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Submissions Library: Difference between revisions

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# Assignment: no comment.
# Assignment: no comment.
# Workshop: uses submissions but it's another code doing the same.
# Workshop: uses submissions but it's another code doing the same.
# 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.
# Community module: for example, [[POAS Assignment development|Assignment with individual tasks]] could not re-implement all existing submission types.
# Community module: for example, [[POAS Assignment development|Assignment with individual tasks]] could not re-implement all existing submission types.
# Non-mod usage? If there is no such cases this library should only work with activity modules.
# Non-module usage? Essay or similar manually graded question types could use assignments plugins to imporve their functionality, scope and standartisation.


== Database schema ==
== Database schema ==

Revision as of 14:48, 7 July 2015

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. Community module: for example, Assignment with individual tasks could not re-implement all existing submission types.
  4. Non-module usage? Essay or similar manually graded question types could use assignments plugins to imporve their functionality, scope and standartisation.

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);

General workflow details

Student makes a submission

UML Sequence Diagram: student makes a submission

TODO: add more details

Teacher views student's submission

UML Sequence Diagram: teacher views student's submission

TODO: add more details

Someone tries to download a file from submissionplugin_file

UML Sequence Diagram: someone tries to download a file

See also: #Accessing files

TODO: add more details

Course module deletion

UML Sequence Diagram: course module deletion

submission::delete_all_for_context(...) call should be added to course_delete_module(...) function.

Note: all associated files will be deleted when course_delete_module(...) function calls deletion of all files associated with the module's context. Perhaps submission plugins should not rely on this.

How "File submission" plugin stores files

File submission plugin stores all files at file areas identified by:

  • context — activity context (from submissions_bindings)
  • component name — submissionplugin_file
  • area type — submissionplugin_file_<area> (<area> from submissions_bindings)
  • itemid — submission instance id.

Accessing files

The activity module should be responsible of giving access to files stored by submission plugins, because only activity module can interpret area and itemid correctly.

Submission plugin development

A main plugin class should be calles submissionplugin_<pluginnname> and it should be inherited from abstract class submissionplugin.

TODO: add detailed description on methods plugin must implement.

Backup/restore

The submission must be a part of activity module instances.

What else to consider

See also