From: moodler Date: Wed, 1 Oct 2003 18:00:41 +0000 (+0000) Subject: First round clean up of the docs X-Git-Url: http://git.mjollnir.org/gw?a=commitdiff_plain;h=ee8b1abe655cfed70145bcd51fcb773fc40cf7b5;p=moodle.git First round clean up of the docs - new Coding Guidelines - new Philosophy page - new dedicated styles sheet for all pages - better table of contents in left frame - source fixups all over The styles are very boring - I'll work on that next time! Also, we'll get David's optimisation page and a student manual in there. --- diff --git a/doc/contents.php b/doc/contents.php index a5aa475274..bbde6f7797 100755 --- a/doc/contents.php +++ b/doc/contents.php @@ -10,10 +10,13 @@ print_header(); - echo ""; foreach ($string as $file => $filename) { - echo "
  • wwwroot/doc/?file=$file\">$filename
    • "; + if (substr($file,0,1) == "-") { + echo '

    '. + $filename.'

    '; + } else { + echo "
  • wwwroot/doc/?file=$file\">$filename
    • "; + } } - echo "    "; ?> diff --git a/lang/en/docs/background.html b/lang/en/docs/background.html index 70865d1aff..a7e0fdcfff 100644 --- a/lang/en/docs/background.html +++ b/lang/en/docs/background.html @@ -1,73 +1,79 @@ - - - - Moodle Docs: Background - - - - - -

    Background

    - -

    Moodle is an active and evolving work in progress. Development was started - by Martin - Dougiamas who continues to lead the project:

    -
    -

    I've been working on it, in some way or other, for several years. It - started in the 90's when I was webmaster at Curtin - University of Technology and a system administrator of their WebCT installation. - I encountered many frustrations with the WebCT beast and developed an itch - that needed scratching - there had to be a better way (no, not Blackboard - :-)

    -

    I also know a lot of people in schools and smaller institutions (and - some big ones!) who want to make better use of the Internet but don't know - where to start in the maze of technologies and pedagogies that are out there. - I've always hoped there would be a Free alternative that such people could - use to help them move their teaching skills into the online environment.

    -

    My strong beliefs in the unrealised possibilities of Internet-based education - led me to complete a Masters and then a PhD in Education, combining my former - career in Computer Science with newly constructed knowledge about the nature - of learning and collaboration. In particular, I am particularly influenced - by the epistemology of social constructionism - which not only treats learning - as a social activity, but focusses attention on the learning that occurs while - actively constructing artifacts (such as texts) for others to see or use. -

    -

    It is crucial to me that this software be easy to use - in fact it should - be as intuitive as possible.

    -

    I'm committed to continuing my work on Moodle and on keeping it Open - and Free. I have a deeply-held belief in the importance of unrestricted education - and empowered teaching, and Moodle is the main way I can contribute to the - realisation of these ideals.

    -
    -

    A number of early prototypes were produced and discarded before he released - version 1.0 upon a largely unsuspecting world on August 20, 2002. This version - was targeted towards smaller, more intimate classes at University level, and - was the subject of research case studies that closely analysed the nature of - collaboration and reflection that occurred among these small groups of adult - participants. -

    Since then there has been steady series of new releases adding new features, - better scalability and improved performance. -

    As Moodle has spread and the community has grown, more input is being drawn - from a wider variety of people in different teaching situations. For example, - Moodle is now used not only in Universities, but in high schools, primary schools, - non-profit organisations, private companies, by independent teachers and even - homeschooling parents. A growing number of people from around the world are - contributing to Moodle in different ways - for more details see the Credits - page. -

    An important feature of the Moodle project is the moodle.org - web site, which provides a central point for information, discussion and collaboration - among Moodle users, who include system administrators, teachers, researchers, - instructional designers and of course, developers. Like Moodle, this site is - always evolving to suit the needs of the community, and like Moodle it will - always be Free. -

    In 2003, the company moodle.com - was launched to provide additional commercial support for those need it, as - well as managed hosting, consulting and other services. -

    For more about our future plans for Moodle, see the Future - roadmap.

    - -

    Moodle Documentation

    -

    Version: $Id$

    - - - + + + + Moodle Docs: Background + + + + + +

    Background

    + +
    +

    Moodle is an active and evolving work in progress. Development was started + by Martin + Dougiamas who continues to lead the project:

    +
    +

    I've been working on it, in some way or other, for several years. It + started in the 90's when I was webmaster at Curtin + University of Technology and a system administrator of their WebCT installation. + I encountered many frustrations with the WebCT beast and developed an itch + that needed scratching - there had to be a better way (no, not Blackboard + :-)

    +

    I also know a lot of people in schools and smaller institutions (and + some big ones!) who want to make better use of the Internet but don't know + where to start in the maze of technologies and pedagogies that are out there. + I've always hoped there would be a Free alternative that such people could + use to help them move their teaching skills into the online environment.

    +

    My strong beliefs in the unrealised possibilities of Internet-based education + led me to complete a Masters and then a PhD in Education, combining my former + career in Computer Science with newly constructed knowledge about the nature + of learning and collaboration. In particular, I am particularly influenced + by the epistemology of social constructionism - which not only treats learning + as a social activity, but focusses attention on the learning that occurs while + actively constructing artifacts (such as texts) for others to see or use. +

    +

    It is crucial to me that this software be easy to use - in fact it should + be as intuitive as possible.

    +

    I'm committed to continuing my work on Moodle and on keeping it Open + and Free. I have a deeply-held belief in the importance of unrestricted education + and empowered teaching, and Moodle is the main way I can contribute to the + realisation of these ideals.

    +
    +

    A number of early prototypes were produced and discarded before he released + version 1.0 upon a largely unsuspecting world on August 20, 2002. This version + was targeted towards smaller, more intimate classes at University level, and + was the subject of research case studies that closely analysed the nature of + collaboration and reflection that occurred among these small groups of adult + participants. +

    +

    Since then there has been steady series of new releases adding new features, + better scalability and improved performance. +

    +

    As Moodle has spread and the community has grown, more input is being drawn + from a wider variety of people in different teaching situations. For example, + Moodle is now used not only in Universities, but in high schools, primary schools, + non-profit organisations, private companies, by independent teachers and even + homeschooling parents. A growing number of people from around the world are + contributing to Moodle in different ways - for more details see the Credits + page. +

    +

    An important feature of the Moodle project is the moodle.org + web site, which provides a central point for information, discussion and collaboration + among Moodle users, who include system administrators, teachers, researchers, + instructional designers and of course, developers. Like Moodle, this site is + always evolving to suit the needs of the community, and like Moodle it will + always be Free. +

    +

    In 2003, the company moodle.com + was launched to provide additional commercial support for those need it, as + well as managed hosting, consulting and other services. +

    +

    For more about our future plans for Moodle, see the Future + roadmap.

    +
    +

    Moodle Documentation

    +

    Version: $Id$

    + + + diff --git a/lang/en/docs/coding.html b/lang/en/docs/coding.html index a50830f15d..24dcd45bf4 100755 --- a/lang/en/docs/coding.html +++ b/lang/en/docs/coding.html @@ -1,262 +1,168 @@ - - -Moodle Docs: Coding Guidelines - - - - - - - -

    Moodle Coding Guidelines

    -

    Any collaborative project needs consistency and stability - to stay strong.

    -

    These guidelines are to provide a goal for all Moodle code - to strive to. It's true that some of the older existing code falls short in - a few areas, but it will all be fixed eventually. All new code definitely must - adhere to these standards as closely as possible.

    -

    General Rules

    -
      -
    1. All code files should use the .php extension.
      2. -
    2. All template files should use the .html extension.
      3. -
    3. All text files should use Unix-style text format (most text editors have - this as an option).
      4. -
    4. All php tags should be 'full' tags like <?php - - short tags are not allowed.
      5. -
    5. All existing copyright notices must be retained. You can add your own if - necessary.
      6. -
    6. Each file should include the main config.php file.
      7. -
    7. Each file should check that the user is authenticated correctly, using require_login() - and isadmin(), isteacher(), iscreator() or isstudent().
      8. -
    8. All access to databases should use the functions in lib/datalib.php whenever - possible - this allows compatibility across a wide range of databases. You - should find that almost anything is possible using these functions. Any other - SQL statements should be: cross-platform; restricted to specific functions - within your code (usally a lib.php file); and clearly marked.
      9. -
    9. Don't create or use global variables except for the standard $CFG, $SESSION, - $THEME and $USER.
      10. -
    10. All variables should be initialised or at least tested for existence using - isset() or empty() before they are used.
      11. -
    11. All strings should be translatable - create new texts in the "lang/en" - files and call them using get_string() or print_string().
      12. -
    12. All help files should be translatable - create new texts in the "en/help" - directory and call them using helpbutton().
      13. -
    -

     

    -

    Coding Style

    -

    I know it can be a little annoying to change your style - if you're used to something else, but balance that annoyance against the annoyance - of all the people trying later on to make sense of Moodle code with mixed styles. - There are obviously many good points for and against any style that people use, - but the current style just is, so please stick to it.

    -
      -
    1. Indenting should be consistently 4 spaces. Don't use tabs - AT ALL.
      2. -
    2. Variable names should always be easy-to-read, meaningful - lowercase English words. If you really need more than one word then run them - together, but keep them short as possible. -

      GOOD: $quiz
      - GOOD: $errorstring
      - GOOD: $i (but only in little loops)
      -
      - BAD: $Quiz
      - BAD: $aReallyLongVariableNameWithoutAGoodReason
      - BAD: $error_string

      -
      3. -
    3. Constants should always be in upper case, and always start - with the name of the module. They should have words separated by underscores. -

      define("FORUM_MODE_FLATOLDEST", - 1);

      -
      4. -
    4. Function names should be simple English words, and start - with the name of the module to avoid conflicts between modules. Words should - be separated by underscores. Parameters should always have sensible defaults - if possible. Note there is no space between the function name and the following - (brackets).
      -

      function forum_set_display_mode($mode=0) - {
      -     global       $USER, - $CFG;
      -
      -     if (      $mode) - {
      -               $USER->mode - = $mode;
      -     } else if (empty(      $USER->mode)) - {
      -               $USER->mode - = $CFG->forum_displaymode;
      -     }
      - }

      -
      5. -
    5. Blocks must always be enclosed in curly braces (even if - there is only one line). Moodle uses this style: -

      if ($quiz->attempts) - {
      -     if (      $numattempts > - $quiz->attempts) - {
      -               error($strtoomanyattempts, - "view.php?id=$cm->id");
      -     }
      - }

      -
      6. -
    6. Strings should be defined using single quotes where possible, - for increased speed.
      -

      $var = 'some text without any - variables';
      - $var = "with special characters like a new line \n";
      - $var = 'a very, very long string with a '.$single.' variable in it';
      - $var = "some $text with $many variables $within it";

      -
      7. -
    7. Comments should use two or three slashes and line up nicely - with the code. -

      function forum_get_ratings_mean($postid, - $scale, $ratings=NULL) - {
      -       /// Return the mean rating of a post given - to the current user by others.
      - /// Scale is an array of possible ratings in the scale
      - /// Ratings is an optional simple array of actual ratings (just integers)
      -
      -           if (!$ratings) - {
      -               $ratings - = array();     // - Initialize the empty array
      -         if (      $rates - = get_records("forum_ratings", - "post", $postid)) - {
      -                   // - Process each rating in turn
      -             foreach - (      $rates as $rate) - {
      - ....etc

      -
      8. -
    8. Space should be used liberally - don't be afraid to spread - things out a little to gain some clarity. Generally, there should be one space - between brackets and normal statements, but no space between brackets and - variables or functions:
      -

      foreach ($objects - as $key => - $thing) {
      -           process($thing); -
      - }
      -
      -       if ($x == - $y) - {
      -           $a - = $b;
      - } else if (      $x == - $z) {
      -           $a - = $c;
      - } else {
      -           $a - = $d;
      - }

      -
      9. -
    -

     

    -
    -

    Moodle Documentation

    -

    Version: $Id: faq.html,v 1.6 2003/03/30 13:54:28 - moodler Exp $

    - - + + +Moodle Docs: Coding Guidelines + + + + +

    Moodle Coding Guidelines

    +

    Any collaborative project needs consistency and stability + to stay strong.

    +

    These guidelines are to provide a goal for all Moodle code + to strive to. It's true that some of the older existing code falls short in + a few areas, but it will all be fixed eventually. All new code definitely must + adhere to these standards as closely as possible.

    +

    General Rules

    +
      +
    1. All code files should use the .php extension.
      2. +
    2. All template files should use the .html extension.
      3. +
    3. All text files should use Unix-style text format (most text + editors have this as an option).
      4. +
    4. All php tags must be 'full' tags like <?php + ?> ... not 'short' tags like <? ?>. +
      5. +
    5. All existing copyright notices must be retained. You can + add your own if necessary.
      6. +
    6. Each file should include the main config.php file.
      7. +
    7. Each file should check that the user is authenticated correctly, + using require_login() and isadmin(), isteacher(), iscreator() or isstudent().
      8. +
    8. All access to databases should use the functions in lib/datalib.php + whenever possible - this allows compatibility across a wide range of databases. + You should find that almost anything is possible using these functions. Any + other SQL statements should be: cross-platform; restricted to specific functions + within your code (usally a lib.php file); and clearly marked.
      9. +
    9. Don't create or use global variables except for the standard + $CFG, $SESSION, $THEME and $USER.
      10. +
    10. All variables should be initialised or at least tested for + existence using isset() or empty() before they are used.
      11. +
    11. All strings should be translatable - create new texts in + the "lang/en" files and call them using get_string() or print_string().
      12. +
    12. All help files should be translatable - create new texts + in the "en/help" directory and call them using helpbutton().
      13. +
    +

     

    +

    Coding Style

    +

    I know it can be a little annoying to change your style + if you're used to something else, but balance that annoyance against the annoyance + of all the people trying later on to make sense of Moodle code with mixed styles. + There are obviously many good points for and against any style that people use, + but the current style just is, so please stick to it.

    +
      +
    1. Indenting should be consistently 4 spaces. + Don't use tabs AT ALL.
      2. +
    2. Variable names should always be easy-to-read, + meaningful lowercase English words. If you really need more than one word + then run them together, but keep them short as possible. +

      GOOD: $quiz
      + GOOD: $errorstring
      + GOOD: $i (but only in little loops)
      +
      + BAD: $Quiz
      + BAD: $aReallyLongVariableNameWithoutAGoodReason
      + BAD: $error_string

      +
      3. +
    3. Constants should always be in upper case, + and always start with the name of the module. They should have words separated + by underscores. +

      define("FORUM_MODE_FLATOLDEST", + 1);

      +
      4. +
    4. Function names should be simple English + words, and start with the name of the module to avoid conflicts between modules. + Words should be separated by underscores. Parameters should always have sensible + defaults if possible. Note there is no space between the function name and + the following (brackets).
      +

      function forum_set_display_mode($mode=0) + {
      +     global       $USER, + $CFG;
      +
      +     if (      $mode) + {
      +               $USER->mode + = $mode;
      +     } else if (empty(      $USER->mode)) + {
      +               $USER->mode + = $CFG->forum_displaymode;
      +     }
      + }

      +
      5. +
    5. Blocks must always be enclosed in curly + braces (even if there is only one line). Moodle uses this style: +

      if ($quiz->attempts) + {
      +     if (      $numattempts > + $quiz->attempts) + {
      +               error($strtoomanyattempts, + "view.php?id=$cm->id");
      +     }
      + }

      +
      6. +
    6. Strings should be defined using single quotes + where possible, for increased speed.
      +

      $var = 'some text without any + variables';
      + $var = "with special characters like a new line \n";
      + $var = 'a very, very long string with a '.$single.' variable in it';
      + $var = "some $text with $many variables $within it";

      +
      7. +
    7. Comments should use two or three slashes + and line up nicely with the code. +

      function forum_get_ratings_mean($postid, + $scale, $ratings=NULL) + {
      +       /// Return the mean rating of a post given + to the current user by others.
      + /// Scale is an array of possible ratings in the scale
      + /// Ratings is an optional simple array of actual ratings (just integers)
      +
      +           if (!$ratings) + {
      +               $ratings + = array();     // + Initialize the empty array
      +         if (      $rates + = get_records("forum_ratings", + "post", $postid)) + {
      +                   // + Process each rating in turn
      +             foreach + (      $rates as $rate) + {
      + ....etc

      +
      8. +
    8. Space should be used liberally - don't be + afraid to spread things out a little to gain some clarity. Generally, there + should be one space between brackets and normal statements, but no space between + brackets and variables or functions:
      +

      foreach ($objects + as $key => + $thing) {
      +           process($thing); +
      + }
      +
      +       if ($x == + $y) + {
      +           $a + = $b;
      + } else if (      $x == + $z) {
      +           $a + = $c;
      + } else {
      +           $a + = $d;
      + }

      +
      9. +
    +

     

    +
    +

    Moodle Documentation

    +

    Version: $Id$

    + + diff --git a/lang/en/docs/credits.html b/lang/en/docs/credits.html index 45732f259c..61012b58c6 100644 --- a/lang/en/docs/credits.html +++ b/lang/en/docs/credits.html @@ -1,210 +1,186 @@ - - - - Moodle Docs: Credits - - - - - -

    Credits

    - -

    Moodle the package is Copyright © 2001-2003, - Martin Dougiamas.  It is distributed under the - GNU Public License.

    - - - -


    Special thanks

    - - - - -


    Translations

    -
    -

    Many thanks to every person who has contributed to translating Moodle into - different languages. Each translation takes many hours of work, as there are - over 1000 phrases to translate (plus all the help files!). Many of the languages - have more than one contributor, sometimes working together and sometimes they've - taken over the work from a previous person. -

    Maintaining a list of everyone here is too difficult. For the most up-to-date - information see the Language - download page.

    - -


    Themes

    -
    -

    Themes give Moodle sites some colour and life. Here are all the themes carried as part of the Moodle distribution, along with their authors: -

    -
    - - -


    Other contributors

    -
    -

    Thanks to all of you who have -

    -

    - -

    Special thanks to those who have contributed substantial amounts of time to helping with Moodle code, including: -

    -

    - -

    Also, thanks to those of you who have at some time contributed with constructive - discussions, support, testing and bits of code. This list is long and always - changing, but some names include (in the order I added them): -

    -

    I apologise if I've forgotten to include your name here - it's very difficult - to maintain! Mail me (Martin) and gently remind me! :-)

    - -
    - - -


    Moodle libraries

    - -
    -

    Some of Moodle's libraries were written by other people, and are being redistributed - as part of Moodle under their respective open source licenses that thankfully - allow us to do so. My thanks go out to the authors of all these excellent - products - without them Moodle would be missing important functionality. Copyright - information for each package is included below:

    - -

    ADOdb   -  lib/adodb
    -

    - -
    -

    Database abstraction library for MySQL, PostgreSQL, MSSQL, Oracle, -Interbase, Foxpro, Access, ADO, Sybase, DB2 and ODBC.

    - -

    Version: 3.60
    - Copyright © 2000-2003 John Lim (jlim@natsoft.com.my)
    - License: Dual LGPL and BSD-style
    - URL:  http://php.weblogs.com/adodb
    -

    -
    - -

    Graph Class   -  lib/graphlib.php

    - -
    -

    Class to draw line, point, bar, and area graphs, including numeric - x-axis and double y-axis.

    - -

    Version: 1.6.3 (with modifications)
    - Copyright © 2000  Herman Veluwenkamp, hermanV@mindless.com
    - License: LGPL
    -

    -
    - - -

    IP-Atlas  -   lib/ipatlas

    - -
    PHP scripts to show the location of an IP address on a map.
    -
    - Version: 1.0 (with modifications)
    - Copyright © 2002   Ivan Kozik
    - License: GNU GPL
    - URL: http://www.xpenguin.com/ip-atlas.php
    -
    - - - -

    PclZip  -   lib/pclzip

    - -
    Class to create, manage and unpack zip files.
    -
    - Version: 2.0 RC2
    - Copyright © 2003  Vincent Blavet <vincent@phpconcept.net>
    - License: GNU GPL
    - URL: http://www.phpconcept.net
    -
    - - - -

    PHP mailer   -  lib/class.phpmailer.php
    -

    - -
    Class for sending email using either sendmail, PHP mail(), -or SMTP.  Methods are based upon the standard AspEmail(tm) classes.
    -
    - Version 1.71,
    - Copyright © 2003 Brent R. Matzelle <bmatzelle@yahoo.com>
    - License: LGPL
    - URL:   http://phpmailer.sourceforge.net
    -
    -
    - - - -

    Spreadsheet::WriteExcel  -   lib/excel

    - -
    A library for generating Excel Spreadsheets.
    -
    - Version: 2002-11-28
    - Copyright © 2002  Xavier Noguer <xnoguer@rezebra.com>
    - License: GNU LGPL
    - URL: http://jeffn.users.phpclasses.org/browse.html/package/767.html
    -
    - - - - - -

    Richtext Editor  -   lib/rte

    - -
    HTML text editor for embedding in web pages.
    -
    - Version: 0.30 beta 1 (plus modifications)
    - Copyright © 2001 Ramesys (Contracting Services) Limited <Austin.France@Ramesys.com> - License: GNU LGPL
    - URL: http://richtext.sourceforge.net
    -
    - - -

    SMTP class   -  lib/class.smtp.php
    -

    - -
    Class that can be used to connect and communicate with - any SMTP server.
    - It implements all the SMTP functions defined in RFC821 except TURN.
    -
    - Version: 03/26/2001
    - Copyright © 2001  Chris Ryan <chris@greatbridge.com>
    -
    -
    - - -

    -
    - -

    Moodle Documentation

    -

    Version: $Id$

    - - -
    - - + + + +Moodle Docs: Credits + + + + +

    Credits

    +
    +

    Moodle the package is Copyright © 2001-2003, + Martin Dougiamas.  It is distributed under the + GNU Public License.

