Projects for new developers: Difference between revisions

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Getting started

Moodle uses PHP, JavaScript, SQL and a number of other Web languages, so learning those is a good place to start.
When you have some basic PHP programming skills, you may wish to start learning about how the Moodle code is organised. It is recommended that you go through the Tutorial.
If you are looking for projects suggested in the tracker, look for issues with the 'addon_candidate' label.
If you are looking to make a quick contribution, look for tracker issues with marked as easy.
As you become more involved in Moodle development, you might like to learn more about the coding conventions used and how changes to Moodle core code are processed. Once you become confident enough, please consider adopting a plugin seeking a new maintainer.

Potential projects

This evolving page lists possible Moodle projects for new developers derived from community suggestions and lists projects together with experienced core developers willing to mentor new developers.

If you have any ideas for new features in Moodle which might be suitable as projects for new developers, please see New feature ideas.

Acceptance tests for the Moodle app

Since Moodle 3.7 it will be possible to write and run acceptance tests for the Moodle app.

Tasks:

Write new acceptance tests for the Moodle app

Requirement for GSOC prospective students:

We require prospective students to set-up and run in a local environment the existing tests hosted here following this documentation: Acceptance testing for the mobile app. Students must record and submit a video of the tests running on a local machine as part of the GSOC application process.
We also require students to create an additional simple test based on the existing ones

Skills required: Behat (PHP)

Difficulty level: Medium

Possible mentor: Juan Leyva

Front-end editor for the plugin skeleton generator

This is a follow-up project for a successful GSOC 2016 project that resulted in a new tool allowing developers to quickly generate a skeleton (scaffolding, template) for a new Moodle plugin. The tool proved to be a helpful helper with significant impact on the quality of Moodle plugins code. This follow-up project aims at further improvements of the skeleton generator. The primary goal is to implement a developer-friendly user interface / front-end editor allowing to configure the plugin's properties (recipe file) easily. The UI should guide the developer through the process of designing and defining the plugin properties and facilitate the whole process.

We require prospective students to make an attempt at fixing at least 1 issue in the Moodle tracker before their proposal can be considered. This MUST be completed before your application can be considered valid.

Skills required: PHP + JS

Difficulty level: Medium

Possible mentor: David Mudrák

Make badges criteria a subplugin

Moodle is an acronym for "Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment" so it allows for extending and tailoring learning environments using community sourced plugins.

Moodle let users create badges, which are a validated indicator of accomplishment, skill, quality or interest that can be earned. However, for now, the criteria for earning them are a closed list (https://docs.moodle.org/en/Using_badges#Criteria).

We require to prepare a mechanism to create custom create to Moodle as a third-party plugin. More information about that can be found here: https://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-39864

