Is there a Wiki site for Moodle developer documentation. As I am ramping up to take on the daunting task of integrating Moodle into our Learning Environment I am finding myself stepping through the existing code and hand-documenting the library function calls - which often call other functions, ad infinitem.
I got to thinking that this is the perfect use for a Wiki Web page to define all of these function calls where everyone (esp. those who have worked on moodle for a long time) can contribute/correct and enlighten other developers to the inner workings of Moodle. As we each get a handle on how something works we could just update the Wiki.
Is there such a site already? Can we get one set up? I've never set up a WikiWeb before and our bandwidth to the internet is pathetic (3 Mb shared by 20,000+ users) or I'd volunteer to host it myself.
Just a thought.
In reply to Kevin Heneveld
Re: Moodle documentation: Developer Documentation Wiki
by Martin Dougiamas -
Many years ago I used to have a sign up in my office that said "The source code IS the documentation". It was sort of a joke, but also a reminder to embed decent documentation in the source code.
There could be more internal documentation in Moodle, no doubt.
I have a fear that any external documentation will lag the code (since things are still changing) and just cause more confusion. Particularly since there's some big changes in the wind for Moodle 2.
However, I can also see how something like a Wiki could be really useful for building up general descriptions of how things work. I'll install one here for developers and see what you guys want to do with it.
There could be more internal documentation in Moodle, no doubt.
I have a fear that any external documentation will lag the code (since things are still changing) and just cause more confusion. Particularly since there's some big changes in the wind for Moodle 2.
However, I can also see how something like a Wiki could be really useful for building up general descriptions of how things work. I'll install one here for developers and see what you guys want to do with it.
In reply to Martin Dougiamas
Re: Moodle documentation: Developer Documentation Wiki
by Martin Dougiamas -
In reply to Martin Dougiamas
Re: Moodle documentation: Developer Documentation Wiki
by Ger Tielemans -
I also look at Wiki as a tool for students to collect and construct together a piece of knowledge-representation. I prefer Swiki above phpwiki, Tiki and Twiki for several reasons:
- 1. simple interface
- 2. easiest way of uploading pictures on page
- 3. easiest install of standalone server: "unzip and run"
- 4. teachers can tune student freedom by creating new fill-in-forms (even in a webbrowser)
- 5.works together with Moodle (but a integrated Wiki as a module would be..)
example of secondary schoolstudents https://swiki.hetstedelijk.org/romereis (sorry, In Dutch but with pictures)
Will there grow a wiki-doc-button for this on the homepage?
In reply to Ger Tielemans
Re: Moodle documentation: Developer Documentation Wiki
by Martin Dougiamas -
I imagine Swiki would take some work to make it into a Moodle module. I picked phpwiki because it's PHP - it installed very easily. I'll link to it on the homepage once it has some useful content.
In reply to Martin Dougiamas
Re: Moodle documentation: Developer Documentation Wiki
by Ger Tielemans -
I understand, I would prefer to have the Swiki look and feel inside a wiki-module of Moodle, but how easy can you change the pageview in phpWiki? (If I have time I will look at it, for the moment I have to bring 10 secundary schools = 200 classes? to Moodle, so a cohort/group-option would be great..)
In reply to Ger Tielemans
Re: Moodle documentation: Developer Documentation Wiki
by Martin Dougiamas -
I'm not sure we are talking about the same thing here. 
The Wiki in this discussion is a simple phpWiki set up on moodle.org for a particular purpose - it's not part of the Moodle distribution.
Using a Moodle resource you can of course include any external web page (including a Swiki) that you like but this is a choice of the person setting up a particular Moodle site.
There was some other 'Wiki format' stuff recently added to the Moodle distribution, but this is just an alternative way to write text in forums, journals etc and doesn't include any of the other Wiki features like revisions, auto-linking, shared editing etc
The Wiki in this discussion is a simple phpWiki set up on moodle.org for a particular purpose - it's not part of the Moodle distribution.
Using a Moodle resource you can of course include any external web page (including a Swiki) that you like but this is a choice of the person setting up a particular Moodle site.
There was some other 'Wiki format' stuff recently added to the Moodle distribution, but this is just an alternative way to write text in forums, journals etc and doesn't include any of the other Wiki features like revisions, auto-linking, shared editing etc
In reply to Martin Dougiamas
Re: Moodle documentation: Developer Documentation Wiki
by Ger Tielemans -
Yes, I want both:
- I want your phpWikiTool for collaborative documentation, where it would be wise if you make the TOC and all the others can adopt a chapter
- I also Wish a wiki-modul for students. (As you suggest I did use my Swiki as a resource in your Moodle: works very fine because I can tune the way it shows up in the resource-menu. (But the rest of the system does not know it lives there, so cannot be integrated in tracking resources etc. ) Swiki is written in a Smalltalk80-dialect ("Squeak"), so must be complete rewritten for a real Modul.. That's to much work, I understand.
- But I will search for another PHp-wiki that can be promoted to becoam e a wiki-modul for Moodle, maybe one of the small ones? ....and find in the future a way to implement the forms-option just like Swiki, because that's a nice aid for teachers AND students who have the right to organise a virtual projectroom...
In reply to Martin Dougiamas
Re: Moodle documentation: Developer Documentation Wiki
by Paula Edmiston -
I see how it works! Could you add a statement to the pages: Weblibrary, moodlelibrary,datalibrary to give an idea what's appropriate to post there?