    +

    Special thanks

    +
    +

    Dr Peter C. Taylor, at + Curtin University of Technology in Perth, Australia, for working with the earliest + prototypes and making many useful suggestions along the way +

    +
    +

    Translations

    +
    +

    Many thanks to every person who has contributed to translating Moodle into + different languages. Each translation takes many hours of work, as there are + over 1000 phrases to translate (plus all the help files!). Many of the languages + have more than one contributor, sometimes working together and sometimes they've + taken over the work from a previous person. +

    +

    Maintaining a list of everyone here is too difficult. For the most up-to-date + information see the Language + download page.

    +
    +

    Themes

    +
    +

    Themes give Moodle sites some colour and life. Here are all the themes carried + as part of the Moodle distribution, along with their authors: +

    + +
    +

    Other contributors

    +
    +

    Thanks to all of you who have +

    + +

     

    +

    Special thanks to those who have contributed substantial amounts of time + to helping with Moodle code, including: +

    +
    +

    + Petri Asikainen, Ray Kingdon, Eloy Lafuente, Henrik Kaipe, Williams Castillo, + Russell Jungwirth. +

    +
    +

     

    +

    Also, thanks to those of you who have at some time contributed with constructive + discussions, support, testing and bits of code. This list is long and always + changing, but some names include (in the order I added them): +

    +
    +

    + Art Lader, Matt Hope, Tom Murdock, Sébastien Namèche, James Miller, Dustin + Rue, Holger Schadeck, Giovanni Tummarello, John Windmueller, Sean Keogh, Mitsuhiro + Yoshida, Greg Barnett, Mark Kimes, Mary Hunter, Przemyslaw Stencel, Roberto + Pinna (Bobo), John "Captain" Eyre, Paula Edmiston, Scott Elliott, Howard Miller, + Claudio Tavares, Zbigniew Fiedorowicz, P. Timothy Ervin, Bob Calder, Ursula + Raab, Thomas Robb, David Delgado, Mad Alex, Gustav Delius. +

    +
    +

    I apologise if I've forgotten to include your name here - it's very difficult + to maintain! Mail me (Martin) and gently remind me! :-)

    +
    +

    Moodle libraries

    +
    +

    Some of Moodle's libraries were written by other people, and are being redistributed + as part of Moodle under their respective open source licenses that thankfully + allow us to do so. My thanks go out to the authors of all these excellent + products - without them Moodle would be missing important functionality. Copyright + information for each package is included below:

    +

    ADOdb   -  lib/adodb

    +
    +

    Database abstraction library for MySQL, PostgreSQL, MSSQL, Oracle, Interbase, + Foxpro, Access, ADO, Sybase, DB2 and ODBC.

    +

    Version: 3.60
    + Copyright © 2000-2003 John Lim (jlim@natsoft.com.my)
    + License: Dual LGPL and BSD-style
    + URL:  http://php.weblogs.com/adodb
    +

    +
    +

    Graph Class   -  lib/graphlib.php

    +
    +

    Class to draw line, point, bar, and area graphs, including numeric x-axis + and double y-axis.

    +

    Version: 1.6.3 (with modifications)
    + Copyright © 2000  Herman Veluwenkamp, hermanV@mindless.com
    + License: LGPL
    +

    +
    +

    IP-Atlas  -   lib/ipatlas

    +
    +

    PHP scripts to show the location of an IP address on a map.
    +
    + Version: 1.0 (with modifications)
    + Copyright © 2002   Ivan Kozik
    + License: GNU GPL
    + URL: http://www.xpenguin.com/ip-atlas.php
    +

    +
    +

    PclZip  -   lib/pclzip

    +
    +

    Class to create, manage and unpack zip files.
    +
    + Version: 2.0 RC2
    + Copyright © 2003  Vincent Blavet <vincent@phpconcept.net>
    + License: GNU GPL
    + URL: http://www.phpconcept.net
    +

    +
    +

    PHP mailer   -  lib/class.phpmailer.php

    +
    +

    Class for sending email using either sendmail, PHP mail(), or SMTP.  + Methods are based upon the standard AspEmail(tm) classes.
    +
    + Version 1.71,
    + Copyright © 2003 Brent R. Matzelle <bmatzelle@yahoo.com>
    + License: LGPL
    + URL:   http://phpmailer.sourceforge.net
    +

    +
    +

    Spreadsheet::WriteExcel  -   lib/excel

    +
    +

    A library for generating Excel Spreadsheets.
    +
    + Version: 2002-11-28
    + Copyright © 2002  Xavier Noguer <xnoguer@rezebra.com>
    + License: GNU LGPL
    + URL: http://jeffn.users.phpclasses.org/browse.html/package/767.html
    +

    +
    +

    Richtext Editor  -   lib/rte

    +
    +

    HTML text editor for embedding in web pages.
    +
    + Version: 0.30 beta 1 (plus modifications)
    + Copyright © 2001 Ramesys (Contracting Services) Limited <Austin.France@Ramesys.com> + License: GNU LGPL
    + URL: http://richtext.sourceforge.net
    +

    +
    +

    SMTP class   -  lib/class.smtp.php

    +
    +

    Class that can be used to connect and communicate with any SMTP + server.
    + It implements all the SMTP functions defined in RFC821 except TURN.
    +
    + Version: 03/26/2001
    + Copyright © 2001  Chris Ryan <chris@greatbridge.com>

    +


    +

    +
    +
    + +

    Moodle Documentation

    +

    Version: $Id$

    +
    + + diff --git a/lang/en/docs/cvs.html b/lang/en/docs/cvs.html index 2c07cc8d59..d367cc9f7f 100644 --- a/lang/en/docs/cvs.html +++ b/lang/en/docs/cvs.html @@ -1,160 +1,148 @@ - - -Moodle Docs: How to use CVS - - - - - -

    Using CVS to access and update Moodle source code

    -
    -

    CVS is the Concurrent Versioning System. It's a commonly used way of storing - source code because it keeps versions of all files so that nothing is ever - lost, and usage by different people is tracked. It also provides ways to merge - code if two or more people are working on the same file. All code and all - versions are stored on a central server (in the case of Moodle, at Sourceforge). -

    -

    If you just want to access the current CVS version of Moodle with read-only access then - you don't need this page - just follow the simpler CVS instructions on the Moodle download page.

    - -

    To use Moodle's - CVS archive (as a developer - with write access), you first need to have an account - on Sourceforge. For the examples on this page, let's assume your username - is myusername and your password - is mypassword. Take special note of the - sourceforge instructions to create your CVS home directory - something you have to - do with every new account to "enable" it for CVS. Basically you just have to use ssh to interactively connect to cvs.sourceforge.net.

    - -

    Once you have - a working Sourceforge account, contact Martin Dougiamas so he can give you write access - to particular Moodle directories.

    - -

    To avoid being prompted for mypassword - every time you run a CVS command, follow the Sourceforge - directions for using authorized keys. This step is optional, but it can - make your CVS experience a lot nicer.

    -

    With that done, you should have all the permissions you need, so you just - need to set up your machine and download the current sources so you can start - working on them. Below are instructions for Unix and Windows systems.

    -

    1. Using CVS on Unix

    -
    -

    Sourceforge CVS uses ssh as a transport layer for security, so you will - have to set this CVS_RSH environment variable in your Unix shell:

    -
    - 
    setenv CVS_RSH ssh (for csh, tcsh etc)
    - 
    export CVS_RSH=ssh (for sh, bash etc)
    -
    -

    It's best to put this in your .bashrc or .cshrc so you don't have to type - it all the time. Then, check out Moodle using this (all one line):

    -
    - 
    cvs -z3 -d:ext:myusername@cvs.moodle.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/moodle co moodle
    -
    -

    Don't try to do run this first CVS command into an existing moodle directory - - start fresh with a new directory.

    -

    Note that you will be prompted for mypassword - for each command unless you set up authorized - keys

    -

    Now, you should have a new 'moodle' directory. You can rename it and move - it around if you like. Go into it:

    -
    - 
    cd moodle
    -
    -

    All the latest Moodle files should be in there. You can now change files - in your copy. To compare your files against the main CVS copy on the server - use cvs diff, eg:

    -
    - 
    cvs diff -c config-dist.php
-cvs diff -c lang
    -
    -

    To fetch the latest updates from the server use:

    -
    - 
    cvs update -dP
    -
    -

    To copy your new files back to the server you would do something like: -

    -
    - 
    cd lang/ca 
-cvs commit
    -
    -

    You will be prompted to add some comments (depends on your default text - editor) ... add a meangingful comment and close the editor ... the files - will be sent to Sourceforge and stored. Done!

    -

    To save more time you can put default arguments into a file called .cvsrc - in your home directory. For example, mine contains:

    -
    - 
    diff -c 
-update -dP
    -
    -

    Try 'cvs help' for more details ...

    -

     

    -
    -

    2. Using CVS on Windows

    -
    -

    First, you need to download a completely fresh copy of Moodle using your - developer account.

    -
    -

    1. Get TortoiseCVS from tortoisecvs.org - and install it, then reboot.
    -
    - 2. Find or create a new folder somewhere where you want Moodle to be downloaded - to.
    -
    - 3. Right-mouse-click that folder and choose "CVS Checkout" - from the menu. You should see a dialog box.
    -
    - 4. Copy this text into the CVSROOT field (using your own username!):

    -
    - 
     :ext:myusername@cvs.moodle.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/moodle
    -
    -


    - 5. Press the button: "Fetch list...".
    -
    - 6. To the right of the button you should see a list of modules: choose - "moodle" from that list.
    -
    - 7. Press the button: "OK" and everything should - be downloaded.
    -

    -
    -

    A dialog box should show all the files being downloaded, and after a while - you should have a complete copy of Moodle. After this first checkout, you - can fetch the latest updated files from the CVS server:

    -
    -

    1. Right-mouse-click on your Moodle folder (or any file) and select - "CVS Update".
    -

    -
    -

    After modifying files (you will note they change from green top red!), - you can commit them back to the CVS server like this:

    -
    -

    1. Right-mouse-click on your Moodle folder (or any file) and select - "CVS Commit...".
    -
    - 2. In the dialog box, type a clear description of the changes you are - committing.
    -
    - 3. Click "OK". Your changes will be sent to the server.
    -

    -
    -
    -

     

    -

    Good luck!

    -

     

    -
    -

    Moodle Documentation

    -

    Version: $Id$

    - - + + +Moodle Docs: How to use CVS + + + + +

    Using CVS to access and update Moodle source code

    +
    +

    CVS is the Concurrent Versioning System. It's a commonly used way of storing + source code because it keeps versions of all files so that nothing is ever + lost, and usage by different people is tracked. It also provides ways to merge + code if two or more people are working on the same file. All code and all + versions are stored on a central server (in the case of Moodle, at Sourceforge). +

    +

    If you just want to access the current CVS version of Moodle with read-only access then + you don't need this page - just follow the simpler CVS instructions on the Moodle download page.

    + +

    To use Moodle's + CVS archive (as a developer + with write access), you first need to have an account + on Sourceforge. For the examples on this page, let's assume your username + is myusername and your password + is mypassword. Take special note of the + sourceforge instructions to create your CVS home directory - something you have to + do with every new account to "enable" it for CVS. Basically you just have to use ssh to interactively connect to cvs.sourceforge.net.

    + +

    Once you have + a working Sourceforge account, contact Martin Dougiamas so he can give you write access + to particular Moodle directories.

    + +

    To avoid being prompted for mypassword + every time you run a CVS command, follow the Sourceforge + directions for using authorized keys. This step is optional, but it can + make your CVS experience a lot nicer.

    +

    With that done, you should have all the permissions you need, so you just + need to set up your machine and download the current sources so you can start + working on them. Below are instructions for Unix and Windows systems.

    +

    1. Using CVS on Unix

    +
    +

    Sourceforge CVS uses ssh as a transport layer for security, so you will + have to set this CVS_RSH environment variable in your Unix shell:

    +
    + 
    setenv CVS_RSH ssh (for csh, tcsh etc)
    + 
    export CVS_RSH=ssh (for sh, bash etc)
    +
    +

    It's best to put this in your .bashrc or .cshrc so you don't have to type + it all the time. Then, check out Moodle using this (all one line):

    +
    + 
    cvs -z3 -d:ext:myusername@cvs.moodle.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/moodle co moodle
    +
    +

    Don't try to do run this first CVS command into an existing moodle directory + - start fresh with a new directory.

    +

    Note that you will be prompted for mypassword + for each command unless you set up authorized + keys

    +

    Now, you should have a new 'moodle' directory. You can rename it and move + it around if you like. Go into it:

    +
    + 
    cd moodle
    +
    +

    All the latest Moodle files should be in there. You can now change files + in your copy. To compare your files against the main CVS copy on the server + use cvs diff, eg:

    +
    + 
    cvs diff -c config-dist.php
+cvs diff -c lang
    +
    +

    To fetch the latest updates from the server use:

    +
    + 
    cvs update -dP
    +
    +

    To copy your new files back to the server you would do something like: +

    +
    + 
    cd lang/ca 
+cvs commit
    +
    +

    You will be prompted to add some comments (depends on your default text + editor) ... add a meangingful comment and close the editor ... the files + will be sent to Sourceforge and stored. Done!

    +

    To save more time you can put default arguments into a file called .cvsrc + in your home directory. For example, mine contains:

    +
    + 
    diff -c 
+update -dP
    +
    +

    Try 'cvs help' for more details ...

    +

     

    +
    +

    2. Using CVS on Windows

    +
    +

    First, you need to download a completely fresh copy of Moodle using your + developer account.

    +
    +

    1. Get TortoiseCVS from tortoisecvs.org + and install it, then reboot.
    +
    + 2. Find or create a new folder somewhere where you want Moodle to be downloaded + to.
    +
    + 3. Right-mouse-click that folder and choose "CVS Checkout" + from the menu. You should see a dialog box.
    +
    + 4. Copy this text into the CVSROOT field (using your own username!):

    +
    + 
     :ext:myusername@cvs.moodle.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/moodle
    +
    +


    + 5. Press the button: "Fetch list...".
    +
    + 6. To the right of the button you should see a list of modules: choose + "moodle" from that list.
    +
    + 7. Press the button: "OK" and everything should + be downloaded.
    +

    +
    +

    A dialog box should show all the files being downloaded, and after a while + you should have a complete copy of Moodle. After this first checkout, you + can fetch the latest updated files from the CVS server:

    +
    +

    1. Right-mouse-click on your Moodle folder (or any file) and select + "CVS Update".
    +

    +
    +

    After modifying files (you will note they change from green top red!), + you can commit them back to the CVS server like this:

    +
    +

    1. Right-mouse-click on your Moodle folder (or any file) and select + "CVS Commit...".
    +
    + 2. In the dialog box, type a clear description of the changes you are + committing.
    +
    + 3. Click "OK". Your changes will be sent to the server.
    +

    +
    +
    +

     

    +

    Good luck!

    +

     

    +
    +

    Moodle Documentation

    +

    Version: $Id$

    + + diff --git a/lang/en/docs/developer.html b/lang/en/docs/developer.html index ffb2cc81de..16a511b8c8 100644 --- a/lang/en/docs/developer.html +++ b/lang/en/docs/developer.html @@ -1,308 +1,293 @@ - - Moodle Docs: Developers Manual - - - - - - -

    Developers Manual

    -

    This document describes some of Moodle's design and how you can contribute.

    -

    It's a bit thin at the moment - better documentation will come eventually!

    -

    Sections in this document:

    -
      -
    1. Moodle architecture
      2. -
    2. How you can contribute - -
      3. -
    -

     

    -

    1. Moodle architecture

    -
    -

    From a system administrator's perspective, Moodle has been designed according - to the following criteria:

    -
      -
    1. Moodle should run on the widest variety of platforms
      -
      - The web application platform that runs on most platforms is PHP combined - with MySQL, and this is the environment that Moodle has been developed in - (on Linux, Windows, and Mac OS X). Moodle also uses the ADOdb library for - database abstraction, which means Moodle can use more - than ten different brands of database (unfortunately, though, it can - not yet set up tables in all these databases - - more on this later).
      -
      -
      2. -
    2. Moodle should be easy to install, learn and modify
      -
      - Early prototypes of Moodle (1999) were built using Zope - - an advanced object-oriented web application server. Unfortunately I found - that although the technology was pretty cool, it had a very steep learning - curve and was not very flexible in terms of system administration. The PHP - scripting language, on the other hand, is very easy to get into (especially - if you've done any programming using any other scripting language). Early - on I made the decision to avoid using a class-oriented design - again, to - keep it simple to understand for novices. Code reuse is instead achieved - by libraries of clearly-named functions and consistent layout of script - files. PHP is also easy to install (binaries are available for every platform) - and is widely available to the point that most web hosting services provide - it as standard.
      -
      -
      3. -
    3. It should be easy to upgrade from one version to the next
      -
      - Moodle knows what version it is (as well as the versions of all plug-in - modules) and a mechanism has been built-in so that Moodle can properly upgrade - itself to new versions (for example it can rename database tables or add - new fields). If using CVS in Unix for example, one can just do a "cvs - update -d" and then visit the site home page to complete an upgrade.
      -
      -
      4. -
    4. It should be modular to allow for growth
      -
      - Moodle has a number of features that are modular, including themes, activities, - interface languages, database schemas and course formats. This allows anyone - to add features to the main codebase or to even distribute them separately. - More on this below in the next section.
      -
      -
      5. -
    5. It should be able to be used in conjunction with other systems
      -
      - One thing Moodle does is keep all files for one course within a single, - normal directory on the server. This would allow a system administrator - to provide seamless forms of file-level access for each teacher, such as - Appletalk, SMB, NFS, FTP, WebDAV and so on. The authentication modules allow - Moodle to use LDAP, IMAP, POP3, NNTP and other databases as sources for - user information. Otherwise, there is work yet to do. Features planned for - Moodle in future versions include: import and export of Moodle data using - XML-based formats (including IMS and SCORM); and increased use of style - sheets for interface formatting (so that it can be integrated visually into - other web sites).
      6. -
    -
    -

     

    -

    2. How you can contribute

    -
    -

    As mentioned above, Moodle has a number of features that are modular. Even - if you are not a programmer there are things you can change or help with.

    -

    Learning Activities

    -
    -

    These are by far the most important modules, and reside in the 'mod' directory. - There are seven default modules: assignment, choice, forum, journal, quiz, - resource, and survey. Each module is in a separate subdirectory and consists - of the following mandatory elements (plus extra scripts unique to each module):

    -
      -
    • mod.html: a form to set up or update an instance of this module
      • -
    • version.php: defines some meta-info and provides upgrading code
      • -
    • icon.gif: a 16x16 icon for the module
      • -
    • db/: SQL dumps of all the required db tables and data (for each database - type)
      • -
    • index.php: a page to list all instances in a course
      • -
    • view.php: a page to view a particular instance
      • -
    • lib.php: any/all functions defined by the module should be in here. - If the modulename if called widget, then the required functions include: -
        -
      • widget_add_instance() - code to add a new instance of widget
        • -
      • widget_update_instance() - code to update an existing instance
        • -
      • widget_delete_instance() - code to delete an instance
        • -
      • widget_user_outline() - given an instance, return a summary of a - user's contribution
        • -
      • widget_user_complete() - given an instance, print details of a user's - contribution
        -
        • -
      • To avoid possible conflict, any module functions should be named - starting with widget_ and any constants you define should start with - WIDGET_
        • -
      -
      • -
    • Lastly, each module will have some language files that contain strings - for that module. See below.
      • -
    -

    The easiest way to start a new learning activity module is to use the template - in mod/newmodule_template.zip. - Unzip it and follow the README inside.

    -

    You might also like to post first in the Activities - modules forum on Using Moodle.

    -

     

    -
    -

    Themes

    -
    -

    Themes (or skins) define the look of a site. A number of simple themes - are provided in the main distribution, but you may want to create your own - theme with your own colours, logo, styles and graphics.

    -

    Each theme is in a subdirectory of the "theme" directory, and - contains at least the following files:

    -
      -
    • config.php: defines the theme colours used throughout - the site
      • -
    • styles.php: the style sheet, containing CSS definitions - for standard HTML elements as well as many Moodle elements.
      • -
    • header.html: Included at the top of each page. This - is what you need to edit to add a logo at the top of pages, for example.
      • -
    • footer.html: Included at the bottom of each page.
      • -
    -

    To create your own themes for current versions of Moodle:

    -
      -
    1. Copy one of the existing theme folders to one with a new name. I recommend - starting with one of the standard themes.
      2. -
    2. Edit config.php and insert your own colours.
      3. -
    3. Edit styles.php and change your CSS styles.
      4. -
    4. Edit header.html and footer.html to add new logos, or change the layout. -
      5. -
    -

    Note that all these steps are optional - you can make a radically different - look to your site simply by editing the colours in config.php

    -

    Note also that Moodle upgrades may break themes slightly, so check - the release notes carefully if you are using a custom theme.

    -

    In particular, Moodle 2.0 will have a completely new display system, probably - based on XSL transformations of XML output from Moodle. It is likely that - the themes for this will be a completely different format, but the advantage - will be a much higher possible degree of customisation (including moving - elements around the page).