Skills required: PHP

Difficulty level: Medium

Possible mentor: Sara Arjona

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-<!--
+{{Template:WillNotMigrate}}
-[[File:GSoC2012 logo.png|right]]
-<p class="note">'''Latest news:''' ''Moodle will be taking part in the [http://socghop.appspot.com/ Google Summer of Code] for our sixth year in 2012!''</p>
+{{GSOC}}
+==Getting started==
-If you're thinking of applying to work with Moodle for GSOC 2012, please check the information on [[Applying to work with Moodle for GSOC]] and join our gsoc2012@conference.moodle.org jabber chat!
+* Moodle uses PHP, JavaScript, SQL and a number of other Web languages, so learning those is a good place to start.
--->
+* When you have some basic PHP programming skills, you may wish to start learning about how the Moodle code is organised. It is recommended that you go through the [[Tutorial]].
+* If you are looking for projects suggested in the tracker, look for issues with the [https://tracker.moodle.org/issues/?jql=Difficulty%20%3D%20Easy%20AND%20resolution%20%3D%20Unresolved%20 'addon_candidate' label].
+* If you are looking to make a quick contribution, look for tracker issues with marked as [https://tracker.moodle.org/issues/?jql=Difficulty%20%3D%20Easy easy].
+* As you become more involved in Moodle development, you might like to learn more about the [[Coding|coding conventions]] used and how changes to Moodle core code are [[Process|processed]]. Once you become confident enough, please consider adopting a [https://moodle.org/plugins/browse.php?list=set&id=61 plugin seeking a new maintainer].
-This evolving page lists possible Moodle projects for new developers derived from community suggestions.
+==Potential projects==
+This evolving page lists possible Moodle projects for new developers derived from community suggestions and lists projects together with experienced core developers willing to mentor new developers.
 ''If you have any ideas for new features in Moodle which might be suitable as projects for new developers, please see [[New feature ideas]].''
-==Self-assessment activity using the question bank==
+=== Acceptance tests for the Moodle app ===
-The basic idea is that the teacher sets up a bank of questions organised into categories. Then the student can then choose what questions they want to practice when. This is about student-centred learning based on the capabilities of the Moodle question bank.
-The idea is explained in more detail in [http://tjhunt.blogspot.com/2011/09/what-i-want-to-build-next.html this blog post. (Note that I am not going to get time to do this myself!)
-If you are interested in working on this, there is still a lot of work to do to decide a scope for the project. I think it is important to find a minimal 'version 1.0' set of functionality that can be build as a short project that leads to a completely working activity. Then we can add more features to that already-working core.
-:'''Skills required''': PHP
-:'''Difficulty level''': Medium
-:'''Possible mentor''': [http://moodle.org/user/view.php?id=93821&course=5 Tim Hunt]
-==New question types==
-This is not really a specific project idea, but I would like to point one an important general area:
-With HTML5 the range of what can be done in a web browser keeps expanding. Can we use these possibilities to make new, much more interactive, question types for Moodle?
-There are some ideas in this forum thread: https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=222439
-* a question type where students have to join things up correctly by adding lines to a diagram (for example to complete an electric circuit).
-* a question type where students can change the colour of certain parts of a diagram, and they have to get it correct.
-* ... I am sure there are more possible ideas. Use your imagination!
-:'''Skills required''': PHP & JavaScript
-:'''Difficulty level''': Medium - Hard
-:'''Possible mentors''': [http://moodle.org/user/view.php?id=93821&course=5 Tim Hunt]
-Before proposing anything, please make sure you are familiar with the [https://docs.moodle.org/22/en/Questions standard question types] already available in Moodle, and the [http://moodle.org/plugins/browse.php?list=category&id=29 contributed question types] that other people have already created.
-==Role assigning tool==
+Since Moodle 3.7 it will be possible to write and run acceptance tests for the Moodle app.
-Develop a tool for easily assigning a role to a user in many places, for example, enrol a student in several courses.
+Tasks:
+* Write new acceptance tests for the Moodle app
-:'''Skills required''': PHP
+Requirement for GSOC prospective students:
-:'''Difficulty level''': Medium
-:'''Mentors''': [http://moodle.org/user/view.php?id=955449&course=5 Rossiani Wijaya]
-For further details see:
+* We require prospective students to set-up and run in a local environment the existing tests hosted [https://github.com/moodlehq/moodle-local_moodlemobileapp here] following this documentation: [[Acceptance testing for the mobile app]]. Students must record and submit a video of the tests running on a local machine as part of the GSOC application process.
-* Tracker issue MDL-10002
+* We also require students to create an additional simple test based [https://github.com/moodlehq/moodle-local_moodlemobileapp on the existing ones]
