We'd like to programmatically add files, I've found the mdl_files table in the database which looks to be what we'd need to populate.
Most of the fields in there look pretty easy to replicate however contenthash and pathnamehash have both been encrypted before they are added. I'm guessing this isn't just a standard md5? does anyone know how I'd replicate this?
If you want to programatically add files, then start by reading through https://docs.moodle.org/dev/File_API and taking a look at the functions in lib/filestorage/file_storage.php - particularly the create_file_from_* functions, which give you lots of different ways of creating files inside Moodle.
What you should never attempt to do is to add entries directly into the mdl_files table - this will almost certainly cause problems (unless you go through the code and carefully replicate exactly what the Files API does internally - at which point, you'd have been better using the Files API directly in the first place).
Out of curiosity, what are you planning on doing with these files once you've added them?
Just adding files to the Moodle storage (via the API) won't actually make them appear anywhere in the front end. If you want the files to be available to users, you will need some sort of block or course activity to display them. In the case of adding a file activity, you will need to create a record in mdl_resource, create a cm object (stored in mdl_course_modules) to link this to a course, add it into a specific section of a course and then rebuild the course cache to allow it to appear. The code in course/dnduploadlib.php, starting with 'handle_file_upload' shows one example of how to do this.
Well, there are lots and lots of examples throughout the Moodle code, but if you want a simple, standalone example (which is probably compatible with recent Moodle versions, although it hasn't been updated in a while), then try: https://github.com/AndyNormore/filemanager
Hello, I'm desperate to do that, can you give me a head start about how
to manipulate the file api or how its done I've read it several times
and yet didn't get to apply it, how does my php shall start? please
help!
I am also trying the same thing,
I need to programmatically add records into the table mdl_files.
I figured out that I need to link it to a course before and to the following tables
(mdl_course_sections , mdl_course_modules, mdl_context, mdl_files, mdl_folder)
and I was able to display the file on moodle under the corresponding course,
I even encrypted the pathnamehash with sha1 and added the file to a folder under moodle directory
But I am receiving an error that the file does not exists when I click on it.
And I don't know what I should fill in the contenthash(The sha1 hash of content).
Am I missing a table or a step ?
Can anyone help ?
As mentioned above, you should never try to add records directly to the mdl_files table - it will almost certainly not work.
Always use the Moodle file API to do this (it will fill in the contenthash for you and make sure the file is stored in the correct location).
I am facing problems when using Moodle file API :
I have a PHP script that check if the file exists and use:
if ($fs->file_exists($fileinfo['contextid'], $fileinfo['component'], $fileinfo['filearea'], $fileinfo['itemid'], $fileinfo['filepath'], $fileinfo['filename']))
...
and $fs->create_file_from_pathname($fileinfo, $source_filename);
...
and this is always returning false on file names containg Arabic language (I tried to encode/decode the filename to utf8...), but nothing seems to work.
My files are stored under windows.
I am running this script via cmd and the arabic letters in filenames are displayed as ?? when echo