    -

    More discussion about this in the Themes - forum on Using Moodle. If you create a nice theme that you think others - might want to use, please post your zip file on the themes forum!
    -

    -
    -

     

    -

    Languages

    -
    -

    Moodle has been designed for internationalisation. Each 'string' or 'page' - of text that is displayed as part of the interface is drawn from a set of - language files. Each language is a subdirectory of the directory 'lang'. - The structure of the lang directory is as follows:

    -

    lang/en - directory containing all files for one language - (eg English)

    -
      -
    • moodle.php - strings for main interface
      • -
    • assignment.php - strings for assignment module
      • -
    • choice.php - strings for choice module
      • -
    • forum.php - strings for forum module
      • -
    • journal.php - strings for journal module
      • -
    • quiz.php - strings for quiz module
      • -
    • resource.php - strings for resource module
      • -
    • survey.php - strings for survey module
      • -
    • .... plus other modules if any.
      -
      - A string is called from these files using the get_string() - or print_string() functions. Each string - supports variable substitution, to support variable ordering in different - languages.
      -
      -       eg $strdueby = get_string("assignmentdueby", "assignment", - userdate($date));
      -
      - If a string doesn't exist in a particular language, then the equivalent - in English will automatically be used instead.
      • -
    -

    lang/en/help - contains whole help pages (for popup context-sensitive - help)

    -
    -

    Main help pages are situated here, while help pages specific to each - module are located in subdirectories with the module's name.

    -

    You can insert a helpbutton in a page with the helpbutton function.

    -

    eg helpbutton("text", "Click here for help about text");

    -

    and for modules:

    -

    helpbutton("forumtypes", "Forum types", "forum");

    -
    -

    Note that you can edit languages online, using the administration web tools - under "Check this language". This makes it easy to not to only - create new languages but to refine existing ones. If you are starting a - new language, please contact me, Martin - Dougiamas.

    -

    You might also like to post in the Languages - forum on Using Moodle.

    -

    If you are maintaining a language an ongoing basis, I can give you CVS - write access to the Moodle source code so that you can directly maintain - the files.

    -
    -


    - Database Schemas

    -
    -

    Given a working database with defined tables, the intentionally simple - SQL used in Moodle should work fine with a wide variety of database brands.

    -

    A problem exists with automatically creating new tables - in a database, which is what Moodle tries to do upon initial installation. - Because every database is very different, there doesn't yet exist any way - to do this in a platform-independent way. To support this automation in - each database, schemas can be created that list the required SQL to create - Moodle tables in a particular database. These are files in lib/db - and inside the db subdirectory of each module.

    -

    Currently, only MySQL and PostgreSQL are fully supported in this way (no-one - wrote the schemas for other brands).

    -

    Moodle 1.2 will use a new method of database-independent XML schemas that - will make all this unnecessary.

    -
    -

     

    -

    Course Formats

    -
    -

    Moodle currently supports three different course formats: weekly, topics - and social.

    -

    These are a little more connected to the rest of the code (and hence, less - "pluggable") but it is still quite easy to add new ones.

    -

    If you have any ideas for different formats that you need or would like - to see, get in touch with me and I'll do my absolute best to have them available - in future releases.

    -
    -

     

    -

    Documentation and articles

    -
    -

    If you feel like writing a tutorial, an article, an academic paper or anything - else about Moodle, please do!

    -

    Put it on the web and make sure you include links to http://moodle.org/

    -
    -

     

    -

    Participating in the bug tracker

    -
    -

    Finally, I would like to invite you to register on the "bug tracker" - at http://moodle.org/bugs - so you can file any bugs that you find and perhaps participate in discussing - and fixing them.

    -

    "Bugs" not only includes software bugs with current versions - of Moodle, but also new ideas, feature requests and even constructive criticism - of existing features. The beauty of open source is that anyone can participate - in some way and help to create a better product for all of us to enjoy. - In this project, your input is very welcome!

    -
    -
    -

     

    -
    -
    -
    -

    Thanks for using Moodle!
    -
    - Martin Dougiamas, Lead - Developer

    -
    -
    -
    -

     

    -

     

    -
    -

     

    -
    -

    Moodle Documentation

    -

    Version: $Id: developer.html,v 1.2 2001/12/09 - 10:34:19 martin Exp $

    - - - \ No newline at end of file + +Moodle Docs: Developers Manual + + + + + +

    Developers Manual

    +
    +

    This document describes some of Moodle's design and how you can contribute.

    +

    It's a bit thin at the moment - better documentation will come eventually!

    +

    Sections in this document:

    +
      +
    1. Moodle architecture
      2. +
    2. How you can contribute + +
      3. +
    +
    +

     

    +

    1. Moodle architecture

    +
    +

    From a system administrator's perspective, Moodle has been designed according + to the following criteria:

    +
      +
    1. Moodle should run on the widest variety of platforms
      +
      + The web application platform that runs on most platforms is PHP combined + with MySQL, and this is the environment that Moodle has been developed in + (on Linux, Windows, and Mac OS X). Moodle also uses the ADOdb library for + database abstraction, which means Moodle can use more + than ten different brands of database (unfortunately, though, it can + not yet set up tables in all these databases - + more on this later).
      +
      +
      2. +
    2. Moodle should be easy to install, learn and modify
      +
      + Early prototypes of Moodle (1999) were built using Zope + - an advanced object-oriented web application server. Unfortunately I found + that although the technology was pretty cool, it had a very steep learning + curve and was not very flexible in terms of system administration. The PHP + scripting language, on the other hand, is very easy to get into (especially + if you've done any programming using any other scripting language). Early + on I made the decision to avoid using a class-oriented design - again, to + keep it simple to understand for novices. Code reuse is instead achieved + by libraries of clearly-named functions and consistent layout of script + files. PHP is also easy to install (binaries are available for every platform) + and is widely available to the point that most web hosting services provide + it as standard.
      +
      +
      3. +
    3. It should be easy to upgrade from one version to the next
      +
      + Moodle knows what version it is (as well as the versions of all plug-in + modules) and a mechanism has been built-in so that Moodle can properly upgrade + itself to new versions (for example it can rename database tables or add + new fields). If using CVS in Unix for example, one can just do a "cvs + update -d" and then visit the site home page to complete an upgrade.
      +
      +
      4. +
    4. It should be modular to allow for growth
      +
      + Moodle has a number of features that are modular, including themes, activities, + interface languages, database schemas and course formats. This allows anyone + to add features to the main codebase or to even distribute them separately. + More on this below in the next section.
      +
      +
      5. +
    5. It should be able to be used in conjunction with other systems
      +
      + One thing Moodle does is keep all files for one course within a single, + normal directory on the server. This would allow a system administrator + to provide seamless forms of file-level access for each teacher, such as + Appletalk, SMB, NFS, FTP, WebDAV and so on. The authentication modules allow + Moodle to use LDAP, IMAP, POP3, NNTP and other databases as sources for + user information. Otherwise, there is work yet to do. Features planned for + Moodle in future versions include: import and export of Moodle data using + XML-based formats (including IMS and SCORM); and increased use of style + sheets for interface formatting (so that it can be integrated visually into + other web sites).
      6. +
    +
    +

     

    +

    2. How you can contribute

    +
    +

    As mentioned above, Moodle has a number of features that are modular. Even + if you are not a programmer there are things you can change or help with.

    +

    Learning Activities

    +
    +

    These are by far the most important modules, and reside in the 'mod' directory. + There are seven default modules: assignment, choice, forum, journal, quiz, + resource, and survey. Each module is in a separate subdirectory and consists + of the following mandatory elements (plus extra scripts unique to each module):

    +
      +
    • mod.html: a form to set up or update an instance of this module
      • +
    • version.php: defines some meta-info and provides upgrading code
      • +
    • icon.gif: a 16x16 icon for the module
      • +
    • db/: SQL dumps of all the required db tables and data (for each database + type)
      • +
    • index.php: a page to list all instances in a course
      • +
    • view.php: a page to view a particular instance
      • +
    • lib.php: any/all functions defined by the module should be in here. + If the modulename if called widget, then the required functions include: +
        +
      • widget_add_instance() - code to add a new instance of widget
        • +
      • widget_update_instance() - code to update an existing instance
        • +
      • widget_delete_instance() - code to delete an instance
        • +
      • widget_user_outline() - given an instance, return a summary of a + user's contribution
        • +
      • widget_user_complete() - given an instance, print details of a user's + contribution
        +
        • +
      • To avoid possible conflict, any module functions should be named + starting with widget_ and any constants you define should start with + WIDGET_
        • +
      +
      • +
    • Lastly, each module will have some language files that contain strings + for that module. See below.
      • +
    +

    The easiest way to start a new learning activity module is to use the template + in mod/newmodule_template.zip. + Unzip it and follow the README inside.

    +

    You might also like to post first in the Activities + modules forum on Using Moodle.

    +

     

    +
    +

    Themes

    +
    +

    Themes (or skins) define the look of a site. A number of simple themes + are provided in the main distribution, but you may want to create your own + theme with your own colours, logo, styles and graphics.

    +

    Each theme is in a subdirectory of the "theme" directory, and + contains at least the following files:

    +
      +
    • config.php: defines the theme colours used throughout + the site
      • +
    • styles.php: the style sheet, containing CSS definitions + for standard HTML elements as well as many Moodle elements.
      • +
    • header.html: Included at the top of each page. This + is what you need to edit to add a logo at the top of pages, for example.
      • +
    • footer.html: Included at the bottom of each page.
      • +
    +

    To create your own themes for current versions of Moodle:

    +
      +
    1. Copy one of the existing theme folders to one with a new name. I recommend + starting with one of the standard themes.
      2. +
    2. Edit config.php and insert your own colours.
      3. +
    3. Edit styles.php and change your CSS styles.
      4. +
    4. Edit header.html and footer.html to add new logos, or change the layout. +
      5. +
    +

    Note that all these steps are optional - you can make a radically different + look to your site simply by editing the colours in config.php

    +

    Note also that Moodle upgrades may break themes slightly, so check + the release notes carefully if you are using a custom theme.

    +

    In particular, Moodle 2.0 will have a completely new display system, probably + based on XSL transformations of XML output from Moodle. It is likely that + the themes for this will be a completely different format, but the advantage + will be a much higher possible degree of customisation (including moving + elements around the page).

    +

    More discussion about this in the Themes + forum on Using Moodle. If you create a nice theme that you think others + might want to use, please post your zip file on the themes forum!
    +

    +
    +

    Languages

    +
    +

    Moodle has been designed for internationalisation. Each 'string' or 'page' + of text that is displayed as part of the interface is drawn from a set of + language files. Each language is a subdirectory of the directory 'lang'. + The structure of the lang directory is as follows:

    +

    lang/en - directory containing all files for one language + (eg English)

    +
      +
    • moodle.php - strings for main interface
      • +
    • assignment.php - strings for assignment module
      • +
    • choice.php - strings for choice module
      • +
    • forum.php - strings for forum module
      • +
    • journal.php - strings for journal module
      • +
    • quiz.php - strings for quiz module
      • +
    • resource.php - strings for resource module
      • +
    • survey.php - strings for survey module
      • +
    • .... plus other modules if any.
      +
      + A string is called from these files using the get_string() + or print_string() functions. Each string + supports variable substitution, to support variable ordering in different + languages.
      +
      +       eg $strdueby = get_string("assignmentdueby", "assignment", + userdate($date));
      +
      + If a string doesn't exist in a particular language, then the equivalent + in English will automatically be used instead.
      • +
    +

    lang/en/help - contains whole help pages (for popup context-sensitive + help)

    +
    +

    Main help pages are situated here, while help pages specific to each + module are located in subdirectories with the module's name.

    +

    You can insert a helpbutton in a page with the helpbutton function.

    +

    eg helpbutton("text", "Click here for help about text");

    +

    and for modules:

    +

    helpbutton("forumtypes", "Forum types", "forum");

    +
    +

    Note that you can edit languages online, using the administration web tools + under "Check this language". This makes it easy to not to only + create new languages but to refine existing ones. If you are starting a + new language, please contact me, Martin + Dougiamas.

    +

    You might also like to post in the Languages + forum on Using Moodle.

    +

    If you are maintaining a language an ongoing basis, I can give you CVS + write access to the Moodle source code so that you can directly maintain + the files.

    +
    +

    Database Schemas

    +
    +

    Given a working database with defined tables, the intentionally simple + SQL used in Moodle should work fine with a wide variety of database brands.

    +

    A problem exists with automatically creating new tables + in a database, which is what Moodle tries to do upon initial installation. + Because every database is very different, there doesn't yet exist any way + to do this in a platform-independent way. To support this automation in + each database, schemas can be created that list the required SQL to create + Moodle tables in a particular database. These are files in lib/db + and inside the db subdirectory of each module.

    +

    Currently, only MySQL and PostgreSQL are fully supported in this way (no-one + wrote the schemas for other brands).

    +

    Moodle 1.2 will use a new method of database-independent XML schemas that + will make all this unnecessary.

    +
    +

     

    +

    Course Formats

    +
    +

    Moodle currently supports three different course formats: weekly, topics + and social.

    +

    These are a little more connected to the rest of the code (and hence, less + "pluggable") but it is still quite easy to add new ones.

    +

    If you have any ideas for different formats that you need or would like + to see, get in touch with me and I'll do my absolute best to have them available + in future releases.

    +
    +

     

    +

    Documentation and articles

    +
    +

    If you feel like writing a tutorial, an article, an academic paper or anything + else about Moodle, please do!

    +

    Put it on the web and make sure you include links to http://moodle.org/

    +
    +

     

    +

    Participating in the bug tracker

    +
    +

    Finally, I would like to invite you to register on the "bug tracker" + at http://moodle.org/bugs + so you can file any bugs that you find and perhaps participate in discussing + and fixing them.

    +

    "Bugs" not only includes software bugs with current versions + of Moodle, but also new ideas, feature requests and even constructive criticism + of existing features. The beauty of open source is that anyone can participate + in some way and help to create a better product for all of us to enjoy. + In this project, your input is very welcome!

    +
    +
    +

     

    +
    +
    +
    +

    Thanks for using Moodle!
    +
    + Martin Dougiamas, Lead + Developer

    +
    +
    +
    +

     

    +
    +

     

    +
    +

    Moodle Documentation

    +

    Version: $Id$

    + + diff --git a/lang/en/docs/faq.html b/lang/en/docs/faq.html index 096ccaaeb7..f560857d73 100644 --- a/lang/en/docs/faq.html +++ b/lang/en/docs/faq.html @@ -1,249 +1,34 @@ - - - - - - Moodle Docs: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - - - - - - - + - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

    - - - +

    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

    This page contains answers to some of the most - - - frequently asked questions by people installing Moodle. If you have - - - followed the installation instructions but - - - you still have a problem, then this page is probably the best place to be.

    - -

    If you don't find your answer here try the Using - - - Moodle course on moodle.org. Start by searching the forums using a few keywords, - in case your problem has already been discussed. If you don't find - anything, then try posting your question into the appropriate forum - somebody will - usually be able to help you.

    -

    If you have tried a number of solutions without resolving an issue, - and you are running behind a firewall, it may be advisable to try re-configuring your - firewall to ensure that it is not blocking a required function or necessary communication. - Firewalls very rarely cause problems with Moodle but are occasionally responsible for - reduced functionality due to a mis-configuration in the firewall settings.

    Use this list to jump to the appropriate answer below:

    - - - - - -

    Whenever I try to access or view a file that I uploaded, I get an error "File not Found"

    @@ -310,7 +95,7 @@ reduced functionality due to a mis-configuration in the firewall settings. -

    Whenever I try to access or view +

    Whenever I try to access or view @@ -394,11 +179,11 @@ reduced functionality due to a mis-configuration in the firewall settings. -

    PHP - is it installed and what version +

    PHP - is it installed and what version - do I have?

    + do I have? @@ -430,7 +215,7 @@ reduced functionality due to a mis-configuration in the firewall settings. -

    Why are all my pages blank?

    +

    Why are all my pages blank?

    @@ -458,11 +243,11 @@ reduced functionality due to a mis-configuration in the firewall settings. -

    My pages show fatal errors such +

    My pages show fatal errors such - as : call to undefined function: get_string()

    + as : call to undefined function: get_string() @@ -510,11 +295,11 @@ reduced functionality due to a mis-configuration in the firewall settings. -

    Why do I keep getting error messages +

    Why do I keep getting error messages - about "headers already sent"?

    + about "headers already sent"? @@ -578,11 +363,11 @@ reduced functionality due to a mis-configuration in the firewall settings. -

    I keep getting this error: Failed +

    I keep getting this error: Failed - opening required '/web/moodle/lib/setup.php'

    + opening required '/web/moodle/lib/setup.php' @@ -610,11 +395,11 @@ reduced functionality due to a mis-configuration in the firewall settings. -

    Any text I add with an apostrophe +

    Any text I add with an apostrophe - (') or a quote (") causes errors or comes up with a slash added

    + (') or a quote (") causes errors or comes up with a slash added @@ -658,7 +443,7 @@ reduced functionality due to a mis-configuration in the firewall settings. -

    I keep getting error messages about session_start

    +

    I keep getting error messages about session_start

    @@ -724,7 +509,7 @@ reduced functionality due to a mis-configuration in the firewall settings. -

    When I go to the admin page, I get told to make dirroot blank!

    +

    When I go to the admin page, I get told to make dirroot blank!

    @@ -792,7 +577,7 @@ reduced functionality due to a mis-configuration in the firewall settings. -

    I login but don't appear to be. I am logged in and can navigate freely.

    +

    I login but don't appear to be. I am logged in and can navigate freely.

    @@ -804,7 +589,7 @@ reduced functionality due to a mis-configuration in the firewall settings. -

    When trying to add a resource I receive error messages.

    +

    When trying to add a resource I receive error messages.

    @@ -824,7 +609,7 @@ reduced functionality due to a mis-configuration in the firewall settings. -

    During the initial setting-up process, I never get asked to create an admin account!

    +

    During the initial setting-up process, I never get asked to create an admin account!

    @@ -858,7 +643,7 @@ reduced functionality due to a mis-configuration in the firewall settings. -

    I can't log in - I just stay stuck on the login screen.

    +

    I can't log in - I just stay stuck on the login screen.

    @@ -888,7 +673,7 @@ reduced functionality due to a mis-configuration in the firewall settings. -

    How do I backup my whole Moodle site?

    +

    How do I backup my whole Moodle site?

    @@ -918,7 +703,7 @@ reduced functionality due to a mis-configuration in the firewall settings. -

    Why doesn't my Moodle site display the time & date correctly?

    +

    Why doesn't my Moodle site display the time & date correctly?

    @@ -944,9 +729,9 @@ reduced functionality due to a mis-configuration in the firewall settings.

     

    -

    Email copies are not being sent +

    Email copies are not being sent - from my forums

    + from my forums

    You must set up cron properly if you want Moodle @@ -965,15 +750,8 @@ reduced functionality due to a mis-configuration in the firewall settings.

    Tip: Try the default setting in Moodle variables page. Leave the smtphost blank. This will be acceptable for the majority of users. - -

     

    - -

     

    - - - - - +

      +

     

    diff --git a/lang/en/docs/features.html b/lang/en/docs/features.html index 870510db2c..8e8dbedc7a 100644 --- a/lang/en/docs/features.html +++ b/lang/en/docs/features.html @@ -1,223 +1,219 @@ - - - - Moodle Docs: Background - - - - - - -

    Features

    -

    Moodle is an active and evolving product. This page lists just some of the - many features it contains:

    -

    Overall design

    - -

    Site management

    - -

    User management

    - -

    Course management

    - -

    Assignment Module

    - -

    Chat Module

    - -

    Choice Module

    - -

    Forum Module

    - -

    Journal Module

    - -

    Quiz Module

    - -

    Resource Module

    - -

    Survey Module

    - - -

    Workshop Module

    - -

     

    - -

    Moodle Documentation

    -

    Version: $Id: features.html,v 1.2 2001/12/09 - 10:34:19 martin Exp $

    - - - + + + + +Moodle Docs: Background + + + + + + + +

    Features

    +
    +

    Moodle is an active and evolving product. This page lists just some of the + many features it contains:

    +

    Overall design

    + +

    Site management

    + +

    User management

    + +

    Course management

    + +

    Assignment Module

    + +

    Chat Module

    + +

    Choice Module

    + +

    Forum Module

    + +

    Journal Module

    + +

    Quiz Module

    + +

    Resource Module

    + +

    Survey Module

    + +

    Workshop Module

    + +

     

    +
    +

    Moodle Documentation

    +

    Version: $Id$

    + + diff --git a/lang/en/docs/files.php b/lang/en/docs/files.php index eaf5f2dfbe..6747b5e348 100644 --- a/lang/en/docs/files.php +++ b/lang/en/docs/files.php @@ -1,21 +1,31 @@ - diff --git a/lang/en/docs/future.html b/lang/en/docs/future.html index bac50d907f..50d34bc4d0 100644 --- a/lang/en/docs/future.html +++ b/lang/en/docs/future.html @@ -1,59 +1,69 @@ - - Moodle Docs: Future - - - - - - - -

    Future

    - -

    As Moodle gains in maturity, its directions are increasingly influenced by - the community of developers and users. A dynamic database of proposed features - and their status can be found at moodle.org/bugs. - Your contributions in the form of ideas, code, - feedback and promotion are all very welcome - see the Developers - manual for more details.

    - -

    Here is a rough map of the future (subject to change): -

    - -
    Version 1.2 - Late 2003
    -
    The major targets for this version include: -
      -
    • Support for groups/cohorts within courses
      • -
    • New architecture for Enrolments with plugins (similar to the - existing Authentication architecture) so that - external systems (eg Student Records, Paypal, LDAP etc) - can control student access within courses
      • -
    • Miscellaneous contributed code and bug fixes
      • -
    -
    - -
    Version 2.0 - Early 2004
    -
    This major release will include some major changes in internal structure - designed to add flexibility and scalability in many areas. Among the major - targets are: -
      -
    • Rewritten display layer using XHTML-compatible code and complete implementation - of templates for increased standards-compliance, flexibility and accessibility
      • -
    • Wider use of PHP classes in key areas of the Moodle code, to make some - things easier for programmers writing new modules or integrating with - external systems
      • -
    • Stronger pedagogical support for both teachers and students
      • -
    • New access-control system allowing finely-defined roles and rights
      • -
    • Basic support for IMS and SCORM
      • -
    • Better integration of Moodle with moodle.org
      • -
    • Whatever else comes along :-)
      • -
    -
    -
    - -

     

    -

    Moodle Documentation

    -

    Version: $Id$

    - + + +Moodle Docs: Future + + + + + + + + +

    Future

    +
    +

    As Moodle gains in maturity, its directions are increasingly influenced by + the community of developers and users. A dynamic database of proposed features + and their status can be found at moodle.org/bugs. + Your contributions in the form of ideas, code, + feedback and promotion are all very welcome - see the Developers + manual for more details.

