Submissions Library

Project goal

Make activity module developers (not only Assignment developers) able to use submission types: both standard and community-developed.

Project scope

A library providing API for activity module submission types support implementation. Actual proposition is to make assignsubmission plugins system-level.

The existing modules requiring submissions (Assignment, Workshop) should use this library.

Relevant tracker issues

1. MDL-47344 - Allow usage of submission methods in other plugins

Use cases

1. Assignment: no comment.
2. Workshop: uses submissions but it's another code doing the same.
3. Lesson: as well as questions the submissions could be used at lessons for a small tasks. For example, a task at the end of lesson about MS Paint: draw an your dream house, save it and upload.
4. Community module: for example, Assignment with individual tasks could not re-implement all existing submission types.
5. Non-mod usage? If there is no such cases this library should only work with activity modules.

Database schema

submissions_bindings

Identifies all connected submission plugins to an activity modules.

Field	Type	Default	Description
id	bigint		Auto-numbered.
context	bigint		Activity context.
area	varchar(100)		An area within activity module. A module may have a few.
method	varchar(100)		Submission plugin name. It is considered that the plugin is activated in these area of these activity module instance.

submissions_pluginconfig

Stores plugins configuration.

Field	Type	Default	Description
id	bigint		Auto-numbered.
binding	bigint		Activated plugin. Points to submissions_bindings record.
option	varchar(100)		Plugin setting name.
value	text		Setting value.

submissions_instances

Identifies all submissions. A data associated with the submission is stored by plugin.

Field	Type	Default	Description
id	bigint		Auto-numbered.
binding	bigint		Activated plugin. Points to submissions_bindings record.
itemid	bigint	null	Identifies an element within area. For example, answer or user id.
timecreated	bigint	0	When the submission was created.
timemodified	bigint	0	Latest submission modification time.
status	int	0	Draft (default), Latest, Archived.

submissionplugin_onlinetext

This is a table example for "Online text" plugin. This table is not a part of library.

Field	Type	Default	Description
id	bigint		Auto-numbered.
submissioninstance	bigint		Point to submission from submissions_instances table.
onlinetext	text		Actual submission data.
onlineformat	int	0	Text format.

submissionplugin_file

This is a table example for "File submission" plugin. This table is not a part of library.

Field	Type	Default	Description
id	bigint		Auto-numbered.
submissioninstance	bigint		Point to submission from submissions_instances table.
numfiles	bigint		Number of submitted files.

How it works

API for activity modules

Activity instance settings form

In order to add a plugin settings elements on activity settings page the following method of moodleform_mod should be used: $this->standard_submission_coursemodule_elements();

Displaying a submission

Activity module should access the submissions using a submission class. $submission = new submission($context, $area);

First, a submission_instance object should be retrieved. $submissioninstance = $submission->get_submission_instance($itemid);

Next, it can be displayed. if ($submissioninstance) {

   $submissioninstance->display();
   // or
   $html = $submissioninstance->render();

}

Displaying submission form

Activity module should access the submissions using a submission class. $submission = new submission($context, $area);

A special method should be used to add elements on submission form. A previous submission can be loaded by specifying $baseitemid. $submission->add_submission_form_elements($mform, $baseitemid);

Save/update submission

Activity module should access the submissions using a submission class. $submission = new submission($context, $area);

To save or update the submission a special method should be used. It accepts submitted form data as its only argument. $submission->save($formdata);

Delete submission

All submissions associated with the activity module instance can be deleted by using the following static method: submission::delete_all_for_context($context);

Individual submissions can be deleted this way: $submission = new submission($context, $area); $submission->delete($itemid);