+:'''Skills required:''' Behat (PHP)
+:'''Difficulty level:''' Medium
+:'''Possible mentor:''' [https://moodle.org/user/profile.php?id=49568 Juan Leyva]
-==Form text autosave==
+=== Front-end editor for the plugin skeleton generator ===
-Moodle is a web based application which makes heavy use of text input from the web browser, a common annoyance from our users is loosing that text input into the browser. A common request is for input to be automatically saved or manually saved as a draft in order that input is not lost or can be worked on between sessions. Similar functions to this exist in web applications like wordpress or Gmail.
+This is a follow-up project for a [[GSOC/2016#Plugin skeleton generator|successful GSOC 2016 project]] that resulted in a new tool allowing developers to quickly generate a skeleton (scaffolding, template) for a new Moodle plugin. The tool proved to be a helpful helper with significant impact on the quality of Moodle plugins code. This follow-up project aims at further improvements of the skeleton generator. The primary goal is to implement a developer-friendly user interface / front-end editor allowing to configure the plugin's properties (recipe file) easily. The UI should guide the developer through the process of designing and defining the plugin properties and facilitate the whole process.
-Your task would be to implement this feature in Moodle. It is important that you make consideration of the fact that unlike other applications like blogging engines - Moodle has a wide variety of places where text would need to be stored as draft (examples: a forum post, a quiz essay question, an online text assignment) and this solution should be universal across all long text entry fields.
+* We require prospective students to make an attempt at fixing at least 1 issue in the Moodle tracker before their proposal can be considered. This MUST be completed before your application can be considered valid.
-If you are interested in this project it is important that you research the various attempts which have been made to implement this feature in Moodle, posts on the Moodle forums and demonstrate awareness in your application.
+:'''Skills required''': PHP + JS
-:'''Skills required''': PHP & JavaScript [YUI]
 :'''Difficulty level''': Medium
-:'''Possible mentors''': [http://moodle.org/user/view.php?id=104159&course=5 Dan Poltawski]
+:'''Possible mentor''': [http://moodle.org/user/view.php?id=1601&course=5 David Mudrák]
-For further details see:
+=== Make badges criteria a subplugin ===
-* Tracker issue MDL-18014
-* Related discussions: [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=191050 Usability idea for 2.3: Autosave] [[User_Data_Always_Safe]]
-==Implement HTML5 support default mode for mforms (moodleform)==
+Moodle is an acronym for "Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment" so it allows for extending and tailoring learning environments using community sourced plugins.
-We have an API to define and use forms in moodle. This needs to be updated to support new HTML5 form attributes and elements for a better user experience.
+Moodle let users create badges, which are a validated indicator of accomplishment, skill, quality or interest that can be earned. However, for now, the criteria for earning them are a closed list (https://docs.moodle.org/en/Using_badges#Criteria).
-The API is https://docs.moodle.org/dev/Form_API.
+* We require to prepare a mechanism to create custom create to Moodle as a third-party plugin. More information about that can be found here: https://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-39864
-New HTML5 attributes and elements are at http://www.html5rocks.com/en/tutorials/forms/html5forms/
-The outcome should make the many forms defined in moodle use HTML5 by default. (See MDL-35565)
-It would be an added bonus to have the new elements incorporated into some of the more often used mforms (modules edit settings forms, course settings forms, user forms ...).
-Some related issues:
-* MDL-35565
-* MDL-38181
-* MDL-38114 (see "Progress and Meter" in related article above and http://www.wufoo.com/html5/elements/2-progress.html)
-:'''Skills required''': HTML5, PHP, JavaScript
-:'''Difficulty level''': Hard
-:'''Possible mentor''': [https://moodle.org/user/view.php?id=1146834&course=5 Aparup Banerjee]
-==Enrolment UI improvements==
-The [[:en:Enrolled_users#Enrolling_users|Enrolment user interface]] could do with an overhaul to improve its usability and accessibility. At present the key issues are:
-* pagination of users displayed; and
-* JS popups - broken and inefficient in places, modal + focus issues.
-It would be good if we could write a new interface which offers:
-* dynamic filters (using JS)
-* pagination
-* filter by letter (similar to mod_assign grading page)
-* improved/rewritten JS popups
-:'''Skills required''': PHP & JavaScript [YUI]
-:'''Difficulty level''': Medium
-:'''Possible mentors''': [https://moodle.org/user/profile.php?id=268794&course=5 Andrew Nicols]
-== SCORM ==
-There are various SCORM related projects I'd be interested in mentoring for GSOC in 2013.
-* SCORM 2004 - this will build on previous GSOC project work improving SCORM 2004 support.