    +

    Here is our current vision of the future, though this always changes depending on what developers want to work on. +

    +

    Version 1.2 - Late 2003 +

    +
    +

    The main targets for this version include: +

    +
      +
    • Support for groups/cohorts within courses
      • +
    • New module: Glossary
      • +
    • New module: Attendance
      • +
    • New module: Webquest
      • +
    • Text filters, where all text can be parsed by plugins
      • +
    +
    +

     

    +

    Version 2.0 - Early 2004

    +
    +

    This major release will include some major changes in internal structure + designed to add flexibility and scalability in many areas. Among the major + targets are:

    +
      +
    • Completely rewritten display layer using XHTML-compatible code and complete implementation + of templates for increased standards-compliance, flexibility and accessibility
      • +
    • Wider use of PHP classes in key areas of the Moodle code, to make some + things easier for programmers writing new modules or integrating with + external systems
      • +
    • New architecture for Enrolments with plugins (similar to the + existing Authentication architecture) so that + external systems (eg Student Records, Paypal, LDAP etc) + can control student and teacher access within courses
      • +
    +
    +

    Version 2.1 - Early 2004

    +
    +

    This release will start to take advantage of the new structuring and add new features such as:

    +
      +
    • New access-control system allowing finely-defined roles and rights +
      • +
    • Stronger pedagogical support for both teachers and students
      • +
    • Basic support for standard learning objects (SCORM content packages)
      • +
    • Better integration of Moodle with moodle.org (for teachers to share and collaborate)
      • +
    +
    +

     

    +
    +

     

    +

    Moodle Documentation

    +

    Version: $Id$

    + diff --git a/lang/en/docs/glossary.html b/lang/en/docs/glossary.html deleted file mode 100755 index e47ecf4629..0000000000 --- a/lang/en/docs/glossary.html +++ /dev/null @@ -1,380 +0,0 @@ - - -Moodle Docs: Glossary - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

    Glossary

    - -

    This page contains a number of definitions for many of the words and - -expressions you may encounter while working with Moodle.

    - -

    If you don't find the answer here try the Using - - Moodle course on moodle.org, and search the forums for keywords. You may - - have to try a few different search phrases before you find a resolution.

    - -

    If you still can't find any answers then we can recommend Google, or try posting your question - - on the appropriate forum in Using - - Moodle - someone should be able to help you.

    - - - - - -

    Active-X

    - -

    A method of scripting (controlling) certain functions in a web page, used only by Microsoft Internet Explorer.

    - - - -

    applet

    - -

    Most recent browsers can run these small programs if the Java feature in the browser has been enabled.

    - - - -

    ASCII

    - -

    American Standard Code for Information Interchange

    - -

    Certain file types require that you upload in ASCII mode when using your FTP program. - -It's usually best to choose " AUTO " in your FTP settings.

    - - - -

    binary

    - -

    Certain file types require that you upload in binary mode when - -using your FTP program. It's usually best to choose " AUTO " in your FTP settings.

    - - - -

    Cascading Style Sheets

    - -

    Please see CSS below.

    - - - -

    CSS

    - -

    Abbreviation for "Cascading Style Sheets". - -CSS is used as a template to make it easier to update the look (style) of many - -web pages at the same time and CSS also makes it possible to have several pages - -that all follow a similar theme.

    - - - -

    CVS

    - -

    Concurrent Versioning System is simply a method of storing files - -on a server that helps coordinate many people working on those files. To "check out" files from a CVS server means to copy the very latest versions to your own computer.

    - - - -

    database

    - -

    An electronic collection of information, stored in tables of data. For example, Moodle contains a table of all users in a site. MySQL is a brand of database software.

    - - - -

    dataroot

    - -

    The place where Moodle can save uploaded files. This - -directory should be readable and writeable by the web server user - -but it should not be accessible directly via the web.

    - - - -

    domain name

    - -

    A name given to a computer or a group of computers. eg moodle.org You can buy new domain names on the Internet.

    - - - -

    download

    - -

    To move your files from a - -server "down" to your personal computer. Also see FTP and upload.

    - - - -

    directory

    - -

    Please see dirroot

    - - - -

    dirroot

    - -

    A root directory has content and a name. This root directory may contain - -several sub-directories and the name is the location on your server - -where your Moodle files will reside after you upload them.

    - - - -

    FTP

    - -

    File Transfer Protocol - a method of copying files from one - -computer to another. For example, you might FTP your Moodle files from your - -home computer to your web server

    - - - -

    hosting provider

    - -

    A business that will host your web site for a monthly fee. - -You provide a domain name that you own, and after they've set - -it up for you, then you can copy your files to their server and set up your site.

    - - - -

    html

    - -

    HyperText Markup Language - a language used to create web pages.

    - - - -

    index

    - -

    When a web address specifies a directory (eg http://yoursite.com/moodle/) instead of a file (eg http://yoursite.com/moodle/index.php), then the web server needs to assume the name of the file. The files it looks for to use in this case are called the index files.

    - - - -

    Java

    - -

    A programming language that can be used to write applets that may run within web pages. Moodle doesn't use any of it.

    - - - -

    javascript

    - -

    A scripting language that can be used to write small programs in web pages, such as popup menus. Moodle uses a little Javascript.

    - - - -

    Moodle

    - -

    The word Moodle is an acronym for - -Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment

    - - - -

    MySQL

    - -

    MySQL is the world's most popular open source database, - - recognized for its speed and reliability.

    - - - -

    nightly

    - -

    A Moodle Nightly is built automatically every day from the most recent code, and is available from the Moodle web site. It can be useful if you don't have CVS, but you want to try the latest features. It can also contain bugs, since they haven't been well-tested.

    - - - -

    PHP

    - -

    PHP is a server-side scripting language which executes commands on - -the server side then delivers dynamic HTML pages to the web browser. Your server - -must be PHP enabled in order to run Moodle.

    - - - -

    server

    - -

    This is where your web site or database, - -or both, resides. You may choose to run your own server or have a - -hosting provider look after this for you.

    - - - -

    style sheet

    - -

    Please see CSS above.

    - - - -

    upload

    - -

    To upload is simply to move your files from your computer - -to a server. Also see FTP.

    - - - -

    URL

    - -

    A Uniform Resource Locator is the address that is used to - -reach a website.

    - - - -

    XHTML - Extensible Hypertext Markup Language

    - -

    XHTML will, eventually, replace HTML as the language used - -to program web pages for display in your web browser. XHTML will, hopefully, - -make writing code for browsers easier as XHTML code will cause the page to display - -exactly the same in any web browser.

    - - - -

    XML

    - -

    Extensible Mark-up Language is just what the name implies, extensible. - -The programmer has a very wide latitude when writing XML as the programmer may - -choose to add instructions as she/he writes. This is in direct opposition to - -HTML which has a clearly defined and documented set of instructions available and - -no freedom exists to " extend " this set of rules. Due to its' extreme - -versatility XML may be the end of the evolutionary path for HTML. also see - -XHTML - - - - - - - -

    Page Top

    - - - -
    - -

    Maintained by John Eyre. Please send suggestions to captain@eyrespace.com.

    - -
    - - - -

    Moodle Documentation

    - -

    Version: $Id$

    - - - - - diff --git a/lang/en/docs/install.html b/lang/en/docs/install.html index dc387c956e..14c3a3587f 100644 --- a/lang/en/docs/install.html +++ b/lang/en/docs/install.html @@ -1,428 +1,421 @@ - - Moodle Docs: Installation - - - - - - -

    Installing Moodle

    -

    This guide explains how to install Moodle for the first time. It goes into some detail - about some of the steps, in order to cover the wide variety of small differences between - web server setups, so this document may look long and complicated. Don't be put off by this - - I usually set Moodle up in a few minutes!

    -

    Take your time and work through this document carefully - it will save you time later on.

    -

    Sections in this document:

    -
      -
    1. Requirements
      2. -
    2. Download
      3. -
    3. Site structure
      4. -
    4. Create a data directory
      5. -
    5. Create a database
      6. -
    6. Check web server settings
      7. -
    7. Edit config.php
      8. -
    8. Go to the admin page
      9. -
    9. Set up cron
      10. -
    10. Create a new course
      11. -
    -

    1. Requirements

    -
    -

    Moodle is primarily developed in Linux using Apache, MySQL and PHP (also - sometimes known as the LAMP platform), but is also regularly tested with PostgreSQL - and on Windows XP, Mac OS X and Netware 6 operating systems

    -

    The requirements for Moodle are as follows:

    -
      -
    1. Web server software. Most people use Apache, - but Moodle should work fine under any web server that supports PHP, such - as IIS on Windows platforms.
      2. -
    2. PHP scripting language (version 4.1.0 - or later), with the following settings: -
        -
      • GD library - turned ON, with support for JPG and PNG formats
        • -
      • zlib library turned ON (if you want to use backup/restore on Windows)
        • -
      • Sessions support turned ON
        • -
      • File uploading turned ON
        • -
      • Safe Mode must be turned OFF (see the forums on moodle.org for problems - caused by Safe Mode)
        • -
      -
      3. -
    3. a working database server: MySQL - or PostgreSQL are - completely supported and recommended for use with Moodle 1.1. All other - databases will be supported fully in the next release.
      4. -
    -

    Most web hosts support all of this by default. If you are signed up with - one of the few webhosts that does not support these features ask them why, - and consider taking your business elsewhere.

    -

    If you want to run Moodle on your own computer and all this looks a bit daunting, - then please see our guide: Installing - Apache, MySQL and PHP. It provides some step-by-step instructions to install - all this on most popular platforms.

    -

     

    -

    2. Download

    -
    -

    There are two ways to get Moodle, as a compressed package and via CVS. These - are explained in detail on the download page: http://moodle.org/download/

    -

    After downloading and unpacking the archive, or checking out the files via - CVS, you will be left with a directory called "moodle", containing - a number of files and folders.

    -

    You can either place the whole folder in your web server documents directory, - in which case the site will be located at http://yourwebserver.com/moodle, - or you can copy all the contents straight into the main web server documents - directory, in which case the site will be simply http://yourwebserver.com.

    -
    -

     

    -

    3. Site structure

    -
    -

    Here is a quick summary of the contents of the Moodle folder, to help get - you oriented:

    -
    -

    config.php - the ONLY file you need to edit to get started
    - version.php - defines the current version of Moodle code
    - index.php - the front page of the site

    -
      -
    • admin/ - code to administrate the whole server
      • -
    • auth/ - plugin modules to authenticate users
      • -
    • course/ - code to display and manage courses
      • -
    • doc/ - help documentation for Moodle (eg this page)
      • -
    • files/ - code to display and manage uploaded files
      • -
    • lang/ - texts in different languages, one directory per language
      • -
    • lib/ - libraries of core Moodle code
      • -
    • login/ - code to handle login and account creation
      • -
    • mod/ - all Moodle course modules
      • -
    • pix/ - generic site graphics
      • -
    • theme/ - theme packs/skins to change the look of the site.
      • -
    • user/ - code to display and manage users
      • -
    -

     

    -
    -
    -

    4. Create a data directory

    -
    -

    Moodle will also need some space on your hard disk to store uploaded files, - such as course documents and user pictures.

    - -

    Create a directory for this purpose somewhere. For security, it's best that - this directory is NOT accessible directly via the web. The easiest way to do this - is to simply locate it OUTSIDE the web directory, otherwise protect it - by creating a file in the data directory called .htaccess, containing this line: -

    - 
    deny from all
    -
    - -

    To make sure that Moodle can save uploaded files in this directory, check that - the web server software (eg Apache) has permission to write - to this directory. On Unix machines, this means setting the owner of the directory - to be something like "nobody" or "apache".

    - -

    On many shared hosting servers, you will probably need to restrict all file access - to your "group" (to prevent other webhost customers from looking at or changing your files), - but provide full read/write access to everyone else (which will allow the web server - to access your files). Speak to your server administrator if you are having - trouble setting this up securely.

    - -
    -

     

    -

    5. Create a database

    -
    -

    You need to create an empty database (eg "moodle") in your database system - along with a special user (eg "moodleuser") that has access to that database - (and that database only). You could use the "root" user if you wanted to, but - this is not recommended for a production system: if hackers manage to discover - the password then your whole database system would be at risk, rather than - just one database. -

    -

    Example command lines for MySQL:

    - 
    -   # mysql -u root -p
-   > CREATE DATABASE moodle; 
-   > GRANT SELECT,INSERT,UPDATE,DELETE,CREATE,DROP,INDEX,ALTER ON moodle.* 
-           TO moodleuser@localhost IDENTIFIED BY 'yourpassword'; 
-   > quit 
-   # mysqladmin -p reload
-
    -

    Example command lines for PostgreSQL:

    - 
    -   # su - postgres
-   > psql -c "create user moodleuser createdb;" template1
-   > psql -c "create database moodle;" -U moodleuser template1
-   > psql -c "alter user moodleuser nocreatedb;" template1
-
    -

    (For MySQL I highly recommend the use of phpMyAdmin - to manage your databases - you can do all this via a web interface).

    -

    As of version 1.0.8, Moodle now supports table prefixes, and so can safely share - a database with tables from other applications.

    -
    -

     

    -

    6. Check your web server settings

    -
    -

    Firstly, make sure that your web server is set up to use index.php as a default - page (perhaps in addition to index.html, default.htm and so on).

    -

    In Apache, this is done using a DirectoryIndex parameter in your httpd.conf - file. Mine usually looks like this:

    -
    - 
    DirectoryIndex index.php index.html index.htm
    -
    -

    Just make sure index.php is in the list (and preferably towards the start - of the list, for efficiency).

    -

    Secondly, if you are using Apache 2, then you should turn on the AcceptPathInfo - variable, which allows scripts to be passed arguments like http://server/file.php/arg1/arg2. - This is essential to allow relative links between your resources, and also - provides a performance boost for people using your Moodle web site. You can - turn this on by adding these lines to your httpd.conf file.

    -
    - 
    AcceptPathInfo on
    -
    - -

    Thirdly, Moodle requires a number of PHP settings to be active for it to - work. On most servers these will already be the default settings. - However, some PHP servers (and some of the more recent PHP versions) may - have things set differently. These are defined in PHP's configuration - file (usually called php.ini):

    -
    - -
    magic_quotes_gpc = 1    (preferred but not necessary)
-magic_quotes_runtime = 0    (necessary)
-file_uploads = 1
-session.auto_start = 0
-session.bug_compat_warn = 0
-
    -
    -

    If you don't have access to httpd.conf or php.ini on your server, or you - have Moodle on a server with other applications that require different settings, - then don't worry, you can still OVERRIDE all of the default settings. -

    To do this, you need to create a file called .htaccess in Moodle's - main directory that contains definitions for these settings. - This only works on Apache servers and only when Overrides have been allowed. - 

    -DirectoryIndex index.php index.html index.htm
-
-<IfDefine APACHE2>
-     AcceptPathInfo on
-</IfDefine>
-
-php_flag magic_quotes_gpc 1
-php_flag magic_quotes_runtime 0
-php_flag file_uploads 1
-php_flag session.auto_start 0
-php_flag session.bug_compat_warn 0
    -

    You can also do things like define the maximum size for uploaded files: - 

    -LimitRequestBody 0
-php_value upload_max_filesize 2M
-php_value post_max_size 2M
-
    - -

    The easiest thing to do is just copy the sample file from lib/htaccess - and edit it to suit your needs. It contains further instructions. For - example, in a Unix shell: -

    - 
    cp lib/htaccess .htaccess
    -
    - -
    -

     

    -

    7. Edit config.php

    -
    -

    Now you can edit the configuration file, config.php, using a - text editor. This file is used by all other files in Moodle.

    -

    To start with, make a copy of config-dist.php and name it - config.php. We do this so that your config.php won't be overwritten in case - you upgrade Moodle later on.

    -

    Edit config.php to specify the database details that you - just defined (including a table prefix - notice that this is REQUIRED for - PostgreSQL), as well as the site address, file system directory and data directory. - The config file itself has detailed directions and examples.

    -

    Once you have done this the rest of the installation is via a web interface. - For the rest of this installation document we will assume your site is at: - http://example.com/moodle

    -
    -

     

    -

    8. Go to the admin page

    -
    -

    The admin page should now be working at: http://example.com/moodle/admin. - If you try and access the front page of your site you'll be taken there automatically - anyway. The first time you access this admin page, you will be presented with - a GPL "shrinkwrap" agreement with which you must agree before you - can continue with the setup.

    -

    (Moodle will also try to set some cookies in your browser. If you have your - browser set up to let you choose to accept cookies, then you must accept - the Moodle cookies, or Moodle won't work properly.) -

    Now Moodle will start setting up your database and creating tables to store - data. Firstly, the main database tables are created. You should see a number - of SQL statements followed by status messages (in green or red) that look - like this:

    -
    -

    CREATE TABLE course ( id int(10) unsigned NOT NULL auto_increment, category - int(10) unsigned NOT NULL default '0', password varchar(50) NOT NULL default - '', fullname varchar(254) NOT NULL default '', shortname varchar(15) NOT - NULL default '', summary text NOT NULL, format tinyint(4) NOT NULL default - '1', teacher varchar(100) NOT NULL default 'Teacher', startdate int(10) - unsigned NOT NULL default '0', enddate int(10) unsigned NOT NULL default - '0', timemodified int(10) unsigned NOT NULL default '0', PRIMARY KEY (id)) - TYPE=MyISAM

    -

    SUCCESS

    -

    ...and so on, followed by: Main databases set up - successfully.

    -
    -

    If you don't see these, then there must have been some problem with the database - or the configuration settings you defined in config.php. Check that PHP isn't - in a restricted "Safe Mode" (commercial web hosts sometimes have safe mode - turned on). You can check PHP variables by creating a little file containing - <? phpinfo() ?> and looking at it through a browser. Check all these and - try this page again.

    -

    Scroll down the very bottom of the page and press the "Continue" - link.

    -

    Next you will see a similar page that sets up all the tables required by - each Moodle module. As before, they should all be green.

    -

    Scroll down the very bottom of the page and press the "Continue" - link.

    -

    You should now see a form where you can define more configuration variables - for your installation, such as the default language, SMTP hosts and so on. - Don't worry too much about getting everything right just now - you can always - come back and edit these later on using the admin interface. Scroll down to - the bottom and click "Save changes".

    -

    If (and only if) you find yourself getting stuck on this page, unable to - continue, then your server probably has what I call the "buggy referrer" problem. - This is easy to fix: just turn off the "secureforms" setting, then - try to continue again.

    -

    The next page is a form where you can define parameters for your Moodle site - and the front page, such as the name, format, description and so on. Fill - this out (you can always come back and change these later) and then press - "Save changes".

    -

    Finally, you will then be asked to create a top-level administration user - for future access to the admin pages. Fill out the details with your own name, - email etc and then click "Save changes". Not all the fields are - required, but if you miss any important fields you'll be re-prompted for them. -

    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -

    Make sure you remember the username and password you chose - for the administration user account, as they will be necessary to - access the administration page in future.

    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -

    (If for any reason your install is interrupted, or there is a system error - of some kind that prevents you from logging in using the admin account, you - can usually log in using the default username of "admin", - with password "admin".)

    -

    Once successful, you will be returned to home page of your site. Note the - administration links that appear down the left hand side of the page (these - items also appear on a separate Admin page) - these items are only visible - to you because you are logged in as the admin user. All your further administration - of Moodle can now be done using this menu, such as:

    - -
    -

     

    -

    9. Set up cron

    -
    -

    Some of Moodle's modules require continual checks to perform tasks. For example, - Moodle needs to check the discussion forums so it can mail out copies of posts - to people who have subscribed.

    -

    The script that does all this is located in the admin directory, and is called - cron.php. However, it can not run itself, so you need to set up a mechanism - where this script is run regularly (eg every five or ten minutes). This provides - a "heartbeat" so that the script can perform functions at periods - defined by each module.

    -

    Note that the machine performing the cron does not need to be the same - machine that is running Moodle. For example, if you have a limited web - hosting service that does not have cron, then you can might choose to run - cron on another server or on your home computer. All that matters is that - the cron.php file is called regularly.

    -

    The load of this script is not very high, so 5 minutes is usually reasonable, - but if you're worried about it you can reduce the time period to something - like 15 minutes or even 30 minutes. It's best not to make the time period - too long, as delaying mail-outs can slow down activity within the course.

    -

    First, test that the script works by running it directly from your browser:

    -
    - 
    http://example.com/moodle/admin/cron.php
    -
    -

    Now, you need to set up some of way of running the script automatically and - regularly.

    -

    Running the script from a command line

    -

    You can call the page from the command line just as you did in the example - above. For example, you can use a Unix utility like 'wget':

    -
    - 
    wget -q -O /dev/null http://example.com/moodle/admin/cron.php
    -
    -

    Note in this example that the output is thrown away (to /dev/null).

    -

    The same thing using lynx:

    -
    - 
    lynx -dump http://example.com/moodle/admin/cron.php > /dev/null
    -
    -

    Alternatively you could use a standalone version of PHP, compiled to be run - on the command line. The advantage with doing this is that your web server - logs aren't filled with constant requests to cron.php. The disadvantage is - that you need to have access to a command-line version of php.

