Moodle 2.0 is sounding exciting, and the idea of repositories and the file API are wonderful ideas, but I'd like to find out a little more about what the repository API is all about. From what I can understand, we can have files stored on, say, Google Docs and bring them in to Moodle to use as regular files, without having to open a new window, go to Google Docs, log in, download, upload to Moodle.
But what I'm really wanting to know is, can we do simple "shortcuts" using the repository (or files) API? For example, we have a P: drive where staff put course related material and to prevent data duplication, we'd rather not use Moodle to store our files. Can the repository API let you link to files without having to copy them in to Moodle? Ideally, staff would love to browse for a file and instantly find the entire contents of P drive there ready to browse and link.
And could we also set up repositories on a user level? So students can add images to posts and when they click to browse a file, find their home drive available to browse AND still be able to access P drive if the image is located there
Am I making sense here? Is this possible? Has this been asked before?