-* SCORM player rewrite - the player currently uses YUI2 code - it should be converted to YUI3 and improved maybe adding an HTML5 version of the player?
-* SCORM reports - there are currently 3 SCORM reports - ideas on new report plugins would be considered as possible projects.
-* Improve file linking support (MDL-25879)
-:'''Skills required''': PHP, JavaScript
-:'''Difficulty level''': Medium -> Hard
-:'''Possible mentor''': [http://moodle.org/user/view.php?id=21591&course=5 Dan Marsden]
-== Plagiarism plugin ==
-There are various commercial plugins available that use the Plagiarism API in Moodle, but because these plagiarism systems can require paid subscriptions, testing them can be difficult. I'd like to see a basic plugin developed that could be used for testing the Plagiarism API, providing simple useful functionality. All Plagiarism API functions for all Modules that support the API should be implemented and used. It could check the file contenthash against all other files uploaded in the Moodle files table and if a matching record is found it should display information about the duplicate submission including if the same student has submitted the file in a different course/activity or if a different user has uploaded the file with the same contenthash.
 :'''Skills required''': PHP
 :'''Difficulty level''': Medium
-:'''Possible mentor''': [http://moodle.org/user/view.php?id=21591&course=5 Dan Marsden]
+:'''Possible mentor''': [https://moodle.org/user/profile.php?id=119927&course=5 Sara Arjona]
-== Improve automatic functional testing user interface ==
-We automatically test Moodle's functionalities like real users does, this tests are written in a human-friendly language with sentences like '''I follow "Edit settings"''' or '''I press on "Save changes"''', we provide a interface to list these sentences, this project aim is to improve this interface.
-Right now we list the available sentences and we have a form to filter them. Would be good to allow feature files to be created directly from this page filling a textarea field with the selected steps from the list, adding a template in some cases to reduce human errors when writting new feature files, this template would depend on the arguments expected by the step.
-The current user interface on the latest Moodle 2.5 development version looks like [https://docs.moodle.org/dev/Acceptance_testing#Available_steps this]
-Mockup of how could it look like: https://docs.moodle.org/dev/File:GSOC_2013_acceptance_test_new_ui_proposal.png
-:'''Skills required''': Javascript & PHP (also Git or others source version control systems)
-:'''Difficulty level''': Easy - Medium
-:'''Possible mentor''': [https://moodle.org/user/profile.php?id=122326 David Monllaó]
-Please, before applying be sure to read about the Behat - Moodle integration (https://docs.moodle.org/dev/Acceptance_testing) and understand it.
-== Assignment submission type URL submission ==
-This is an idea for a new [[Assignment_Subtypes_Combined|submission plugin]] for the assignment module. It will allow students to provide the URL to a webpage and the plugin will download the webpage and its embedded content to form a snapshot at the time of submission, collected together in a PDF file. The plugin will allow snapshots of multiple pages to be added to form a single submission. Optionally students could also provide correct bibliographic fields to identify the webpage author etc.
-There is a skeleton of this plugin available as a starting point so the parts that would need to be implemented have less to do with the Moodle API and more to do with general php/curl development.
-:'''Skills required''': PHP (also Git or others source version control systems)
-:'''Difficulty level''': Medium
-:'''Possible mentor''': [https://moodle.org/user/profile.php?id=1337843 Damyon Wiese]
-== Portfolio plugin for Evernote ==
-It would be nice to provide students with a [[Portfolio_plugins|Portfolio plugin]] to export information from Moodle straight to their Evernote account. The Evernote notes system is quite flexible and allows for content and attachments to be included together, unlike other portfolios systems that Moodle can export to.
-This involves:
-* communicating with an external API,
-* gathering different types of content,
-* reformatting the content together into a format compatible with Evernote, and
-* exporting this to Evernote.
-:'''Skills required''': PHP (also Git or others source version control systems)
-:'''Difficulty level''': Medium
-:'''Possible mentor''': [https://moodle.org/user/profile.php?id=1451616 Frédéric Massart]
 ==See also==
 * [[GSOC]] - describing Moodle's involvement with Google in their Summer of Code program
-* [http://tracker.moodle.org/secure/IssueNavigator!executeAdvanced.jspa?jqlQuery=type+in+%28%22New+Feature%22%2C+Improvement%29+AND+resolution+%3D+unresolved+ORDER+BY+votes+DESC&runQuery=true&clear=true Popular new feature and improvement requests in Tracker]
+* [https://tracker.moodle.org/issues/?jql=type%20in%20%28%22New%20Feature%22%2C%20Improvement%29%20AND%20resolution%20%3D%20unresolved%20and%20labels%20in%20%28addon_candidate%29%20ORDER%20BY%20votes%20DESC Popular new feature and improvement requests in Tracker that can be implemented as plugins]
-[[Category:GSOC]]

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