    -
    - 
    /opt/bin/php /web/moodle/admin/cron.php
-
-
-(Windows) C:\apache\php\php.exe C:\apache\htdocs\moodle\admin\cron.php
-
-
    -
    -

    Automatically running the script every 5 minutes

    -

    On Unix systems: Use cron. Edit your cron settings from the commandline - using "crontab -e" and add a line like:

    -
    - 
    */5 * * * * wget -q -O /dev/null http://example.com/moodle/admin/cron.php
    -
    -

    Usually, the "crontab" command will put you into the 'vi' editor. You enter - "insert mode" by pressing "i", then type in the line as above, then exit insert mode by - pressing ESC. You save and exit by typing ":wq", or quit with saving using ":q!" (without the quotes).

    - -

    On Windows systems: The simplest way is to use this little package moodle-cron-for-windows.zip - which makes this whole thing very easy. You can also explore using the built-in - Windows feature for "Scheduled Tasks".

    -

    On web hosts: Your web-based control panel may have a web page that allows - you to set up this cron process. Ask your administrator for details on how - it works.

    -

    -
    -

    10. Create a new course

    -
    -

    Now that Moodle is running properly, you can create a course.

    -

    Select "Create a new course" from the Admin page (or the admin - links on the home page).

    -

    Fill out the form, paying special attention to the course format. You don't - have to worry about the details too much at this stage, as everything can - be changed later by the teacher.

    -

    Press "Save changes", and you will be taken to a new form where - you can assign teachers to the course. You can only add existing user accounts - from this form - if you want to create a new teacher account then either ask - the teacher to create one for themselves (see the login page), or create one - for them using the "Add a new user" on the Admin page.

    -

    Once done, the course is ready to customise, and is accessible via the "Courses" - link on the home page.

    -

    See the "Teacher Manual" for more details - on course-building.

    -
    -

     

    -

    Moodle Documentation

    -

    Version: $Id$

    - - + + +Moodle Docs: Installation + + + + + + + +

    Installing Moodle

    +
    +

    This guide explains how to install Moodle for the first time. It goes into some detail + about some of the steps, in order to cover the wide variety of small differences between + web server setups, so this document may look long and complicated. Don't be put off by this + - I usually set Moodle up in a few minutes!

    +

    Take your time and work through this document carefully - it will save you time later on.

    +

    Sections in this document:

    +
      +
    1. Requirements
      2. +
    2. Download
      3. +
    3. Site structure
      4. +
    4. Create a data directory
      5. +
    5. Create a database
      6. +
    6. Check web server settings
      7. +
    7. Edit config.php
      8. +
    8. Go to the admin page
      9. +
    9. Set up cron
      10. +
    10. Create a new course
      11. +
    +

     

    +
    +

    1. Requirements

    +
    +

    Moodle is primarily developed in Linux using Apache, MySQL and PHP (also + sometimes known as the LAMP platform), but is also regularly tested with PostgreSQL + and on Windows XP, Mac OS X and Netware 6 operating systems

    +

    The requirements for Moodle are as follows:

    +
      +
    1. Web server software. Most people use Apache, + but Moodle should work fine under any web server that supports PHP, such + as IIS on Windows platforms.
      2. +
    2. PHP scripting language (version 4.1.0 + or later), with the following settings: +
        +
      • GD library + turned ON, with support for JPG and PNG formats
        • +
      • zlib library turned ON (if you want to use backup/restore on Windows)
        • +
      • Sessions support turned ON
        • +
      • File uploading turned ON
        • +
      • Safe Mode must be turned OFF (see the forums on moodle.org for problems + caused by Safe Mode)
        • +
      +
      3. +
    3. a working database server: MySQL + or PostgreSQL are + completely supported and recommended for use with Moodle 1.1. All other + databases will be supported fully in the next release.
      4. +
    +

    Most web hosts support all of this by default. If you are signed up with + one of the few webhosts that does not support these features ask them why, + and consider taking your business elsewhere.

    +

    If you want to run Moodle on your own computer and all this looks a bit daunting, + then please see our guide: Installing + Apache, MySQL and PHP. It provides some step-by-step instructions to install + all this on most popular platforms.

    +

     

    +
    +

    2. Download

    +
    +

    There are two ways to get Moodle, as a compressed package and via CVS. These + are explained in detail on the download page: http://moodle.org/download/

    +

    After downloading and unpacking the archive, or checking out the files via + CVS, you will be left with a directory called "moodle", containing + a number of files and folders.

    +

    You can either place the whole folder in your web server documents directory, + in which case the site will be located at http://yourwebserver.com/moodle, + or you can copy all the contents straight into the main web server documents + directory, in which case the site will be simply http://yourwebserver.com.

    +
    +

     

    +

    3. Site structure

    +
    +

    Here is a quick summary of the contents of the Moodle folder, to help get + you oriented:

    +
    +

    config.php - the ONLY file you need to edit to get started
    + version.php - defines the current version of Moodle code
    + index.php - the front page of the site

    +
      +
    • admin/ - code to administrate the whole server
      • +
    • auth/ - plugin modules to authenticate users
      • +
    • course/ - code to display and manage courses
      • +
    • doc/ - help documentation for Moodle (eg this page)
      • +
    • files/ - code to display and manage uploaded files
      • +
    • lang/ - texts in different languages, one directory per language
      • +
    • lib/ - libraries of core Moodle code
      • +
    • login/ - code to handle login and account creation
      • +
    • mod/ - all Moodle course modules
      • +
    • pix/ - generic site graphics
      • +
    • theme/ - theme packs/skins to change the look of the site.
      • +
    • user/ - code to display and manage users
      • +
    +

     

    +
    +
    +

    4. Create a data directory

    +
    +

    Moodle will also need some space on your hard disk to store uploaded files, + such as course documents and user pictures.

    +

    Create a directory for this purpose somewhere. For security, it's best that + this directory is NOT accessible directly via the web. The easiest way to do this + is to simply locate it OUTSIDE the web directory, otherwise protect it + by creating a file in the data directory called .htaccess, containing this line: +

    + + 
    deny from all
    +
    +

    To make sure that Moodle can save uploaded files in this directory, check that + the web server software (eg Apache) has permission to write + to this directory. On Unix machines, this means setting the owner of the directory + to be something like "nobody" or "apache".

    +

    On many shared hosting servers, you will probably need to restrict all file access + to your "group" (to prevent other webhost customers from looking at or changing your files), + but provide full read/write access to everyone else (which will allow the web server + to access your files). Speak to your server administrator if you are having + trouble setting this up securely.

    +
    +

     

    +

    5. Create a database

    +
    +

    You need to create an empty database (eg "moodle") in your database system + along with a special user (eg "moodleuser") that has access to that database + (and that database only). You could use the "root" user if you wanted to, but + this is not recommended for a production system: if hackers manage to discover + the password then your whole database system would be at risk, rather than + just one database. +

    +

    Example command lines for MySQL:

    + 
    +   # mysql -u root -p
+   > CREATE DATABASE moodle; 
+   > GRANT SELECT,INSERT,UPDATE,DELETE,CREATE,DROP,INDEX,ALTER ON moodle.* 
+           TO moodleuser@localhost IDENTIFIED BY 'yourpassword'; 
+   > quit 
+   # mysqladmin -p reload
+
    +

    Example command lines for PostgreSQL:

    + 
    +   # su - postgres
+   > psql -c "create user moodleuser createdb;" template1
+   > psql -c "create database moodle;" -U moodleuser template1
+   > psql -c "alter user moodleuser nocreatedb;" template1
+
    +

    (For MySQL I highly recommend the use of phpMyAdmin + to manage your databases - you can do all this via a web interface).

    +

    As of version 1.0.8, Moodle now supports table prefixes, and so can safely share + a database with tables from other applications.

    +
    +

     

    +

    6. Check your web server settings

    +
    +

    Firstly, make sure that your web server is set up to use index.php as a default + page (perhaps in addition to index.html, default.htm and so on).

    +

    In Apache, this is done using a DirectoryIndex parameter in your httpd.conf + file. Mine usually looks like this:

    +
    + 
    DirectoryIndex index.php index.html index.htm
    +
    +

    Just make sure index.php is in the list (and preferably towards the start + of the list, for efficiency).

    +

    Secondly, if you are using Apache 2, then you should turn on the AcceptPathInfo + variable, which allows scripts to be passed arguments like http://server/file.php/arg1/arg2. + This is essential to allow relative links between your resources, and also + provides a performance boost for people using your Moodle web site. You can + turn this on by adding these lines to your httpd.conf file.

    +
    + 
    AcceptPathInfo on
    +
    +

    Thirdly, Moodle requires a number of PHP settings to be active for it to + work. On most servers these will already be the default settings. + However, some PHP servers (and some of the more recent PHP versions) may + have things set differently. These are defined in PHP's configuration + file (usually called php.ini):

    +
    + + 
    magic_quotes_gpc = 1    (preferred but not necessary)
+magic_quotes_runtime = 0    (necessary)
+file_uploads = 1
+session.auto_start = 0
+session.bug_compat_warn = 0
+
    +
    +

    If you don't have access to httpd.conf or php.ini on your server, or you + have Moodle on a server with other applications that require different settings, + then don't worry, you can still OVERRIDE all of the default settings. +

    To do this, you need to create a file called .htaccess in Moodle's + main directory that contains definitions for these settings. + This only works on Apache servers and only when Overrides have been allowed. + +

    + 
    +DirectoryIndex index.php index.html index.htm
+
+<IfDefine APACHE2>
+     AcceptPathInfo on
+</IfDefine>
+
+php_flag magic_quotes_gpc 1
+php_flag magic_quotes_runtime 0
+php_flag file_uploads 1
+php_flag session.auto_start 0
+php_flag session.bug_compat_warn 0
    +
    +

    You can also do things like define the maximum size for uploaded files: + +

    + 
    +LimitRequestBody 0
+php_value upload_max_filesize 2M
+php_value post_max_size 2M
+
    +
    +

    The easiest thing to do is just copy the sample file from lib/htaccess + and edit it to suit your needs. It contains further instructions. For + example, in a Unix shell: +

    + 
    cp lib/htaccess .htaccess
    +
    +
    +

     

    +

    7. Edit config.php

    +
    +

    Now you can edit the configuration file, config.php, using a + text editor. This file is used by all other files in Moodle.

    +

    To start with, make a copy of config-dist.php and name it + config.php. We do this so that your config.php won't be overwritten in case + you upgrade Moodle later on.

    +

    Edit config.php to specify the database details that you + just defined (including a table prefix - notice that this is REQUIRED for + PostgreSQL), as well as the site address, file system directory and data directory. + The config file itself has detailed directions and examples.

    +

    Once you have done this the rest of the installation is via a web interface. + For the rest of this installation document we will assume your site is at: + http://example.com/moodle

    +
    +

     

    +

    8. Go to the admin page

    +
    +

    The admin page should now be working at: http://example.com/moodle/admin. + If you try and access the front page of your site you'll be taken there automatically + anyway. The first time you access this admin page, you will be presented with + a GPL "shrinkwrap" agreement with which you must agree before you + can continue with the setup.

    +

    (Moodle will also try to set some cookies in your browser. If you have your + browser set up to let you choose to accept cookies, then you must accept + the Moodle cookies, or Moodle won't work properly.) +

    Now Moodle will start setting up your database and creating tables to store + data. Firstly, the main database tables are created. You should see a number + of SQL statements followed by status messages (in green or red) that look + like this:

    +
    +

    CREATE TABLE course ( id int(10) unsigned NOT NULL auto_increment, category + int(10) unsigned NOT NULL default '0', password varchar(50) NOT NULL default + '', fullname varchar(254) NOT NULL default '', shortname varchar(15) NOT + NULL default '', summary text NOT NULL, format tinyint(4) NOT NULL default + '1', teacher varchar(100) NOT NULL default 'Teacher', startdate int(10) + unsigned NOT NULL default '0', enddate int(10) unsigned NOT NULL default + '0', timemodified int(10) unsigned NOT NULL default '0', PRIMARY KEY (id)) + TYPE=MyISAM

    +

    SUCCESS

    +

    ...and so on, followed by: Main databases set up + successfully.

    +
    +

    If you don't see these, then there must have been some problem with the database + or the configuration settings you defined in config.php. Check that PHP isn't + in a restricted "Safe Mode" (commercial web hosts sometimes have safe mode + turned on). You can check PHP variables by creating a little file containing + <? phpinfo() ?> and looking at it through a browser. Check all these and + try this page again.

    +

    Scroll down the very bottom of the page and press the "Continue" + link.

    +

    Next you will see a similar page that sets up all the tables required by + each Moodle module. As before, they should all be green.

    +

    Scroll down the very bottom of the page and press the "Continue" + link.

    +

    You should now see a form where you can define more configuration variables + for your installation, such as the default language, SMTP hosts and so on. + Don't worry too much about getting everything right just now - you can always + come back and edit these later on using the admin interface. Scroll down to + the bottom and click "Save changes".

    +

    If (and only if) you find yourself getting stuck on this page, unable to + continue, then your server probably has what I call the "buggy referrer" problem. + This is easy to fix: just turn off the "secureforms" setting, then + try to continue again.

    +

    The next page is a form where you can define parameters for your Moodle site + and the front page, such as the name, format, description and so on. Fill + this out (you can always come back and change these later) and then press + "Save changes".

    +

    Finally, you will then be asked to create a top-level administration user + for future access to the admin pages. Fill out the details with your own name, + email etc and then click "Save changes". Not all the fields are + required, but if you miss any important fields you'll be re-prompted for them. +

    +
    +
    +
    +
    +
    +

    Make sure you remember the username and password you chose + for the administration user account, as they will be necessary to + access the administration page in future.

    +
    +
    +
    +
    +
    +

    (If for any reason your install is interrupted, or there is a system error + of some kind that prevents you from logging in using the admin account, you + can usually log in using the default username of "admin", + with password "admin".)

    +

    Once successful, you will be returned to home page of your site. Note the + administration links that appear down the left hand side of the page (these + items also appear on a separate Admin page) - these items are only visible + to you because you are logged in as the admin user. All your further administration + of Moodle can now be done using this menu, such as:

    + +
    +

     

    +

    9. Set up cron

    +
    +

    Some of Moodle's modules require continual checks to perform tasks. For example, + Moodle needs to check the discussion forums so it can mail out copies of posts + to people who have subscribed.

    +

    The script that does all this is located in the admin directory, and is called + cron.php. However, it can not run itself, so you need to set up a mechanism + where this script is run regularly (eg every five or ten minutes). This provides + a "heartbeat" so that the script can perform functions at periods + defined by each module.

    +

    Note that the machine performing the cron does not need to be the same + machine that is running Moodle. For example, if you have a limited web + hosting service that does not have cron, then you can might choose to run + cron on another server or on your home computer. All that matters is that + the cron.php file is called regularly.

    +

    The load of this script is not very high, so 5 minutes is usually reasonable, + but if you're worried about it you can reduce the time period to something + like 15 minutes or even 30 minutes. It's best not to make the time period + too long, as delaying mail-outs can slow down activity within the course.

    +

    First, test that the script works by running it directly from your browser:

    +
    + 
    http://example.com/moodle/admin/cron.php
    +
    +

    Now, you need to set up some of way of running the script automatically and + regularly.

    +

    Running the script from a command line

    +

    You can call the page from the command line just as you did in the example + above. For example, you can use a Unix utility like 'wget':

    +
    + 
    wget -q -O /dev/null http://example.com/moodle/admin/cron.php
    +
    +

    Note in this example that the output is thrown away (to /dev/null).

    +

    The same thing using lynx:

    +
    + 
    lynx -dump http://example.com/moodle/admin/cron.php > /dev/null
    +
    +

    Alternatively you could use a standalone version of PHP, compiled to be run + on the command line. The advantage with doing this is that your web server + logs aren't filled with constant requests to cron.php. The disadvantage is + that you need to have access to a command-line version of php.

    +
    + 
    /opt/bin/php /web/moodle/admin/cron.php
+
+
+(Windows) C:\apache\php\php.exe C:\apache\htdocs\moodle\admin\cron.php
+
+
    +
    +

    Automatically running the script every 5 minutes

    +

    On Unix systems: Use cron. Edit your cron settings from the commandline + using "crontab -e" and add a line like:

    +
    + 
    */5 * * * * wget -q -O /dev/null http://example.com/moodle/admin/cron.php
    +
    +

    Usually, the "crontab" command will put you into the 'vi' editor. You enter + "insert mode" by pressing "i", then type in the line as above, then exit insert mode by + pressing ESC. You save and exit by typing ":wq", or quit with saving using ":q!" (without the quotes).

    +

    On Windows systems: The simplest way is to use this little package moodle-cron-for-windows.zip + which makes this whole thing very easy. You can also explore using the built-in + Windows feature for "Scheduled Tasks".

    +

    On web hosts: Your web-based control panel may have a web page that allows + you to set up this cron process. Ask your administrator for details on how + it works.

    +

    +
    +

    10. Create a new course

    +
    +

    Now that Moodle is running properly, you can create a course.

    +

    Select "Create a new course" from the Admin page (or the admin + links on the home page).

    +

    Fill out the form, paying special attention to the course format. You don't + have to worry about the details too much at this stage, as everything can + be changed later by the teacher.

    +

    Press "Save changes", and you will be taken to a new form where + you can assign teachers to the course. You can only add existing user accounts + from this form - if you want to create a new teacher account then either ask + the teacher to create one for themselves (see the login page), or create one + for them using the "Add a new user" on the Admin page.

    +

    Once done, the course is ready to customise, and is accessible via the "Courses" + link on the home page.

    +

    See the "Teacher Manual" for more details + on course-building.

    +
    +

     

    +

    Moodle Documentation

    +

    Version: $Id$

    + diff --git a/lang/en/docs/installamp.html b/lang/en/docs/installamp.html index 75bb8cb3fe..48d2f86d28 100755 --- a/lang/en/docs/installamp.html +++ b/lang/en/docs/installamp.html @@ -1,168 +1,156 @@ - - Moodle Docs: Installing PHP and MySQL - - - - - - -

    Installing Apache, MySQL and PHP

    -

    Moodle is written in a scripting language called PHP, and stores most of its - data in a database. The database we recommend is MySQL. Before installing Moodle - you must have a working PHP installation and a working database to turn your - computer into a functional web server platform. These packages can be tricky - to set up for average computer users, so this page has been written to try to - make this process as simple as possible for different platforms:

    - -

     

    -

    Hosting Service

    -
    -

    Unfortunately hosting services vary quite a lot in the way they work. Some - will even install Moodle for you.

    -

    Most will offer a web-based control panel to control your site, create databases - and set up cron. Some may also offer terminal access via ssh, so that you - can use the command shell to do things.

    -

    You should work your way through the Installation - guide and take each step at a time. Ask your hosting provider if you get - stuck.

    -

     

    -
    -

    Mac OS X

    -
    -

    The easiest way to do this is use the Apache server that Apple provides, - and add PHP and MySQL using Marc Liyanage's packages. Both of the pages below - come with good instructions that we won't duplicate here:

    -
    -

    PHP: Download from here: http://www.entropy.ch/software/macosx/php/

    -

    MySQL: Download here: http://www.entropy.ch/software/macosx/mysql/

    -
    -

    Once these are installed the standard Installation - guide should be fairly straightforward.

    -

    A more detailed walkthrough is here: http://moodle.org/wiki/index.php/InstallingMoodle

    -

     

    -
    -

    Redhat Linux

    -
    -

    You should install all available RPM packages for Apache, PHP and MySQL. - One package that people frequently forget is the php-mysql package which is - necessary for PHP to talk to MySQL.

    -

    Once these are installed the standard Installation - guide should be fairly straightforward.

