Data definition API is what you use to create, change and delete tables and fields in the database during upgrades.

Enrolment API (enrol)

The Enrolment API deals with course participants.

Events API (event)

The Event 2 allows to define "events" with payload data to be fired whenever you like, and it also allows you to define handlers to react to these events when they happen. This is the recommended form of inter-plugin communication. This also forms the basis for logging in Moodle.

External functions API (external)

The External functions API allows you to create fully parametrised methods that can be accessed by external programs (such as Web services).

Lock API (lock)

The Lock API lets you synchronise processing between multiple requests, even for separate nodes in a cluster.

Message API (message)

The Message API lets you post messages to users. They decide how they want to receive them.

Media API (media)

The Media API can be used to embed media items such as audio, video, and Flash.

My profile API

The My profile API is used to add things to the profile page.

OAuth 2 API (oauth2)

The OAuth 2 API is used to provide a common place to configure and manage external systems using OAuth 2.

Preference API (preference)

The Preference API is a simple way to store and retrieve preferences for individual users.

Portfolio API (portfolio)

The Portfolio API allows you to add portfolio interfaces on your pages and allows users to package up data to send to their portfolios.

Privacy API (privacy)

The Privacy API allows you to describe the personal data that you store, and provides the means for that data to be discovered, exported, and deleted on a per-user basis. This allows compliance with regulation such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe.

Rating API (rating)

The Rating API lets you create AJAX rating interfaces so that users can rate items in your plugin. In an activity module, you may choose to aggregate ratings to form grades.

RSS API (rss)

The RSS API allows you to create secure RSS feeds of data in your module.

Search API (search)

The Search API allows you to index contents in a search engine and query the search engine for results.

Tag API (tag)

The Tag API allows you to store tags (and a tag cloud) to items in your module.

Task API (task)

The Task API lets you run jobs in the background. Either once off, or on a regular schedule.

Time API (time)

The Time API takes care of translating and displaying times between users in the site.

Testing API (test)

The testing API contains the Unit test API (PHPUnit) and Acceptance test API (Acceptance testing). Ideally all new code should have unit tests written FIRST.

User-related APIs (user)

This is a rather informal grouping of miscellaneous User-related APIs relating to sorting and searching lists of users.

Web services API (webservice)

The Web services API allows you to expose particular functions (usually external functions) as web services.

Badges API (OpenBadges)

The Badges user documentation (is a temp page until we compile a proper page with all the classes and APIs that allows you to manage particular badges and OpenBadges Backpack).

Activity module APIs

Activity modules are the most important plugin in Moodle. There are several core APIs that service only Activity modules.

Activity completion API (completion)

The Activity completion API is to indicate to the system how activities are completed.

Advanced grading API (grading)

The Advanced grading API allows you to add more advanced grading interfaces (such as rubrics) that can produce simple grades for the gradebook.

Conditional activities API (condition) - deprecated in 2.7

The deprecated Conditional activities API used to provide conditional access to modules and sections in Moodle 2.6 and below. It has been replaced by the Availability API.

Groups API (group)

The Groups API allows you to check the current activity group mode and set the current group.

Gradebook API (grade)

The Gradebook API allows you to read and write from the gradebook. It also allows you to provide an interface for detailed grading information.

Plagiarism API (plagiarism)

The Plagiarism API allows your activity module to send files and data to external services to have them checked for plagiarism.

Question API (question)

The Question API (which can be divided into the Question bank API and the Question engine API), can be used by activities that want to use questions from the question bank.

See also

  • Plugins - plugin types also have their own APIs
  • Callbacks - list of all callbacks in Moodle
  • Coding style - general information about writing PHP code for Moodle