Flexibase New version 3.1.1 released

Flexibase New version 3.1.1 released

by Richard Oelmann -
Number of replies: 11
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I've just released an update to Flexibase in the plugins database and as a new stable branch in github.

Please note the master github is a working repo and subject to change at any time - do NOT use the master branch for production purposes.

The changelog is contained in the README.txt but the major changes since 3.1.0 are:

CHANGELOG:
==========
3.1.1   - 2 new block regions (details can be found in the Theme Help - Layout page from the default menu):
              Teacher only (similar to existing Admin only region)
              Alerts region - an alternative to the Alerts settings where an html block can be added
                  and controlled by anyone with appropriate editing rights (Alert theme setting is Admin
                  only)
          FontAwesome CDN updated to 4.6.1
          Dashboard now uses Course Tiles look - additional info for course on hover, with banner notice
3.1.0b  - Fix Issue #62 - Blocks not working correctly in IE 10/11 on smaller screens
3.1.0a  - Refactor less and css
        - Refactor php layout, renderer, css, etc files to allow for changes in core Travis code checker
        - Add new setting and style for marketing spots - large icon style or 'blocks' format


As always, feedback and comments very welcome and while I tend to manage development requests or bug issues via the github issues page, I am very happy to get them here where all community users can benefit from them. Please consider whether your issue is part of an existing thread, or if it is a new issue, then post your query as a new discussion thread, with an appropriate and informative subject line - identifying the theme (and theme version) and moodle version in your post.


Thank you,

Richard

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In reply to Richard Oelmann

Re: Flexibase New version 3.1.1b released

by Richard Oelmann -
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3.1.1b now released -

The Course Tiles view on the dashboard has been enhanced with a theme setting to enable it (by default) or return to the standard course listing. The course tiles view has an 'Activity notice' flag if there are any alerts for that course and they can be seen by hovering the mouse over the course tile (mobile/touch solution under consideration/development).

Dashboard course tiles Dashboard course tiles2

The secure.php issue raised by Mary for some recent themes has also been addressed, so that the secure quizes will now function with no off page links on the secure layout page, as originally intended.

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In reply to Richard Oelmann

Re: Flexibase New version 3.1.1b released

by Mary Evans -
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I am having a problem with the activity link after clicking on the notification alert banner on one of the coursebox image in the course overview block, the first text message shows in an overlay OK, but when clicking the assignment icon the link/trigger does not work. The one I have is an Assignment so normally when I click the icon,  it expands to show the actual message about the assignment, that it needs grading, the date submitted, etc..but in FlexiBase that does not seem to happen!.sad

Mary

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In reply to Mary Evans

Re: Flexibase New version 3.1.1b released

by Richard Oelmann -
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Hi Mary,

Do you have the latest version installed from the plugins database? I know that this was an issue whilst I was developing it, so at one point the github version certainly had that problem, but it was solved - I thought before I put v3.1.1 up on the database, but certainly for 3.1.1b which is the current version on there.

I've just checked a clean install of Moodle3.0 and a fresh download from the database and everything appears to work fine (firefox and Chrome). Note - I haven't yet tested on 3.1, that's on my todo list whilst I'm helping with the HQ testing too smile So, if it is a 'regression' caused by changes for 3.1, then I will fix asap once I've tested.

flexibase course tiles

Hovering over the course tile brings up the overlay with the notifications, clicking the icon in its button expands the additional information and clicking the links in that (Assignment1 or Submission not graded - for the assignment) open the relevant pages.

Ah, one thing - are you using a PC, or are you using your iPad? as you said you clicked the notification, when hovering over the course tile should work. If using the iPad, do other bootstrap accordian type links normally work? If there is an issue with iPads then I am going to have to borrow one from somewhere to check this out.

Thanks for the heads up and for the testing!

R

EDIT: Also checked on my Android phone - needs some (lots!) work doing on responsive side of this feature, but the links do all work - not worried about needing to find a 'touch' solution either now, as I realised that the link to the course is only the course title and tapping anywhere else on the tile will bring up the overlay, not just hovering smile But the screen size and responsiveness issues do need development for this course tiles view.

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Re: Flexibase New version 3.1.1b released

by Mary Evans -
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I added Flexibase using:

$ git clone https://github.com/roelmann/moodle-theme_flexibase flexibase

in my Moodle 3.0.3 test server on my Windows10 PC.

I cannot test with iPad as the site is not online, so in this instance the problem is PC only.

Also, after reading the notification above, I used GitBash to pull the changes, but could not see STABLE_311b

Just done this again to prove my point:

Eve@Eve-HP MINGW64 ~ (master)
$ cd ../../wamp/www/moodle30/theme/flexibase

Eve@Eve-HP MINGW64 /c/wamp/www/moodle30/theme/flexibase (STABLE_311)
$ git pull
remote: Counting objects: 17, done.
remote: Compressing objects: 100% (15/15), done.
remote: Total 17 (delta 2), reused 0 (delta 0), pack-reused 0
Unpacking objects: 100% (17/17), done.
From https://github.com/roelmann/moodle-theme_flexibase
   b0f8b6a..efbe542  master     -> origin/master
Already up-to-date.