    -

    A more detailed walkthrough is here: http://moodle.org/wiki/index.php/InstallingMoodle

    -
    -

     

    -

    Windows

    -
    -

    The easiest way to do this is use EasyPHP, - a package that bundles all the software you need into a single Windows application. - Here are the steps from start to finish:

    -
      -
    1. Firstly, if you have ever installed MySQL before (even as part of another - package), uninstall it all, delete all the MySQL files and make sure you - delete c:\my.cnf and c:\windows\my.ini.You - might want to do a search and delete ANY file called my.cnf - or my.ini.
      2. -
    2. If you've ever installed PHP before delete any files called php4ts.dll - from around your Windows directory, as well as any files called php.ini.
      3. -
    3. Download EasyPHP from here: http://www.easyphp.org/telechargements/dn.php?F=easyphp1-6.php3 - (approx 10 Mb)
      4. -
    4. Run the downloaded file: easyphp1-6_setup.exe. The installation - process is in French but is otherwise much like installing any other Windows - program - I advise accepting the defaults and letting it all install. Note - that "Suivant" means Next.and "Oui" means Yes.
      5. -
    5. At the end of the install leave the checkbox selected to "Lancer - EasyPHP" (Start EasyPHP) and hit the 'Terminer" button.You might - be taken to a information web page which you can safely ignore.
      6. -
    6. If all went well - congratulations! Apache, PHP and MySQL are all installed - and running! You should see a black E in your toolbar tray. You can right - click on it to get a menu which will let you control the running programs, - but you won't be needing that for now.
      7. -
    7. The next thing you need to do is to set up a database for Moodle to use. - Using a browser, go to http://localhost/mysql/ - (note the final slash).
      8. -
    8. If asked for a username, use "root" with a blank password. You - should see a phpMyAdmin web interface that allows you to create a new databases - and user accounts.
      9. -
    9. Create a new database by typing "moodle" into the field and - hitting the "Create" button. That was easy!
      10. -
    10. You can also create a new user to access your database if you want. This - can be a bit tricky for a first-time user, so you might just want to use - the existing user "root" with no password in your Moodle config - for now, and fix this later.
      11. -
    11. You're ready to install Moodle! Download the latest release of Moodle - from http://moodle.org/download, - then unzip the archive.
      12. -
    12. Copy your moodle files into C:\Program Files\EasyPHP\www. You - can either copy the entire moodle directory (ie C:\Program Files\EasyPHP\www\moodle) - or copy all the contents of the moodle directory. If you choose - this second option then you will be able to access your Moodle home page - using http://localhost/ instead of http://localhost/moodle/.
      13. -
    13. Make a new empty folder somewhere else for Moodle to store uploaded files - in, eg: C:\moodledata
      14. -
    14. Go into your Moodle folder. Make a copy of config-dist.php, and call - it config.php
      15. -
    15. Edit config.php using a text editor (Notepad will do, just be careful - that it doesn't add unwanted spaces at the end).
      16. -
    16. Put in all your new database info:
      - $CFG->dbtype = 'mysql';
      - $CFG->dbhost = 'localhost';
      - $CFG->dbname = 'moodle';
      - $CFG->dbuser = 'root';
      - $CFG->dbpass = '';
      - $CFG->dbpersist = true;
      - $CFG->prefix = 'mdl_';
      -
      17. -
    17. And put in all your file paths:
      - $CFG->wwwroot = 'http://localhost/moodle'; // Use an external address - if you know it.
      - $CFG->dirroot = 'C:\Program Files\EasyPHP\www\moodle';
      - $CFG->dataroot = 'C:\moodledata';
      -
      18. -
    18. Save config.php - you can ignore the other settings if there are any.
      19. -
    19. You're nearly there now! The rest of the setup is all web-based. Visit - http://localhost/moodle/admin/ - with your browser to continue the setup via your browser.
      20. -
    20. To use zip files with Moodle (for example the backups use zip) you might - need to enable "zlib". You can do this by going to your EasyPHP - directory (C:\Program Files\EasyPHP), and running the program - phpini.exe in there. Put a mark in the checkbox next to "zlib.dll". - Close that window, then go to the black E in your toolbar and right-click - it to get a menu - select "Restart" from this menu.
      21. -
    21. Lastly, you need to set up some sort of cron. See the Installation - guide for more details on this.
      22. -
    -

    If you don't or can't use EasyPHP, here are some a few tips to make sure - your PHP is set up correctly and avoid common problems:

    - -
    -

     

    -

    Moodle Documentation

    -

    Version: $Id$

    - - + + Moodle Docs: Installing PHP and MySQL + + + + + +

    Installing Apache, MySQL and PHP

    +
    +

    Moodle is written in a scripting language called PHP, and stores most of its + data in a database. The database we recommend is MySQL. Before installing Moodle + you must have a working PHP installation and a working database to turn your + computer into a functional web server platform. These packages can be tricky + to set up for average computer users, so this page has been written to try to + make this process as simple as possible for different platforms:

    + +

     

    +

    Hosting Service

    +
    +

    Unfortunately hosting services vary quite a lot in the way they work. Some + will even install Moodle for you.

    +

    Most will offer a web-based control panel to control your site, create databases + and set up cron. Some may also offer terminal access via ssh, so that you + can use the command shell to do things.

    +

    You should work your way through the Installation + guide and take each step at a time. Ask your hosting provider if you get + stuck.

    +

     

    +
    +

    Mac OS X

    +
    +

    The easiest way to do this is use the Apache server that Apple provides, + and add PHP and MySQL using Marc Liyanage's packages. Both of the pages below + come with good instructions that we won't duplicate here:

    +
    +

    PHP: Download from here: http://www.entropy.ch/software/macosx/php/

    +

    MySQL: Download here: http://www.entropy.ch/software/macosx/mysql/

    +
    +

    Once these are installed the standard Installation + guide should be fairly straightforward.

    +

    A more detailed walkthrough is here: http://moodle.org/wiki/index.php/InstallingMoodle

    +

     

    +
    +

    Redhat Linux

    +
    +

    You should install all available RPM packages for Apache, PHP and MySQL. + One package that people frequently forget is the php-mysql package which is + necessary for PHP to talk to MySQL.

    +

    Once these are installed the standard Installation + guide should be fairly straightforward.

    +

    A more detailed walkthrough is here: http://moodle.org/wiki/index.php/InstallingMoodle

    +
    +

     

    +

    Windows

    +
    +

    The easiest way to do this is use EasyPHP, + a package that bundles all the software you need into a single Windows application. + Here are the steps from start to finish:

    +
      +
    1. Firstly, if you have ever installed MySQL before (even as part of another + package), uninstall it all, delete all the MySQL files and make sure you + delete c:\my.cnf and c:\windows\my.ini.You + might want to do a search and delete ANY file called my.cnf + or my.ini.
      2. +
    2. If you've ever installed PHP before delete any files called php4ts.dll + from around your Windows directory, as well as any files called php.ini.
      3. +
    3. Download EasyPHP from here: http://www.easyphp.org/telechargements/dn.php?F=easyphp1-6.php3 + (approx 10 Mb)
      4. +
    4. Run the downloaded file: easyphp1-6_setup.exe. The installation + process is in French but is otherwise much like installing any other Windows + program - I advise accepting the defaults and letting it all install. Note + that "Suivant" means Next.and "Oui" means Yes.
      5. +
    5. At the end of the install leave the checkbox selected to "Lancer + EasyPHP" (Start EasyPHP) and hit the 'Terminer" button.You might + be taken to a information web page which you can safely ignore.
      6. +
    6. If all went well - congratulations! Apache, PHP and MySQL are all installed + and running! You should see a black E in your toolbar tray. You can right + click on it to get a menu which will let you control the running programs, + but you won't be needing that for now.
      7. +
    7. The next thing you need to do is to set up a database for Moodle to use. + Using a browser, go to http://localhost/mysql/ + (note the final slash).
      8. +
    8. If asked for a username, use "root" with a blank password. You + should see a phpMyAdmin web interface that allows you to create a new databases + and user accounts.
      9. +
    9. Create a new database by typing "moodle" into the field and + hitting the "Create" button. That was easy!
      10. +
    10. You can also create a new user to access your database if you want. This + can be a bit tricky for a first-time user, so you might just want to use + the existing user "root" with no password in your Moodle config + for now, and fix this later.
      11. +
    11. You're ready to install Moodle! Download the latest release of Moodle + from http://moodle.org/download, + then unzip the archive.
      12. +
    12. Copy your moodle files into C:\Program Files\EasyPHP\www. You + can either copy the entire moodle directory (ie C:\Program Files\EasyPHP\www\moodle) + or copy all the contents of the moodle directory. If you choose + this second option then you will be able to access your Moodle home page + using http://localhost/ instead of http://localhost/moodle/.
      13. +
    13. Make a new empty folder somewhere else for Moodle to store uploaded files + in, eg: C:\moodledata
      14. +
    14. Go into your Moodle folder. Make a copy of config-dist.php, and call + it config.php
      15. +
    15. Edit config.php using a text editor (Notepad will do, just be careful + that it doesn't add unwanted spaces at the end).
      16. +
    16. Put in all your new database info:
      + $CFG->dbtype = 'mysql';
      + $CFG->dbhost = 'localhost';
      + $CFG->dbname = 'moodle';
      + $CFG->dbuser = 'root';
      + $CFG->dbpass = '';
      + $CFG->dbpersist = true;
      + $CFG->prefix = 'mdl_';
      17. +
    17. And put in all your file paths:
      + $CFG->wwwroot = 'http://localhost/moodle'; // Use an external address + if you know it.
      + $CFG->dirroot = 'C:\Program Files\EasyPHP\www\moodle';
      + $CFG->dataroot = 'C:\moodledata';
      18. +
    18. Save config.php - you can ignore the other settings if there are any.
      19. +
    19. You're nearly there now! The rest of the setup is all web-based. Visit + http://localhost/moodle/admin/ + with your browser to continue the setup via your browser.
      20. +
    20. To use zip files with Moodle (for example the backups use zip) you might + need to enable "zlib". You can do this by going to your EasyPHP + directory (C:\Program Files\EasyPHP), and running the program + phpini.exe in there. Put a mark in the checkbox next to "zlib.dll". + Close that window, then go to the black E in your toolbar and right-click + it to get a menu - select "Restart" from this menu.
      21. +
    21. Lastly, you need to set up some sort of cron. See the Installation + guide for more details on this.
      22. +
    +

    If you don't or can't use EasyPHP, here are some a few tips to make sure + your PHP is set up correctly and avoid common problems:

    +
      +
    • Make sure you enable the GD module so Moodle can process images - you + may have to edit php.ini and remove the comment (;) from this line: 'extension=php_gd2.dll'. +
      • +
    • Make sure you enable the Zlib module so that you can create and unpack + zip files from within Moodle.
      • +
    • Make sure sessions is turned on - you may have to edit php.ini and fix + the directory for session.save_path - instead of the default + "/tmp" use a Windows directory like "c:/temp".
      • +
    +

     

    +
    +
    +

    Moodle Documentation

    +

    Version: $Id$

    + + \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/lang/en/docs/intro.html b/lang/en/docs/intro.html index d35bda0492..325a66ba92 100644 --- a/lang/en/docs/intro.html +++ b/lang/en/docs/intro.html @@ -1,41 +1,43 @@ - - - - Moodle Docs: Introduction - - - - - -

    Introduction

    - -

    Moodle is a software package for producing internet-based courses and web sites. - It's an ongoing development project designed to support a social constructionist framework of education.

    - -

    Moodle is provided freely as - Open Source software (under the - GNU Public License). Basically this means Moodle is copyrighted, but that - you have additional freedoms. You are allowed to copy, use and modify Moodle - provided that you agree to: provide the source to others; not - modify or remove the original license and copyrights, and apply - this same license to any derivative work. Read the license for full - details and please contact the copyright - holder directly if you have any questions. -

    Moodle will run on any computer that can run - PHP, and can support many types of database (particularly MySQL).

    - -

    The word Moodle was originally an acronym for Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic - Learning Environment, which is mostly useful to programmers and education theorists.  - It's also a verb that describes the process of lazily meandering through something, - doing things as it occurs to you to do them, an enjoyable tinkering that often - leads to insight and creativity. As such it applies both to the way Moodle was - developed, and to the way a student or teacher might approach studying or teaching - an online course. Anyone who uses Moodle is a Moodler.

    -

    Come and moodle with us!

    -


    -

    -

    Moodle Documentation

    -

    Version: $Id$

    - - - + + + + +Moodle Docs: Introduction + + + + + + + +

    Introduction

    +
    +

    Moodle is a software package for producing internet-based courses and web sites. + It's an ongoing development project designed to support a social constructionist framework of education.

    +

    Moodle is provided freely as + Open Source software (under the + GNU Public License). Basically this means Moodle is copyrighted, but that + you have additional freedoms. You are allowed to copy, use and modify Moodle + provided that you agree to: provide the source to others; not + modify or remove the original license and copyrights, and apply + this same license to any derivative work. Read the license for full + details and please contact the copyright + holder directly if you have any questions. +

    +

    Moodle will run on any computer that can run + PHP, and can support many types of database (particularly MySQL).

    +

    The word Moodle was originally an acronym for Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic + Learning Environment, which is mostly useful to programmers and education theorists.  + It's also a verb that describes the process of lazily meandering through something, + doing things as it occurs to you to do them, an enjoyable tinkering that often + leads to insight and creativity. As such it applies both to the way Moodle was + developed, and to the way a student or teacher might approach studying or teaching + an online course. Anyone who uses Moodle is a Moodler.

    +

    Come and moodle with us!

    +
    +


    +

    +

    Moodle Documentation

    +

    Version: $Id$

    + + diff --git a/lang/en/docs/licence.html b/lang/en/docs/licence.html index 10fb83ce65..406e3e8270 100644 --- a/lang/en/docs/licence.html +++ b/lang/en/docs/licence.html @@ -1,33 +1,36 @@ - - - - Moodle Docs: Copyright License - - - - - -

    Copyright License for Moodle

    - -

    Moodle is Copyright © 2001-2003, Martin - Dougiamas.

    -

    This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
    - it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
    - the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
    - (at your option) any later version.

    -

    This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
    - but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
    - MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
    - GNU General Public License for more details (attached below).
    -

    - -

    - -
    		    GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE
    		       Version 2, June 1991

     Copyright (C) 1989, 1991 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
     59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307  USA
     Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies
     of this license document, but changing it is not allowed.

    			    Preamble

      The licenses for most software are designed to take away your
    freedom to share and change it.  By contrast, the GNU General Public
    License is intended to guarantee your freedom to share and change free
    software--to make sure the software is free for all its users.  This
    General Public License applies to most of the Free Software
    Foundation's software and to any other program whose authors commit to
    using it.  (Some other Free Software Foundation software is covered by
    the GNU Library General Public License instead.)  You can apply it to
    your programs, too.

      When we speak of free software, we are referring to freedom, not
    price.  Our General Public Licenses are designed to make sure that you
    have the freedom to distribute copies of free software (and charge for
    this service if you wish), that you receive source code or can get it
    if you want it, that you can change the software or use pieces of it
    in new free programs; and that you know you can do these things.

      To protect your rights, we need to make restrictions that forbid
    anyone to deny you these rights or to ask you to surrender the rights.
    These restrictions translate to certain responsibilities for you if you
    distribute copies of the software, or if you modify it.

      For example, if you distribute copies of such a program, whether
    gratis or for a fee, you must give the recipients all the rights that
    you have.  You must make sure that they, too, receive or can get the
    source code.  And you must show them these terms so they know their
    rights.

      We protect your rights with two steps: (1) copyright the software, and
    (2) offer you this license which gives you legal permission to copy,
    distribute and/or modify the software.

      Also, for each author's protection and ours, we want to make certain
    that everyone understands that there is no warranty for this free
    software.  If the software is modified by someone else and passed on, we
    want its recipients to know that what they have is not the original, so
    that any problems introduced by others will not reflect on the original
    authors' reputations.

      Finally, any free program is threatened constantly by software
    patents.  We wish to avoid the danger that redistributors of a free
    program will individually obtain patent licenses, in effect making the
    program proprietary.  To prevent this, we have made it clear that any
    patent must be licensed for everyone's free use or not licensed at all.

      The precise terms and conditions for copying, distribution and
    modification follow.
    
    		    GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE
       TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR COPYING, DISTRIBUTION AND MODIFICATION

      0. This License applies to any program or other work which contains
    a notice placed by the copyright holder saying it may be distributed
    under the terms of this General Public License.  The "Program", below,
    refers to any such program or work, and a "work based on the Program"
    means either the Program or any derivative work under copyright law:
    that is to say, a work containing the Program or a portion of it,
    either verbatim or with modifications and/or translated into another
    language.  (Hereinafter, translation is included without limitation in
    the term "modification".)  Each licensee is addressed as "you".

    Activities other than copying, distribution and modification are not
    covered by this License; they are outside its scope.  The act of
    running the Program is not restricted, and the output from the Program
    is covered only if its contents constitute a work based on the
    Program (independent of having been made by running the Program).
    Whether that is true depends on what the Program does.

      1. You may copy and distribute verbatim copies of the Program's
    source code as you receive it, in any medium, provided that you
    conspicuously and appropriately publish on each copy an appropriate
    copyright notice and disclaimer of warranty; keep intact all the
    notices that refer to this License and to the absence of any warranty;
    and give any other recipients of the Program a copy of this License
    along with the Program.

    You may charge a fee for the physical act of transferring a copy, and
    you may at your option offer warranty protection in exchange for a fee.

      2. You may modify your copy or copies of the Program or any portion
    of it, thus forming a work based on the Program, and copy and
    distribute such modifications or work under the terms of Section 1
    above, provided that you also meet all of these conditions:

        a) You must cause the modified files to carry prominent notices
        stating that you changed the files and the date of any change.

        b) You must cause any work that you distribute or publish, that in
        whole or in part contains or is derived from the Program or any
        part thereof, to be licensed as a whole at no charge to all third
        parties under the terms of this License.

        c) If the modified program normally reads commands interactively
        when run, you must cause it, when started running for such
        interactive use in the most ordinary way, to print or display an
        announcement including an appropriate copyright notice and a
        notice that there is no warranty (or else, saying that you provide
        a warranty) and that users may redistribute the program under
        these conditions, and telling the user how to view a copy of this
        License.  (Exception: if the Program itself is interactive but
        does not normally print such an announcement, your work based on
        the Program is not required to print an announcement.)
    
    These requirements apply to the modified work as a whole.  If
    identifiable sections of that work are not derived from the Program,
    and can be reasonably considered independent and separate works in
    themselves, then this License, and its terms, do not apply to those
    sections when you distribute them as separate works.  But when you
    distribute the same sections as part of a whole which is a work based
    on the Program, the distribution of the whole must be on the terms of
    this License, whose permissions for other licensees extend to the
    entire whole, and thus to each and every part regardless of who wrote it.

    Thus, it is not the intent of this section to claim rights or contest
    your rights to work written entirely by you; rather, the intent is to
    exercise the right to control the distribution of derivative or
    collective works based on the Program.

    In addition, mere aggregation of another work not based on the Program
    with the Program (or with a work based on the Program) on a volume of
    a storage or distribution medium does not bring the other work under
    the scope of this License.

      3. You may copy and distribute the Program (or a work based on it,
    under Section 2) in object code or executable form under the terms of
    Sections 1 and 2 above provided that you also do one of the following:

        a) Accompany it with the complete corresponding machine-readable
        source code, which must be distributed under the terms of Sections
        1 and 2 above on a medium customarily used for software interchange; or,

        b) Accompany it with a written offer, valid for at least three
        years, to give any third party, for a charge no more than your
        cost of physically performing source distribution, a complete
        machine-readable copy of the corresponding source code, to be
        distributed under the terms of Sections 1 and 2 above on a medium
        customarily used for software interchange; or,

        c) Accompany it with the information you received as to the offer
        to distribute corresponding source code.  (This alternative is
        allowed only for noncommercial distribution and only if you
        received the program in object code or executable form with such
        an offer, in accord with Subsection b above.)

    The source code for a work means the preferred form of the work for
    making modifications to it.  For an executable work, complete source
    code means all the source code for all modules it contains, plus any
    associated interface definition files, plus the scripts used to
    control compilation and installation of the executable.  However, as a
    special exception, the source code distributed need not include
    anything that is normally distributed (in either source or binary
    form) with the major components (compiler, kernel, and so on) of the
    operating system on which the executable runs, unless that component
    itself accompanies the executable.

    If distribution of executable or object code is made by offering
    access to copy from a designated place, then offering equivalent
    access to copy the source code from the same place counts as
    distribution of the source code, even though third parties are not
    compelled to copy the source along with the object code.
    
      4. You may not copy, modify, sublicense, or distribute the Program
    except as expressly provided under this License.  Any attempt
    otherwise to copy, modify, sublicense or distribute the Program is
    void, and will automatically terminate your rights under this License.
    However, parties who have received copies, or rights, from you under
    this License will not have their licenses terminated so long as such
    parties remain in full compliance.

      5. You are not required to accept this License, since you have not
    signed it.  However, nothing else grants you permission to modify or
    distribute the Program or its derivative works.  These actions are
    prohibited by law if you do not accept this License.  Therefore, by
    modifying or distributing the Program (or any work based on the
    Program), you indicate your acceptance of this License to do so, and
    all its terms and conditions for copying, distributing or modifying
    the Program or works based on it.

      6. Each time you redistribute the Program (or any work based on the
    Program), the recipient automatically receives a license from the
    original licensor to copy, distribute or modify the Program subject to
    these terms and conditions.  You may not impose any further
    restrictions on the recipients' exercise of the rights granted herein.
    You are not responsible for enforcing compliance by third parties to
    this License.

      7. If, as a consequence of a court judgment or allegation of patent
    infringement or for any other reason (not limited to patent issues),
    conditions are imposed on you (whether by court order, agreement or
    otherwise) that contradict the conditions of this License, they do not
    excuse you from the conditions of this License.  If you cannot
    distribute so as to satisfy simultaneously your obligations under this
    License and any other pertinent obligations, then as a consequence you
    may not distribute the Program at all.  For example, if a patent
    license would not permit royalty-free redistribution of the Program by
    all those who receive copies directly or indirectly through you, then
    the only way you could satisfy both it and this License would be to
    refrain entirely from distribution of the Program.

    If any portion of this section is held invalid or unenforceable under
    any particular circumstance, the balance of the section is intended to
    apply and the section as a whole is intended to apply in other
    circumstances.

    It is not the purpose of this section to induce you to infringe any
    patents or other property right claims or to contest validity of any
    such claims; this section has the sole purpose of protecting the
    integrity of the free software distribution system, which is
    implemented by public license practices.  Many people have made
    generous contributions to the wide range of software distributed
    through that system in reliance on consistent application of that
    system; it is up to the author/donor to decide if he or she is willing
    to distribute software through any other system and a licensee cannot
    impose that choice.

    This section is intended to make thoroughly clear what is believed to
    be a consequence of the rest of this License.
    
      8. If the distribution and/or use of the Program is restricted in
    certain countries either by patents or by copyrighted interfaces, the
    original copyright holder who places the Program under this License
    may add an explicit geographical distribution limitation excluding
    those countries, so that distribution is permitted only in or among
    countries not thus excluded.  In such case, this License incorporates
    the limitation as if written in the body of this License.

      9. The Free Software Foundation may publish revised and/or new versions
    of the General Public License from time to time.  Such new versions will
    be similar in spirit to the present version, but may differ in detail to
    address new problems or concerns.

    Each version is given a distinguishing version number.  If the Program
    specifies a version number of this License which applies to it and "any
    later version", you have the option of following the terms and conditions
    either of that version or of any later version published by the Free
    Software Foundation.  If the Program does not specify a version number of
    this License, you may choose any version ever published by the Free Software
    Foundation.

      10. If you wish to incorporate parts of the Program into other free
    programs whose distribution conditions are different, write to the author
    to ask for permission.  For software which is copyrighted by the Free
    Software Foundation, write to the Free Software Foundation; we sometimes
    make exceptions for this.  Our decision will be guided by the two goals
    of preserving the free status of all derivatives of our free software and
    of promoting the sharing and reuse of software generally.