I thought I'd enter my experience with installing moodle on freebsd. Perhaps change StepByStepInstallMoodleOnRedhat
to StepByStepInstallMoodleOnUnix/linux or something broad and then the various dialect and flavors of unix could come off of that?
Maybe there is not an appreciable difference between redhat and freebsd?
thanks!
I thought I'd enter my experience with installing moodle on freebsd. Perhaps change StepByStepInstallMoodleOnRedhat
to StepByStepInstallMoodleOnUnix/linux or something broad and then the various dialect and flavors of unix could come off of that?
Maybe there is not an appreciable difference between redhat and freebsd?
thanks!
In reply to Paula Edmiston
Re: Moodle documentation: Developer Documentation Wiki
by Martin Dougiamas -
Please feel free to add new links to the front page as well! I'd rather all the pages were linked from the front page for now - we can worry about heirarchies later.
I think FreeBSD will be quite different from Redhat in the details - so start a new link.
To add a new link, you just add it to the front page using CapitalizedWordsJoinedTogether. After you save the page, you'll see a little question mark you can click on which will create the page.
Happy wiki-ing!
I think FreeBSD will be quite different from Redhat in the details - so start a new link.
To add a new link, you just add it to the front page using CapitalizedWordsJoinedTogether. After you save the page, you'll see a little question mark you can click on which will create the page.
Happy wiki-ing!
In reply to Kevin Heneveld
Re: Moodle documentation: Developer Documentation Wiki
by Martin Dougiamas -
So far the response to the documentation Wiki has been less than overwhelming. 
In reply to Martin Dougiamas
Re: Moodle documentation: Developer Documentation Wiki
by Paula Edmiston -
I can't figure out how to log in to edit. I tried entering my moodle account and that wasn't accepted and I can't find a place to create an account. thanks
In reply to Paula Edmiston
Re: Moodle documentation: Developer Documentation Wiki
by Martin Dougiamas -
No need to log in, just hit the "edit" button!
Sorry about the confusion! I've now added a note to the Wiki page about that.
Sorry about the confusion! I've now added a note to the Wiki page about that.
In reply to Martin Dougiamas
Re: Moodle documentation: Developer Documentation Wiki
by Ger Tielemans -
First step in Wiki looks fine, what comes next:
- putting pictures in line?
- making it a TOOL for students
- build the next option, the CamelBackLinking to a new page
- a collection fill-in forms as a choice for the fill-in versus show alterego's of the new page?
I even would kiss your feet for this.
In reply to Ger Tielemans
Re: Moodle documentation: Developer Documentation Wiki
by Martin Dougiamas -
Ger, I love your enthusiasm but I have no idea what you're talking about, feet kissing or not!! 
In reply to Martin Dougiamas
Re: Moodle documentation: Developer Documentation Wiki
by Ger Tielemans -
Wash your feet first, I will explain.
First an extra remark, befor I comment on Wiki: Most of the tool Moodle is now divided in a teacher part and a student part.(Maybe I am wrong and should look more closer, then please comment) But rethink Why? Peerreview in the workshop is great, but isn't there more possible:
Resources
- Add Resources is now a teacher-only area, why not open it for students.
- I think of resources where students gather webexamples or create their own exercises with resource templates. (it is a higher form of homework delivery...)
- By default resources from Teachers could be stay hidden for students, but students could fill the same topic-directory-structure in the resources area that grows in each Moodle.
- The hidden teacher resource could be published by setting a checkmark (or automatic publish-date?)
- the student resource could be visible by default and could become privat (=only that student and teacherview?)
Poll/Test-modul
- Why not let students setup their own course-related polls
- Why not let students create tests for chapter 4? Let them create a m.c.-test and explain why answer a is correct, b and c are half good and d is wrong... You would be suprised how many misunderstandings can exist about chapter 4!
(Also you could organise workshops for students: "how to create a m.c.-test")
By creating tests about a topic, students get also better survival-skills for all these ugly tests in their future study-life... - again, polls/tests by teachers are by default hidden
A student driven glossary/faq-pool could also be nice (clearinghouse?)
Now back to Wiki.
One of the things I do with students on this moment more and more is create simple collaborative writing environments.
- Starting with a frontpage, typing text, easy layout (current wiki-editor is promissing)
- but also easy attach pictures and files to each page.
- (Pictures with the right format, pop-up inline in view-mode and can be moved by their tag-handle in text-fill-in-the-form-mode
- and last but not least: creating hyperlinks with automatic new pages behind these new links. (THAT is WIKI!!)
- With Swiki (now running on a stand-alone-server) we do this on the fly: You need tomorrow a WebQuest? give me the outline of your approach, what must your students do, we tune it in a simple set of webpages and you have tomorrow your website
- as a modul in Moodle, just as simple as this Swiki, you get another workshop modul for collaborative constructing knowledge representations.
.Examples:
- write together a storytree with pictures about teasing on schools, economic behavior...
- write together a decisiontree for chemical analysis
- make a tutorial were the reader can choose and choose and get feedback about their choices
- prepare a schooltrip together: ...(https://swiki.hetstedelijk.org/England2003 )
- writing together a book/manual with students as chapter-editors (lets call ourself students and write together a cookbook for Moodle with the new built-in wiki?)
So a wiki-editor for students with "create new daughter-pages" and and and........SIMPLE
See: http://minnow.cc.gatech.edu/swiki