Eve@Eve-HP MINGW64 /c/wamp/www/moodle30/theme/flexibase (STABLE_311)
$ git branch -a
* STABLE_311
  master
  remotes/origin/HEAD -> origin/master
  remotes/origin/STABLE_1
  remotes/origin/STABLE_2
  remotes/origin/STABLE_3.0
  remotes/origin/STABLE_31
  remotes/origin/STABLE_311
  remotes/origin/master

Eve@Eve-HP MINGW64 /c/wamp/www/moodle30/theme/flexibase (STABLE_311)

Unless 'master' branch is the stable 311b and you forgot to make new branch? Or you did but did not push to origin?

Oh the joys of Moodleing,

Mary

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Re: Flexibase New version 3.1.1b released

by Richard Oelmann -
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No, you are quite right I had uploaded it to the database but had forgotten to push 3.1.1b to the stable branch! my bad! sad

Now fixed and STABLE_311 contains all the latest commits.


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Re: Flexibase New version 3.1.1b released

by Mary Evans -
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Been there, done that, still looking for the T-shirt! LOL

Just did a pull and Moodle30 picked it up and upgraded it.

Not too sure about the hover action though, that would drive me mad if I have a lot of courses

Thanks

Mary

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Re: Flexibase New version 3.1.1b released

by Richard Oelmann -
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Yeah - I understand what you mean about the hover. I may well just change it for a click on the banner/flag/notice, not 100% sure - I might show it to a few colleagues, or see what the feedback is here about it (@derek ? smile ) but the chances are I wont get much time to look at it for a week or two now unless its bugs.

The hover is taken from the code used for the course tiles on the front page, which was adapted from another theme originally and after it came up in that other thread a couple of weeks ago, I was keen to experiment and get something working.

Now having done it with my usual 'make minimum changes to renderers' etc (leaving existing classes in place but adding my own where they don't conflict for example to make tracking back easier while developing), but having totally changed it to use bootstrap accordian anyway, I am thinking, when I have time, of going back to refactor the renderer completely - and when I've done that one I may do the same for the front page tiles smile

I have just installed the 3.1dev so I can test the theme on that away from the QA testing site, and I'll have to take a look at a few things on there at some point, so maybe I'll do it as part of that review.

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Re: Flexibase New version 3.1.1b released

by Chris Kenniburg -
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RIchard,

I love the Course Tile View!  You are killing it!  Keep up the good work.  That is an awesome new feature.  Love it. 

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Re: Flexibase New version 3.1.1 released

by Richard Oelmann -
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Currently working on a 3.2 version, with an 'off page' set of block regions (similar idea, different solution to SNAP).

My idea at the moment is to have several block regions on this 'blocks page' and to have one of them as the default region - I'm not quite ready to get rid of the block regions on the main pages yet, but this will give users that flexibility - and if its the default region, will encourage it.

I'm looking though at what kind of 'features' people would like to see on such a page (in a course primarily). They aren't blocks, some of them will simply be links that are currently in menus - like the tools in Snap, some of them will be components like the radial displays you can see in the screenshot. Neither do I really want to simply replicate blocks that can easily be added anyway (such as the Progress Bar - very useful, but already available as a block), unless they are things which need to be adapted anyway or things that users should have no option over removing - although admin would have (thinking of Recent Activity for example).

Comments or suggestions welcome - and I hope to have my work in progress up on github shortly, although the full release to the plugins database is some time away yet.

Off page blocks

Richard

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Re: Flexibase New version 3.1.1 released

by Richard Oelmann -
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'Completed' view of the new blocks page for the next version of Flexibase

Flexibase blocks pageUser image is fixed

Buttons are fixed, but context sensitive (eg The Turn Editing On button appears/changes as it does on the main pages)

Grade total and Activity Completion radial displays are fixed (will eventually have an admin setting to enable/disable) and are context sensitive (eg. dont appear on the front page). The LESS for the radial displays has now been moved out of the layout include file and into the theme properly and adjusted to pick up theme colours.

Recent Activity, Upcoming Events, Completion Progress and Course Contacts are simply the blocks added to a horizontal block region and a side bar block region, for no other reason than I think they are appropriate and look ok on the screenshot, they are not an integral part of the theme smile . (PS. the Course Contacts block in the plugins database only goes up to Moodle2.5, I have hacked it for my own use and it now works on 3.0/3.1dev - can be found at https://github.com/roelmann/moodle-block_course_contacts )

The html1-7 blocks are just html blocks added to a 'main' region for testing - this main region uses flexbox with wrapping to enable blocks to flood over into new lines and they will stretch to fill the rows according to their content and the flex rules (e.g. html1 in the image, stretches due to its content, while there are only 2 more blocks on the next row so they stretch to fill the row, while the first row accommodates 3 blocks because that is the default from the flex rules I set up). You could of course have anything in this area, from the calendar block, to a single html block with your own code or any other standard block.


I have also set the side bar on this page as the default region, so if editing is turned on then the Add a Block 'block' appears here - as do blocks added initially. The aim is to make this the default display for most blocks to make the main page cleaner, while not removing the flexibility of the block regions that are still available on the main pages if the user wants them.

Blocks can be dragged around on this page as they can on the main page - unfortunately though they cannot be dragged between this page and the main page, but they can be moved using the configuration, or the move list that appears when you click on the move arrows, rather than dragging.

One issue I haven't yet managed to solve is to have the blocks page appear when the Turn Editing On is selected - that always goes back to the main page and you need to click the Page Blocks button again to go back to this page.


It needs user testing and feedback - so as always, such testing and feedback is always appreciated.

https://github.com/roelmann/moodle-theme_flexibase

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