    			    NO WARRANTY

      11. BECAUSE THE PROGRAM IS LICENSED FREE OF CHARGE, THERE IS NO WARRANTY
    FOR THE PROGRAM, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW.  EXCEPT WHEN
    OTHERWISE STATED IN WRITING THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND/OR OTHER PARTIES
    PROVIDE THE PROGRAM "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED
    OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
    MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  THE ENTIRE RISK AS
    TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE PROGRAM IS WITH YOU.  SHOULD THE
    PROGRAM PROVE DEFECTIVE, YOU ASSUME THE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING,
    REPAIR OR CORRECTION.

      12. IN NO EVENT UNLESS REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW OR AGREED TO IN WRITING
    WILL ANY COPYRIGHT HOLDER, OR ANY OTHER PARTY WHO MAY MODIFY AND/OR
    REDISTRIBUTE THE PROGRAM AS PERMITTED ABOVE, BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR DAMAGES,
    INCLUDING ANY GENERAL, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING
    OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE PROGRAM (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED
    TO LOSS OF DATA OR DATA BEING RENDERED INACCURATE OR LOSSES SUSTAINED BY
    YOU OR THIRD PARTIES OR A FAILURE OF THE PROGRAM TO OPERATE WITH ANY OTHER
    PROGRAMS), EVEN IF SUCH HOLDER OR OTHER PARTY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE
    POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

    		     END OF TERMS AND CONDITIONS
    - - -

    Moodle Documentation

    -

    Version: $Id$

    - - - + + + + +Moodle Docs: Copyright License + + + + + + + +

    Copyright License for Moodle

    +
    +

    Moodle is Copyright © 2001-2003, Martin + Dougiamas.

    +

    This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
    + it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
    + the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
    + (at your option) any later version.

    +

    This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
    + but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
    + MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
    + GNU General Public License for more details (attached below).
    +

    +
    +
    + + 
    		    GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE
    		       Version 2, June 1991

     Copyright (C) 1989, 1991 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
     59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307  USA
     Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies
     of this license document, but changing it is not allowed.

    			    Preamble

      The licenses for most software are designed to take away your
    freedom to share and change it.  By contrast, the GNU General Public
    License is intended to guarantee your freedom to share and change free
    software--to make sure the software is free for all its users.  This
    General Public License applies to most of the Free Software
    Foundation's software and to any other program whose authors commit to
    using it.  (Some other Free Software Foundation software is covered by
    the GNU Library General Public License instead.)  You can apply it to
    your programs, too.

      When we speak of free software, we are referring to freedom, not
    price.  Our General Public Licenses are designed to make sure that you
    have the freedom to distribute copies of free software (and charge for
    this service if you wish), that you receive source code or can get it
    if you want it, that you can change the software or use pieces of it
    in new free programs; and that you know you can do these things.

      To protect your rights, we need to make restrictions that forbid
    anyone to deny you these rights or to ask you to surrender the rights.
    These restrictions translate to certain responsibilities for you if you
    distribute copies of the software, or if you modify it.

      For example, if you distribute copies of such a program, whether
    gratis or for a fee, you must give the recipients all the rights that
    you have.  You must make sure that they, too, receive or can get the
    source code.  And you must show them these terms so they know their
    rights.

      We protect your rights with two steps: (1) copyright the software, and
    (2) offer you this license which gives you legal permission to copy,
    distribute and/or modify the software.

      Also, for each author's protection and ours, we want to make certain
    that everyone understands that there is no warranty for this free
    software.  If the software is modified by someone else and passed on, we
    want its recipients to know that what they have is not the original, so
    that any problems introduced by others will not reflect on the original
    authors' reputations.

      Finally, any free program is threatened constantly by software
    patents.  We wish to avoid the danger that redistributors of a free
    program will individually obtain patent licenses, in effect making the
    program proprietary.  To prevent this, we have made it clear that any
    patent must be licensed for everyone's free use or not licensed at all.

      The precise terms and conditions for copying, distribution and
    modification follow.
    
    		    GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE
       TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR COPYING, DISTRIBUTION AND MODIFICATION

      0. This License applies to any program or other work which contains
    a notice placed by the copyright holder saying it may be distributed
    under the terms of this General Public License.  The "Program", below,
    refers to any such program or work, and a "work based on the Program"
    means either the Program or any derivative work under copyright law:
    that is to say, a work containing the Program or a portion of it,
    either verbatim or with modifications and/or translated into another
    language.  (Hereinafter, translation is included without limitation in
    the term "modification".)  Each licensee is addressed as "you".

    Activities other than copying, distribution and modification are not
    covered by this License; they are outside its scope.  The act of
    running the Program is not restricted, and the output from the Program
    is covered only if its contents constitute a work based on the
    Program (independent of having been made by running the Program).
    Whether that is true depends on what the Program does.

      1. You may copy and distribute verbatim copies of the Program's
    source code as you receive it, in any medium, provided that you
    conspicuously and appropriately publish on each copy an appropriate
    copyright notice and disclaimer of warranty; keep intact all the
    notices that refer to this License and to the absence of any warranty;
    and give any other recipients of the Program a copy of this License
    along with the Program.

    You may charge a fee for the physical act of transferring a copy, and
    you may at your option offer warranty protection in exchange for a fee.

      2. You may modify your copy or copies of the Program or any portion
    of it, thus forming a work based on the Program, and copy and
    distribute such modifications or work under the terms of Section 1
    above, provided that you also meet all of these conditions:

        a) You must cause the modified files to carry prominent notices
        stating that you changed the files and the date of any change.

        b) You must cause any work that you distribute or publish, that in
        whole or in part contains or is derived from the Program or any
        part thereof, to be licensed as a whole at no charge to all third
        parties under the terms of this License.

        c) If the modified program normally reads commands interactively
        when run, you must cause it, when started running for such
        interactive use in the most ordinary way, to print or display an
        announcement including an appropriate copyright notice and a
        notice that there is no warranty (or else, saying that you provide
        a warranty) and that users may redistribute the program under
        these conditions, and telling the user how to view a copy of this
        License.  (Exception: if the Program itself is interactive but
        does not normally print such an announcement, your work based on
        the Program is not required to print an announcement.)
    
    These requirements apply to the modified work as a whole.  If
    identifiable sections of that work are not derived from the Program,
    and can be reasonably considered independent and separate works in
    themselves, then this License, and its terms, do not apply to those
    sections when you distribute them as separate works.  But when you
    distribute the same sections as part of a whole which is a work based
    on the Program, the distribution of the whole must be on the terms of
    this License, whose permissions for other licensees extend to the
    entire whole, and thus to each and every part regardless of who wrote it.

    Thus, it is not the intent of this section to claim rights or contest
    your rights to work written entirely by you; rather, the intent is to
    exercise the right to control the distribution of derivative or
    collective works based on the Program.

    In addition, mere aggregation of another work not based on the Program
    with the Program (or with a work based on the Program) on a volume of
    a storage or distribution medium does not bring the other work under
    the scope of this License.

      3. You may copy and distribute the Program (or a work based on it,
    under Section 2) in object code or executable form under the terms of
    Sections 1 and 2 above provided that you also do one of the following:

        a) Accompany it with the complete corresponding machine-readable
        source code, which must be distributed under the terms of Sections
        1 and 2 above on a medium customarily used for software interchange; or,

        b) Accompany it with a written offer, valid for at least three
        years, to give any third party, for a charge no more than your
        cost of physically performing source distribution, a complete
        machine-readable copy of the corresponding source code, to be
        distributed under the terms of Sections 1 and 2 above on a medium
        customarily used for software interchange; or,

        c) Accompany it with the information you received as to the offer
        to distribute corresponding source code.  (This alternative is
        allowed only for noncommercial distribution and only if you
        received the program in object code or executable form with such
        an offer, in accord with Subsection b above.)

    The source code for a work means the preferred form of the work for
    making modifications to it.  For an executable work, complete source
    code means all the source code for all modules it contains, plus any
    associated interface definition files, plus the scripts used to
    control compilation and installation of the executable.  However, as a
    special exception, the source code distributed need not include
    anything that is normally distributed (in either source or binary
    form) with the major components (compiler, kernel, and so on) of the
    operating system on which the executable runs, unless that component
    itself accompanies the executable.

    If distribution of executable or object code is made by offering
    access to copy from a designated place, then offering equivalent
    access to copy the source code from the same place counts as
    distribution of the source code, even though third parties are not
    compelled to copy the source along with the object code.
    
      4. You may not copy, modify, sublicense, or distribute the Program
    except as expressly provided under this License.  Any attempt
    otherwise to copy, modify, sublicense or distribute the Program is
    void, and will automatically terminate your rights under this License.
    However, parties who have received copies, or rights, from you under
    this License will not have their licenses terminated so long as such
    parties remain in full compliance.

      5. You are not required to accept this License, since you have not
    signed it.  However, nothing else grants you permission to modify or
    distribute the Program or its derivative works.  These actions are
    prohibited by law if you do not accept this License.  Therefore, by
    modifying or distributing the Program (or any work based on the
    Program), you indicate your acceptance of this License to do so, and
    all its terms and conditions for copying, distributing or modifying
    the Program or works based on it.

      6. Each time you redistribute the Program (or any work based on the
    Program), the recipient automatically receives a license from the
    original licensor to copy, distribute or modify the Program subject to
    these terms and conditions.  You may not impose any further
    restrictions on the recipients' exercise of the rights granted herein.
    You are not responsible for enforcing compliance by third parties to
    this License.

      7. If, as a consequence of a court judgment or allegation of patent
    infringement or for any other reason (not limited to patent issues),
    conditions are imposed on you (whether by court order, agreement or
    otherwise) that contradict the conditions of this License, they do not
    excuse you from the conditions of this License.  If you cannot
    distribute so as to satisfy simultaneously your obligations under this
    License and any other pertinent obligations, then as a consequence you
    may not distribute the Program at all.  For example, if a patent
    license would not permit royalty-free redistribution of the Program by
    all those who receive copies directly or indirectly through you, then
    the only way you could satisfy both it and this License would be to
    refrain entirely from distribution of the Program.

    If any portion of this section is held invalid or unenforceable under
    any particular circumstance, the balance of the section is intended to
    apply and the section as a whole is intended to apply in other
    circumstances.

    It is not the purpose of this section to induce you to infringe any
    patents or other property right claims or to contest validity of any
    such claims; this section has the sole purpose of protecting the
    integrity of the free software distribution system, which is
    implemented by public license practices.  Many people have made
    generous contributions to the wide range of software distributed
    through that system in reliance on consistent application of that
    system; it is up to the author/donor to decide if he or she is willing
    to distribute software through any other system and a licensee cannot
    impose that choice.

    This section is intended to make thoroughly clear what is believed to
    be a consequence of the rest of this License.
    
      8. If the distribution and/or use of the Program is restricted in
    certain countries either by patents or by copyrighted interfaces, the
    original copyright holder who places the Program under this License
    may add an explicit geographical distribution limitation excluding
    those countries, so that distribution is permitted only in or among
    countries not thus excluded.  In such case, this License incorporates
    the limitation as if written in the body of this License.

      9. The Free Software Foundation may publish revised and/or new versions
    of the General Public License from time to time.  Such new versions will
    be similar in spirit to the present version, but may differ in detail to
    address new problems or concerns.

    Each version is given a distinguishing version number.  If the Program
    specifies a version number of this License which applies to it and "any
    later version", you have the option of following the terms and conditions
    either of that version or of any later version published by the Free
    Software Foundation.  If the Program does not specify a version number of
    this License, you may choose any version ever published by the Free Software
    Foundation.

      10. If you wish to incorporate parts of the Program into other free
    programs whose distribution conditions are different, write to the author
    to ask for permission.  For software which is copyrighted by the Free
    Software Foundation, write to the Free Software Foundation; we sometimes
    make exceptions for this.  Our decision will be guided by the two goals
    of preserving the free status of all derivatives of our free software and
    of promoting the sharing and reuse of software generally.

    			    NO WARRANTY

      11. BECAUSE THE PROGRAM IS LICENSED FREE OF CHARGE, THERE IS NO WARRANTY
    FOR THE PROGRAM, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW.  EXCEPT WHEN
    OTHERWISE STATED IN WRITING THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND/OR OTHER PARTIES
    PROVIDE THE PROGRAM "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED
    OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
    MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  THE ENTIRE RISK AS
    TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE PROGRAM IS WITH YOU.  SHOULD THE
    PROGRAM PROVE DEFECTIVE, YOU ASSUME THE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING,
    REPAIR OR CORRECTION.

      12. IN NO EVENT UNLESS REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW OR AGREED TO IN WRITING
    WILL ANY COPYRIGHT HOLDER, OR ANY OTHER PARTY WHO MAY MODIFY AND/OR
    REDISTRIBUTE THE PROGRAM AS PERMITTED ABOVE, BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR DAMAGES,
    INCLUDING ANY GENERAL, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING
    OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE PROGRAM (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED
    TO LOSS OF DATA OR DATA BEING RENDERED INACCURATE OR LOSSES SUSTAINED BY
    YOU OR THIRD PARTIES OR A FAILURE OF THE PROGRAM TO OPERATE WITH ANY OTHER
    PROGRAMS), EVEN IF SUCH HOLDER OR OTHER PARTY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE
    POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

    		     END OF TERMS AND CONDITIONS
    +
    + + +

    Moodle Documentation

    +

    Version: $Id$

    + + diff --git a/lang/en/docs/other.html b/lang/en/docs/other.html index 720790ede0..5999d14739 100755 --- a/lang/en/docs/other.html +++ b/lang/en/docs/other.html @@ -1,62 +1,21 @@ - - -Moodle Docs: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - - - - - - - -

    Other documentation

    -

    Here are some links to other sources of Moodle documentation:

    -

    Index of all Moodle - help pages - a list of all the context-sensitive help files within Moodle

    -

    User-contributed documentation - - this page lists documentation contributed by Moodle users

    -

     

    -
    - -

    Moodle Documentation

    -

    Version: $Id$

    - - - + + +Moodle Docs: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) + + + + + +

    Other documentation

    +

    Here are some links to other sources of Moodle documentation:

    +

    Index of all Moodle + help pages - a list of all the context-sensitive help files within Moodle

    +

    User-contributed documentation + - this page lists documentation contributed by Moodle users

    +

     

    +
    + +

    Moodle Documentation

    +

    Version: $Id$

    + + diff --git a/lang/en/docs/philosophy.html b/lang/en/docs/philosophy.html new file mode 100755 index 0000000000..dbf6fbdfbc --- /dev/null +++ b/lang/en/docs/philosophy.html @@ -0,0 +1,52 @@ + + + + +Moodle Docs: Philosophy + + + + + + + +

    Philosophy

    + +
    +

    The design and development of Moodle is guided by a particular philosophy of learning, a way of thinking that you may see referred to in shorthand as a "social constructionist pedagogy". (Some of you Physics teachers may already be thinking "soft education mumbo jumbo" and reaching for the mouse, but please read on - this is useful for every subject area!)

    +

    This page tries to explain in simple terms what that phrase means by unpacking four main concepts behind it. Note that each of these is summarising one view of an immense amount of diverse research so these definitions will seem thin if you have read about these before.

    +

    If these concepts are completely new to you then it is likely that these ideas will be hard to understand at first - all I can recommend is that you read it carefully, while thinking about your own experiences of trying to learn something.
    +

    +

    1. Constructivism

    +
    +

    This point of view maintains that people actively construct new knowledge as they interact with their environment.

    +

    Everything you read, see, hear, feel, and touch is tested against your prior knowledge and if it is viable within your mental world, may form new knowledge you carry with you. Knowledge is strengthened if you can use it successfully in your wider environment. You are not just a memory bank passively absorbing information, nor can knowledge be "transmitted" to you just by reading something or listening to someone.

    +

    This is not to say you can't learn anything from reading a web page or watching a lecture, obviously you can, it's just pointing out that there is more interpretation going on than a transfer of information from one brain to another.
    +

    +
    +

    2. Constructionism

    +
    +

    Constructionism asserts that learning is particularly effective when constructing something for others to experience. This can be anything from a spoken sentence or an internet posting, to more complex artifacts like a painting, a house or a software package.

    +

    For example, you might read this page several times and still forget it by tomorrow - but if you were to try and explain these ideas to someone else in your own words, or produce a slideshow that explained these concepts, then I can guarantee you'd have a better understanding that is more integrated into your own ideas. This is why people take notes during lectures, even if they never read the notes again.
    +

    +
    +

    3. Social Constructivism

    +
    +

    This extends the above ideas into a social group constructing things for one another, collaboratively creating a small culture of shared artifacts with shared meanings. When one is immersed within a culture like this, one is learning all the time about how to be a part of that culture, on many levels.

    +

    A very simple example is an object like a cup. The object can be used for many things, but its shape does suggest some "knowledge" about carrying liquids. A more complex example is an online course - not only do the "shape" of the software tools indicate certain things about the way online courses should work, but the activities and texts produced within the group as a whole will help shape how each person behaves within that group.
    +

    +
    +

    4. Connected and Separate

    +
    +

    This idea looks deeper into the motivations of individuals within a discussion. Separate behaviour is when someone tries to remain 'objective' and 'factual', and tends to defend their own ideas using logic to find holes in their opponent's ideas. Connected behaviour is a more empathic approach that accepts subjectivity, trying to listen and ask questions in an effort to understand the other point of view. Constructed behaviour is when a person is sensitive to both of these approaches and is able to choose either of them as appropriate to the current situation.

    +

    In general, a healthy amount of connected behaviour within a learning community is a very powerful stimulant for learning, not only bringing people closer together but promoting deeper reflection and re-examination of their existing beliefs.

    +
    +
    +

    Once you are thinking about all these issues, it helps you to focus on the experiences that would be best for learning from the learner's point of view, rather than just publishing and assessing the information you think they need to know. It can also help you realise how each participant in a course can be a teacher as well as a learner. Your job as a 'teacher' can change from being 'the source of knowledge' to being an influencer and role model of class culture, connecting with students in a personal way that addresses their own learning needs, and moderating discussions and activities in a way that collectively leads students towards the learning goals of the class.

    +

    Obviously Moodle doesn't force this style of behaviour, but this is what it is best at supporting. In future, as the technical infrastructure of Moodle stabilises, further improvements in pedagogical support will be a major direction for Moodle development.

    +
    +
    +

    Moodle Documentation

    +

    Version: $Id$

    + + diff --git a/lang/en/docs/release.html b/lang/en/docs/release.html index e654c2dfd7..9951de116a 100644 --- a/lang/en/docs/release.html +++ b/lang/en/docs/release.html @@ -1,378 +1,365 @@ - - Moodle Docs: Release notes - - - - - - -

    Release notes

    - -

    New in Moodle 1.1.1 (10 September, 2003):

    - - - -
    - - - -

    New in Moodle 1.1 (28 August, 2003):

    - - -
    - -

    New in Moodle 1.0.9 (29th May, 2003) :

    - - -
    - - -

    Older releases can be seen in the Moodle.org announcement forum. - - -

     

    -

    Moodle Documentation

    -

    Version: $Id$

    + + +Moodle Docs: Release notes + + + + + + + + + +

    Release notes

    +

    New in Moodle 1.1.1 (10 September, 2003):

    + +
    + + + +

    New in Moodle 1.1 (28 August, 2003):

    + +
    + +

    New in Moodle 1.0.9 (29th May, 2003) :

    + +
    + + +

    Older releases can be seen in the Moodle.org announcement forum. + + +

     

    +

    Moodle Documentation

    +

    Version: $Id$

    diff --git a/lang/en/docs/teacher.html b/lang/en/docs/teacher.html index 913fd1ee41..4decb6af52 100644 --- a/lang/en/docs/teacher.html +++ b/lang/en/docs/teacher.html @@ -1,256 +1,243 @@ - - Moodle Docs: Teachers Manual - - - - - - - -

    Teacher Manual

    -

    This page is a very quick guide to creating online courses with Moodle. It - outlines the main functions that are available, as well as some of the main - decisions you'll need to make.

    - -

    Sections in this document:

    -
      -
    1. Getting started
      2. -
    2. Course settings
      3. -
    3. Uploading files
      4. -
    4. Setting up activities
      5. -
    5. Running the course
      6. -
    6. Further information
      7. -
    -

    Getting started

    -
    -

    This document assumes your site administrator has set up Moodle and given - you new, blank course to start with. It also assumes you have logged in to - your course using your teacher account.

    -

    Here are three general tips that will help you get started.

    -
      -
    1. Don't be afraid to experiment: -
      feel free to poke around and change things. It's hard to break anything - in a Moodle course, and even if you do it's usually easy to fix it. -
      -
    2. Notice and use these little icons: -
      -

        - the edit icon - lets you edit whatever it is next to.

      -

      - the help - icon will provide you with a popup help window

      -

        - the open-eye - icon will let you hide something from students

      -

        - the closed-eye - icon will make a hidden item available

      -
      -
      3. -
    3. Use the navigation bar at the top of each page -
      this - should help remind you where you are and prevent getting lost. -
      4. -
    - -

     

    -

    Course settings

    -
    -

    The first thing you should do is look under the "Administration" - on your course home page and click on "Settings..." - (Note that this link, and in fact the whole Administration section is only - available to you (and the site administrator). Students will not even see - these links).

    -

    On the Settings page you can change a number of settings about your course, - ranging from its name to what day it starts. I won't talk here about all these, - as they all have a help icon next to them which explains them all in detail. - However, I will talk about the most important of these - the course - format.

    -

    The course format that you choose will decide the basic layout of your course, - like a template. Moodle version 1.0 has three formats - in future there will - probably be many more (please send new ideas to martin@moodle.org!)

    -

    Here are some screenshots of three sample courses in each of these three - formats (ignore the different colours, which are set for a whole site by the - site administrator):

    -

    Weekly format:

    -

    -

     

    -

    Topics format:

    -

    -

     

    -

    Social format:

    -

    -

     

    -

    Note that the weekly and topics formats are very similar in structure. The - main difference is that each box in the weekly format covers exactly one week, - whereas in the topic format each box can cover whatever you like. The social - format doesn't use much content at all and is based around just one forum - - this is displayed on the main page.

