Frankenstyle
'Frankenstyle component names' refers to the naming convention that is used to uniquely identify a Moodle plugin based on the type of plugin and its name. They are used throughout the Moodle code (with a notable exception being the css class names in the themes).
Martin Dougiamas invented the word 'frankenstyle' to describe this naming system which was invented by Petr Škoda.
Format
Frankenstyle component names have a prefix and then a folder name, separated by an underscore.
- The prefix is determined by the type of plugin. For example, the prefix for an activity module is mod.
- The name is the folder name of the plugin, always lower case. For example, the name for Quiz is quiz.
So the frankenstyle component name for the quiz module is mod_quiz.
Plugin types
See Plugin types page for the list of all supported plugin types in Moodle and their frankenstyle prefix.
To get a definitive list in your version of Moodle 2.x, use a small Moodle script with print_object(get_plugin_types());.
Core subsystems
Subsystems in Moodle are not plugins themselves but can be referred to using core_xxx where xxx is the subsystem name as defined in get_core_subsystems().
You can see these being used in the @package parameter in phpdocs, or in the webservice function names. Core subsystems can provide own strings via a file stored in lang/en/{subsystemname}.php. Some of them have a dedicated location with libraries, autoloaded classes and other resources.
Core subsystem | Frankenstyle component name | Location |
---|---|---|
Access | core_access | |
Administration | core_admin | /admin |
Antivirus | core_antivirus | /lib/antivirus |
Authentication | core_auth | /auth |
Conditional availability | core_availability | /availability |
Backup and restore | core_backup | /backup/util/ui |
Badges | core_badges | /badges |
Blocks | core_block | /blocks |
Blogging | core_blog | /blog |
Bulk users operations | core_bulkusers | |
Caching | core_cache | /cache |
Calendar | core_calendar | /calendar |
Cohorts | core_cohort | /cohort |
Comment | core_comment | /comment |
Competency based education | core_competency | /competency |
Completion | core_completion | /completion |
Countries | core_countries | |
Course | core_course | /course |
Currencies | core_currencies | |
Database transfer | core_dbtransfer | |
Debugging | core_debug | |
Text editors | core_editor | /lib/editor |
Education fields | core_edufields | |
Enrol | core_enrol | /enrol |
Error reporting | core_error | |
File picker | core_filepicker | |
Files management | core_files | /files |
User filtering | core_filters | |
Forms | core_form | /lib/form |
Grades | core_grades | /grade |
Advanced grading | core_grading | /grade/grading |
Groups | core_group | /group |
Help | core_help | |
Hub | core_hub | |
IMS CC | core_imscc | |
Installer | core_install | |
ISO 6392 | core_iso6392 | |
Language pack configuration | core_langconfig | |
License | core_license | |
Maths library | core_mathslib | |
Media | core_media | |
Messaging | core_message | /message |
MIME types | core_mimetypes | |
MNet | core_mnet | /mnet |
Dashboard | core_my | /my |
User notes | core_notes | /notes |
Page types | core_pagetype | |
Pictures and icons | core_pix | |
Plagiarism | core_plagiarism | /plagiarism |
Plugins management | core_plugin | |
Portfolio | core_portfolio | /portfolio |
Privacy | core_privacy | /privacy |
Course publishing | core_publish | /course/publish |
Question bank engine | core_question | /question |
Ratings | core_rating | /rating |
Site registration | core_register | /admin/registration |
Repository | core_repository | /repository |
RSS | core_rss | /rss |
Roles | core_role | /admin/roles |
Global search | core_search | /search |
Tabular data display/download (deprecated) | core_table | |
Tagging | core_tag | /tag |
Timezones | core_timezones | |
User | core_user | /user |
User key | core_userkey | |
Web service | core_webservice | /webservice |
Usage
Frankenstyle component names are used in:
Function names
All plugin functions must start with full frankenstyle prefix. For backwards compatibility modules may also use modulename_ as prefix.
Class names
All plugin classes must start frankenstyle prefix, ex: mod_forum_some_class.
Constants
All plugin constants must start with uppercase frankenstyle prefix, example MOD_FORUM_XXXX.
Table names
All table names for a plugin must begin with its frankenstyle name (after the standard Moodle table prefix).
(The exception to this rule is Moodle activities which (for historical reasons) do not have mod_ in front of the plugin name)
Examples: mdl_local_coolreport, mdl_local_coolreport_users
Plugin configuration table
In the config_plugins table, column plugin, the frankenstyle name is used.
Capabilities
All capabilities for a plugin use the frankenstyle name, except with a / instead of a _.
Example: mod/quiz:viewattempt
Language files
The main language file for each plugin (with the notable exception of activity modules) is the frankenstyle component name.
Examples: /blocks/participants/lang/en/block_participants.php
Renderers
Module Subplugins
It is possible to extend modules without having to change the basic module's code. See Subplugins for details.
Other places (TODO)
- @package declarations in phpdocs, see Coding_style#PHPDoc
- web service function names
- Moodle Plugins database
Please add more as they come up.
Naming theme variants
Themes that are principally derivatives of some other theme, should be named in a way that clearly implies they are variants, not upgrades, of the parent theme. The format of the name should follow and extend the standard component naming format. So for example themes based on Boost, if they want to mention the word "boost" in the component name, should be named like
theme_boost_something
for example theme_boost_spring, theme_boost_summer, theme_boost_shiny etc. Indeed they can be named just like
theme_something
as there is no need to repeat the parent name (e.g. theme_spring, theme_summer, theme_shiny). The point and reasoning behind this is to avoid confusion - for example a theme_boost2 looks like a new version of the official Boost theme and as such is not a good name for a contributed theme.