    -

    See the help buttons on the Course Settings page for more details.

    - -

     

    -

    Uploading files

    -
    -

    You may have existing content that you want to add to your course, such as - web pages, audio files, video files, word documents, or flash animations. - Any type of file that exists can be uploaded into your course and stored on - the server. While your files are on the server you can move, rename, edit - or delete them.

    -

    All of this is achieved through the Files link in your Administration - menu. The Files section looks like this:

    -

    -

     

    -

    This interface is only available to teachers - it is not accessible by students. - Individual files are made available to students later on (as "Resources" - - see the next section).

    -

    As you can see in the screenshot, files are listed alongside subdirectories. - You can create any number of subdirectories to organise your files and move - your files from one to the other.

    -

    Uploading files via the web is currently restricted to one file at a time. - If you want to upload a lot of files at once (for example a whole web site), - it can be a lot easier to use a zip program to compress them - into a single file, upload the zip file and then unzip them again on the server - (you will see an "unzip" link next to zip archives).

    -

    To preview any file you have uploaded just click on its name. Your web browser - will take care of either displaying it or downloading it to your computer.

    -

    HTML and text files can be edited in-place online. Other files will need - to be edited on your local computer and uploaded again. if you upload a file - with the same name as an existing file it will automatically be overwritten.

    -

    A final note: if your content resides out on the web then you don't need - to upload the files at all - you can link directly to them from inside the - course (see the Resources module and the next section).

    - -

     

    -

    Setting up activities

    -
    -

    Building a course involves adding course activity modules to the main page - in the order that students will be using them. You can shuffle the order any - time you like.

    -

    To turn on editing, click "Turn on editing" under Administration. - This toggle switch shows or hides the extra controls that allow you to manipulate - your main course page. Note in the first screenshot above (of the Weekly format - course) that the editing controls are turned on.

    -

    To add a new activity, simply go to the week or topic or section of the screen - where you want to add it, and select the type of activity from the popup menu. - Here is a summary of all the standard activities in Moodle 1.0:

    -
    -
    Assignment
    -
    An assignment is where you set a task with a due date and a maximum grade. - Students will be able to upload one file to satisify the requirements. The - date they upload their file is recorded. Afterwards, you will have a single - page on which ou can view each file (and how late or early it is), and then - record a grade and a comment. Half an hour after you grade any particular - student, Moodle will automatically email that student a notification.
    -
    -
    -
    Choice
    -
    A choice activity is very simple - you ask a question and specify a choice - of responses. Students can make their choice, and you have a report screen - where you can see the results. I use it to gather research consent from - my students, but you could use it for quick polls or class votes.
    -
    -
    -
    Forum
    -
    This module is by far the most important - it is here that discussion - takes place. When you add a new forum, yu will presented with a choice of - different types - a simple single-topic discussion, a free-for-all general - forum, or a one-discussion-thread-per-user.
    -
    -
    -
    Journal
    -
    Each journal activity is an entry in the whole course journal. For each - one you can specify an open-ended question that guides what students write, - as well as a window of time in which the journal is open (weekly course - format only). A general rule of thumb is to create one journal per week. - Encourage students to write reflectively and critically in these journals, - as they are only available to them and you. Afterwards, you will be able - to grade and comment all the entries for that week or topic, and students - will receive an automatic email informing them of your feedback. Journals - are not designed to be continually added to - if you need to do that then - add more journal activities.
    -
    -
    -
    Resource
    -
    Resources are the content of your course. Each resource can be any file - you have uploaded or can point to using a URL. You can also maintain simple - text-based pages by typing them directly into a form.
    -
    -
    -
    Quiz
    -
    This module allows you to design and set quiz tests, consisting of multiple - choice, true-false, and short answer questions. These questions are kept - in a categorised database, and can be re-used within courses and even between - courses. Quizzes can allow multiple attempts. Each attempt is automatically - marked, and the teacher can choose whether to give feedback or to show correct - answers. This module includes grading facilities.
    -
    -
    -
    Survey
    -
    The survey module provides a number of predefined survey instruments that - are useful in evaluating and understanding your class. Currently they include - the COLLES and the ATTLS instruments. They can be given to students early - in the course as a diagnostic tool and at the end of the course as an evaluation - tool (I use one every week in my courses).
    -
    -
    -

    After adding your activities you can move them up and down in your course - layout by clicking on the little arrow icons ( - ) next to each one. You - can also delete them using the cross icon , - and re-edit them using the edit icon .

    - -

     

    -

    Running the course

    -
    -

    There are some big plans to extend this document into a more comprehensive - tutorial. Until then here are a few ideas:

    -
      -
    1. Subscribe yourself to all the forums so you keep in touch with your class - activity.
      2. -
    2. Encourage all the students fill out their user profile (including photos) - and read them all - this will help provide some context to their later writings - and help you to respond in ways that are tailored to their own needs.
      3. -
    3. Keep notes to yourself in the private "Teacher's Forum" - (under Administration). This is especially useful when team teaching.
      4. -
    4. Use the "Logs" link (under Administration) - to get access to complete, raw logs. In there you'll see a link to a popup - window that updates every sixty seconds and shows the last hour of activity. - This is useful to keep open on your desktop all day so you can feel in touch - with what's going on in the course.
      5. -
    5. Use the "Activity Reports" (next to each name - in the list of all people, or from any user profile page). These provide - a great way to see what any particular person has been up to in the course.
      6. -
    6. Respond quickly to students. Don't leave it for later - do it right away. - Not only is it easy to become overwhelmed with the volume that can be generated, - but it's a crucial part of building and maintaining a community feel in - your course.
      7. -
    - -

     

    -

    Further information

    -
    -

    If you have any particular problems with your site, you should contact your - local site administrator.

    -

    If you have some great ideas for improvements to Moodle, or even some good - stories, come over to moodle.org - and join us in the course called "Using - Moodle". We'd love to hear from you, and you can help Moodle improve.

    -

    If you want to contribute to coding new modules, or writing documentation, - or papers, contact me: Martin - Dougiamas or browse the "bug tracker" site for Moodle, at moodle.org/bugs

    -

    Thanks for using Moodle - and good luck with your teaching!

    -
    -

     

    -
    -

    Moodle Documentation

    -

    Version: $Id: teacher.html,v 1.4 2002/08/18 10:00:01 - martin Exp $

    - - + +Moodle Docs: Teachers Manual + + + + + +

    Teacher Manual

    +

    This page is a very quick guide to creating online courses with Moodle. It + outlines the main functions that are available, as well as some of the main + decisions you'll need to make.

    +

    Sections in this document:

    +
      +
    1. Getting started
      2. +
    2. Course settings
      3. +
    3. Uploading files
      4. +
    4. Setting up activities
      5. +
    5. Running the course
      6. +
    6. Further information
      7. +
    +

    Getting started

    +
    +

    This document assumes your site administrator has set up Moodle and given + you new, blank course to start with. It also assumes you have logged in to + your course using your teacher account.

    +

    Here are three general tips that will help you get started.

    +
      +
    1. Don't be afraid to experiment: +
      feel free to poke around and change things. It's hard to break anything + in a Moodle course, and even if you do it's usually easy to fix it. +
      +
    2. Notice and use these little icons: +
      +

        - the edit icon + lets you edit whatever it is next to.

      +

      - the help + icon will provide you with a popup help window

      +

        - the open-eye + icon will let you hide something from students

      +

        - the closed-eye + icon will make a hidden item available

      +
      +
      3. +
    3. Use the navigation bar at the top of each page +
      this + should help remind you where you are and prevent getting lost. +
      +
      4. +
    +

     

    +
    +

    Course settings

    +
    +

    The first thing you should do is look under the "Administration" + on your course home page and click on "Settings..." + (Note that this link, and in fact the whole Administration section is only + available to you (and the site administrator). Students will not even see + these links).

    +

    On the Settings page you can change a number of settings about your course, + ranging from its name to what day it starts. I won't talk here about all these, + as they all have a help icon next to them which explains them all in detail. + However, I will talk about the most important of these - the course + format.

    +

    The course format that you choose will decide the basic layout of your course, + like a template. Moodle version 1.0 has three formats - in future there will + probably be many more (please send new ideas to martin@moodle.org!)

    +

    Here are some screenshots of three sample courses in each of these three + formats (ignore the different colours, which are set for a whole site by the + site administrator):

    +

    Weekly format:

    +

    +

     

    +

    Topics format:

    +

    +

     

    +

    Social format:

    +

    +

     

    +

    Note that the weekly and topics formats are very similar in structure. The + main difference is that each box in the weekly format covers exactly one week, + whereas in the topic format each box can cover whatever you like. The social + format doesn't use much content at all and is based around just one forum + - this is displayed on the main page.

    +

    See the help buttons on the Course Settings page for more details.

    +

     

    +
    +

    Uploading files

    +
    +

    You may have existing content that you want to add to your course, such as + web pages, audio files, video files, word documents, or flash animations. + Any type of file that exists can be uploaded into your course and stored on + the server. While your files are on the server you can move, rename, edit + or delete them.

    +

    All of this is achieved through the Files link in your Administration + menu. The Files section looks like this:

    +

    +

     

    +

    This interface is only available to teachers - it is not accessible by students. + Individual files are made available to students later on (as "Resources" + - see the next section).

    +

    As you can see in the screenshot, files are listed alongside subdirectories. + You can create any number of subdirectories to organise your files and move + your files from one to the other.

    +

    Uploading files via the web is currently restricted to one file at a time. + If you want to upload a lot of files at once (for example a whole web site), + it can be a lot easier to use a zip program to compress them + into a single file, upload the zip file and then unzip them again on the server + (you will see an "unzip" link next to zip archives).

    +

    To preview any file you have uploaded just click on its name. Your web browser + will take care of either displaying it or downloading it to your computer.

    +

    HTML and text files can be edited in-place online. Other files will need + to be edited on your local computer and uploaded again. if you upload a file + with the same name as an existing file it will automatically be overwritten.

    +

    A final note: if your content resides out on the web then you don't need + to upload the files at all - you can link directly to them from inside the + course (see the Resources module and the next section).

    +

     

    +
    +

    Setting up activities

    +
    +

    Building a course involves adding course activity modules to the main page + in the order that students will be using them. You can shuffle the order any + time you like.

    +

    To turn on editing, click "Turn on editing" under Administration. + This toggle switch shows or hides the extra controls that allow you to manipulate + your main course page. Note in the first screenshot above (of the Weekly format + course) that the editing controls are turned on.

    +

    To add a new activity, simply go to the week or topic or section of the screen + where you want to add it, and select the type of activity from the popup menu. + Here is a summary of all the standard activities in Moodle 1.0:

    +
    +
    Assignment
    +
    An assignment is where you set a task with a due date and a maximum grade. + Students will be able to upload one file to satisify the requirements. The + date they upload their file is recorded. Afterwards, you will have a single + page on which ou can view each file (and how late or early it is), and then + record a grade and a comment. Half an hour after you grade any particular + student, Moodle will automatically email that student a notification.
    +
    +
    +
    Choice
    +
    A choice activity is very simple - you ask a question and specify a choice + of responses. Students can make their choice, and you have a report screen + where you can see the results. I use it to gather research consent from + my students, but you could use it for quick polls or class votes.
    +
    +
    +
    Forum
    +
    This module is by far the most important - it is here that discussion + takes place. When you add a new forum, yu will presented with a choice of + different types - a simple single-topic discussion, a free-for-all general + forum, or a one-discussion-thread-per-user.
    +
    +
    +
    Journal
    +
    Each journal activity is an entry in the whole course journal. For each + one you can specify an open-ended question that guides what students write, + as well as a window of time in which the journal is open (weekly course + format only). A general rule of thumb is to create one journal per week. + Encourage students to write reflectively and critically in these journals, + as they are only available to them and you. Afterwards, you will be able + to grade and comment all the entries for that week or topic, and students + will receive an automatic email informing them of your feedback. Journals + are not designed to be continually added to - if you need to do that then + add more journal activities.
    +
    +
    +
    Resource
    +
    Resources are the content of your course. Each resource can be any file + you have uploaded or can point to using a URL. You can also maintain simple + text-based pages by typing them directly into a form.
    +
    +
    +
    Quiz
    +
    This module allows you to design and set quiz tests, consisting of multiple + choice, true-false, and short answer questions. These questions are kept + in a categorised database, and can be re-used within courses and even between + courses. Quizzes can allow multiple attempts. Each attempt is automatically + marked, and the teacher can choose whether to give feedback or to show correct + answers. This module includes grading facilities.
    +
    +
    +
    Survey
    +
    The survey module provides a number of predefined survey instruments that + are useful in evaluating and understanding your class. Currently they include + the COLLES and the ATTLS instruments. They can be given to students early + in the course as a diagnostic tool and at the end of the course as an evaluation + tool (I use one every week in my courses).
    +
    +
    +

    After adding your activities you can move them up and down in your course + layout by clicking on the little arrow icons ( + ) next to each one. You + can also delete them using the cross icon , + and re-edit them using the edit icon .

    +

     

    +
    +

    Running the course

    +
    +

    There are some big plans to extend this document into a more comprehensive + tutorial. Until then here are a few ideas:

    +
      +
    1. Subscribe yourself to all the forums so you keep in touch with your class + activity.
      2. +
    2. Encourage all the students fill out their user profile (including photos) + and read them all - this will help provide some context to their later writings + and help you to respond in ways that are tailored to their own needs.
      3. +
    3. Keep notes to yourself in the private "Teacher's Forum" + (under Administration). This is especially useful when team teaching.
      4. +
    4. Use the "Logs" link (under Administration) + to get access to complete, raw logs. In there you'll see a link to a popup + window that updates every sixty seconds and shows the last hour of activity. + This is useful to keep open on your desktop all day so you can feel in touch + with what's going on in the course.
      5. +
    5. Use the "Activity Reports" (next to each name + in the list of all people, or from any user profile page). These provide + a great way to see what any particular person has been up to in the course.
      6. +
    6. Respond quickly to students. Don't leave it for later - do it right away. + Not only is it easy to become overwhelmed with the volume that can be generated, + but it's a crucial part of building and maintaining a community feel in + your course.
      7. +
    +

     

    +
    +

    Further information

    +
    +

    If you have any particular problems with your site, you should contact your + local site administrator.

    +

    If you have some great ideas for improvements to Moodle, or even some good + stories, come over to moodle.org + and join us in the course called "Using + Moodle". We'd love to hear from you, and you can help Moodle improve.

    +

    If you want to contribute to coding new modules, or writing documentation, + or papers, contact me: Martin + Dougiamas or browse the "bug tracker" site for Moodle, at moodle.org/bugs

    +

    Thanks for using Moodle - and good luck with your teaching!

    +
    +

     

    +
    +

    Moodle Documentation

    +

    Version: $Id: teacher.html,v 1.4 2002/08/18 10:00:01 + martin Exp $

    + diff --git a/lang/en/docs/upgrade.html b/lang/en/docs/upgrade.html index 216a69726e..a8d5480354 100644 --- a/lang/en/docs/upgrade.html +++ b/lang/en/docs/upgrade.html @@ -1,125 +1,114 @@ - - Moodle Docs: Upgrading - - - - - - -

    Upgrading Moodle

    - -

    Moodle is designed to upgrade cleanly from any earlier version to any later - version.

    -

    When upgrading a Moodle installation you should follow these steps:

    -

    1. Backup important data

    -
    -

    Although it is not strictly necessary, it is always a good idea to make a - backup of any production system before a major upgrade, just in case you need - to revert back to the older version for some reason. In fact, it's a good - idea to automate your server to backup your Moodle installation daily, so - that you can skip this step.

    -

    There are three areas that need backing up:

    -
    -

    1. The Moodle software directory itself

    -
    -

    Make a separate copy of these files before the upgrade, so that you can - retrieve your config.php and any modules you have added like themes, languages - etc
    -

    -
    -

    2. Your data directory.

    -
    -

    This is where uploaded content resides (such as course resources and - student assignments) so it is very important to have a backup of these - files anyway. Sometimes upgrades may move or rename directories within - your data directory.
    -

    -
    -

    3. Your database

    -
    -

    Most Moodle upgrades will alter the database tables, adding or changing - fields. Each database has different ways to backup. One way of backing - up a MySQL database is to 'dump' it to a single SQL file. The following - example shows Unix commands to dump the database called "moodle":

    -
    -

    mysqldump moodle > moodle-backup-2002-10-26.sql

    -
    -

    You can also use the "Export" feature in Moodle's optional - "Database" web interface to do the same thing on all platforms.

    -

     

    -
    -
    -
    - -

    2. Install the new Moodle software

    -
    -

    Using a downloaded archive

    -
    -

    Do not overwrite an old installation unless you know what you are doing - ... sometimes old files can cause problems in new installations. The best - way it to rename the current Moodle directory to something else, then unpack - the new Moodle archive into the old location.

    -
    -

    mv moodle moodle.backup
    - tar xvzf moodle-1.1.tgz

    -
    -

    Next, copy across your config.php and any other plugins such as custom - themes:

    -
    -

    cp moodle.backup/config.php moodle
    - cp -pr moodle.backup/theme/mytheme moodle/theme/mytheme

    -
    -
    -

    Using CVS

    -
    -

    If you are using CVS, just go into the Moodle root directory and update - to the new files:

    -
    -

    cvs update -dP

    -
    -

    Make sure you use the "d" parameter to create new directories - if necessary, and the "P" parameter to prune empty directories.

    -

    If you have been editing Moodle files, watch the messages very closely - for possible conflicts. All your customised themes and non-standard plugins - will be untouched.

    -
    -

     

    -
    -

    3. Finishing the upgrade

    -
    -

    The last step is to trigger the upgrade processes within Moodle.

    -

    To do this just visit the admin page of your - installation.

    -
    -

    http://example.com/moodle/admin

    -
    -

    It doesn't matter if you are logged in as admin or not.

    -

    Moodle will automatically detect the new version and perform all the database - or filesystem upgrades that are necessary. If there is anything it can't do - itself (very rare) then you will see messages telling you what you need to - do.

    -
    -

     

    -

    Assuming all goes well (no error messages) then you can start using your new - version of Moodle and enjoy the new features!

    -

    If you have trouble with the upgrade, visit moodle.org - and post on the Installation - Support Forum in the Using Moodle course.

    -

     

    -

     

    -

    Moodle Documentation

    -

    Version: $Id$

    - - + + Moodle Docs: Upgrading + + + + + +

    Upgrading Moodle

    + +
    +

    Moodle is designed to upgrade cleanly from any earlier version to any later + version.

    +

    When upgrading a Moodle installation you should follow these steps:

    +

    1. Backup important data

    +
    +

    Although it is not strictly necessary, it is always a good idea to make a + backup of any production system before a major upgrade, just in case you need + to revert back to the older version for some reason. In fact, it's a good + idea to automate your server to backup your Moodle installation daily, so + that you can skip this step.

    +

    There are three areas that need backing up:

    +
    +

    1. The Moodle software directory itself

    +
    +

    Make a separate copy of these files before the upgrade, so that you can + retrieve your config.php and any modules you have added like themes, languages + etc
    +

    +
    +

    2. Your data directory.

    +
    +

    This is where uploaded content resides (such as course resources and + student assignments) so it is very important to have a backup of these + files anyway. Sometimes upgrades may move or rename directories within + your data directory.
    +

    +
    +

    3. Your database

    +
    +

    Most Moodle upgrades will alter the database tables, adding or changing + fields. Each database has different ways to backup. One way of backing + up a MySQL database is to 'dump' it to a single SQL file. The following + example shows Unix commands to dump the database called "moodle":

    +
    +

    mysqldump moodle > moodle-backup-2002-10-26.sql

    +
    +

    You can also use the "Export" feature in Moodle's optional + "Database" web interface to do the same thing on all platforms.

    +

     

    +
    +
    +
    +

    2. Install the new Moodle software

    +
    +

    Using a downloaded archive

    +
    +

    Do not overwrite an old installation unless you know what you are doing + ... sometimes old files can cause problems in new installations. The best + way it to rename the current Moodle directory to something else, then unpack + the new Moodle archive into the old location.

    +
    +

    mv moodle moodle.backup
    + tar xvzf moodle-1.1.tgz

    +
    +

    Next, copy across your config.php and any other plugins such as custom + themes:

    +
    +

    cp moodle.backup/config.php moodle
    + cp -pr moodle.backup/theme/mytheme moodle/theme/mytheme

    +
    +
    +

    Using CVS

    +
    +

    If you are using CVS, just go into the Moodle root directory and update + to the new files:

    +
    +

    cvs update -dP

    +
    +

    Make sure you use the "d" parameter to create new directories + if necessary, and the "P" parameter to prune empty directories.

    +

    If you have been editing Moodle files, watch the messages very closely + for possible conflicts. All your customised themes and non-standard plugins + will be untouched.

    +
    +

     

    +
    +

    3. Finishing the upgrade

    +
    +

    The last step is to trigger the upgrade processes within Moodle.

    +

    To do this just visit the admin page of your + installation.

    +
    +

    http://example.com/moodle/admin

    +
    +

    It doesn't matter if you are logged in as admin or not.

    +

    Moodle will automatically detect the new version and perform all the database + or filesystem upgrades that are necessary. If there is anything it can't do + itself (very rare) then you will see messages telling you what you need to + do.

    +
    +

     

    +

    Assuming all goes well (no error messages) then you can start using your new + version of Moodle and enjoy the new features!

    +

    If you have trouble with the upgrade, visit moodle.org + and post on the Installation + Support Forum in the Using Moodle course.

    +
    +

     

    +

     

    +

    Moodle Documentation

    +

    Version: $Id$

    + + \ No newline at end of file