Hi everyone,
I'm trying to develop a block that picks up the categories from a glossary and displays them, with hyperlinks to display those categories within the glossary. Something like this:
Glossary name: Living things
Animals (hyperlinked to the glosssary to show only that category)
Plants (hyperlinked to the glosssary to show only that category)
My PHP writing skills are minimal, although I can read the gist of simple PHP code. So I thought I'd start with the Random Glossary entry block. But then I got stuck, because that block is far more complex than I need, and I'm not sure which bits I can safely cut out.
Could someone give me a start on this that I can take forward...?
Thanks,
Mark
Hi Mark,
If you've not done so already, perhaps you could read Jon's excellent Step-by-step Guide To Creating Blocks.
If you've not done so already, perhaps you could read Jon's excellent Step-by-step Guide To Creating Blocks.
Hi Helen,
Yes, I'm working my way through that. It's certainly an excellent introduction to blocks. I'm realising that I need to get my head round the PHP syntax though...
It's a bit different from the languages I was brought up on.
Oh well, I do like to learn new things. Hopefully soon I'll have a block to show for it!
Cheers,
Mark
Yes, I'm working my way through that. It's certainly an excellent introduction to blocks. I'm realising that I need to get my head round the PHP syntax though...
Oh well, I do like to learn new things. Hopefully soon I'll have a block to show for it!
Cheers,
Mark
Hi everyone,
With a lot of help from Jon's blocks documentation and a rather ruthless hacking around of the random quotes block I'm presenting a rough, but working Glossary Categories block.
I'm sure there's a lot that can be done to tidy it up. There are bits of code that I've put in without really being sure what they do. But it seems to work.
Any comments gratefully received.
Mark
With a lot of help from Jon's blocks documentation and a rather ruthless hacking around of the random quotes block I'm presenting a rough, but working Glossary Categories block.
I'm sure there's a lot that can be done to tidy it up. There are bits of code that I've put in without really being sure what they do. But it seems to work.
Any comments gratefully received.
Mark
Hi again,
Just in case you're wondering what this does, I've attached a screen shot.
It picks up the categories from a selected glossary in that course, and displays them as hyperlinks to those categories, with the numbers of entries in that category.
The main work that needs to be done (I think) is error-trapping and general tidy up of the code. I'm not exactly sure how the data is being passed among all the variables and arrays, but I'm sure it could be made simpler.
If anyone can see any glaring issues that means I shouldn't deploy this on a production server, please let me know.
Cheers,
Mark
Just in case you're wondering what this does, I've attached a screen shot.
It picks up the categories from a selected glossary in that course, and displays them as hyperlinks to those categories, with the numbers of entries in that category.
The main work that needs to be done (I think) is error-trapping and general tidy up of the code. I'm not exactly sure how the data is being passed among all the variables and arrays, but I'm sure it could be made simpler.
If anyone can see any glaring issues that means I shouldn't deploy this on a production server, please let me know.
Cheers,
Mark
This looks very interesting -- the ideas pop out all over, especially in Language Learning. What a boon it would be if a glossary permitted multiple categorization of entries.
Hi Bob,
But it can... Just use CTRL-click to select more than one category.
One thing glossaries can't do is provide a hierarchical categorisation. So you couldn't have:
French
... Verbs
... Nouns
German
... Verbs
... Nouns
And you can't yet search within a specific category.
This categories block will pick up and count things that appear in more than one category. So...
Fruit (1)
Vegetables (1)
might be pointing to the same entry (eg. tomatoes)
Mark
But it can... Just use CTRL-click to select more than one category.
One thing glossaries can't do is provide a hierarchical categorisation. So you couldn't have:
French
... Verbs
... Nouns
German
... Verbs
... Nouns
And you can't yet search within a specific category.
This categories block will pick up and count things that appear in more than one category. So...
Fruit (1)
Vegetables (1)
might be pointing to the same entry (eg. tomatoes)
Mark
Thanks for the heads-up on picking multiple categories.
Hi everyone,
I've redone this block in a proper list format. The footer contains a link to the glossary (although I couldn't work out how to get the glossary name automatically, so the link is hard-coded text "View complete list").
I've also tidied things up a lot so there aren't a whole load of redundant variables. The version number is now correct (v0.2).
I still need to include a language file.
As always - any comments, please let me know.
Mark
I've redone this block in a proper list format. The footer contains a link to the glossary (although I couldn't work out how to get the glossary name automatically, so the link is hard-coded text "View complete list").
I've also tidied things up a lot so there aren't a whole load of redundant variables. The version number is now correct (v0.2).
I still need to include a language file.
As always - any comments, please let me know.
Mark
Hi, me again.
If you want to see the block in action go to: www.nationalstrategiescpd.org.uk - it's on the home page.
Cheers,
Mark
If you want to see the block in action go to: www.nationalstrategiescpd.org.uk - it's on the home page.
Cheers,
Mark
Hi Mark,
Just wanted to say that both your block and your Moodle site look very cool!
Just wanted to say that both your block and your Moodle site look very cool!
Hi Mark,
This block might be something that would work for me. I have created a "personal journal" glossary, and with this block, I could create a category for each course, hmmm....I'll have to give it a try. Can you add this block for your site FAQ to a course?
By the way. I see you have deleted the activity index from your breadcrumbs, however you now have an extra >>. I am assuming you have deleted the activity name from the navigation on the view.php for each activity, if so, you also need to delete the -> that comes after it.
This block might be something that would work for me. I have created a "personal journal" glossary, and with this block, I could create a category for each course, hmmm....I'll have to give it a try. Can you add this block for your site FAQ to a course?
By the way. I see you have deleted the activity index from your breadcrumbs, however you now have an extra >>. I am assuming you have deleted the activity name from the navigation on the view.php for each activity, if so, you also need to delete the -> that comes after it.
Hi Chardelle,
Yes, it works fine within a course. I've realised that I've not put in any code to test whether the glossary is visible or not, so it will display the categories regardless. (Something to work on I think).
I know that the extra >> appears on items linked from the home page. I've put Mike Churchward's catnav and nav hacks into the header.
See:
http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=24090#113932
http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=16850
These remove the activities from the breadcrumbs and replace them with course categories & sub-categories... A much more intuitive navigation approach... perhaps?
Mark
Yes, it works fine within a course. I've realised that I've not put in any code to test whether the glossary is visible or not, so it will display the categories regardless. (Something to work on I think).
I know that the extra >> appears on items linked from the home page. I've put Mike Churchward's catnav and nav hacks into the header.
See:
http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=24090#113932
http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=16850
These remove the activities from the breadcrumbs and replace them with course categories & sub-categories... A much more intuitive navigation approach... perhaps?
Mark
I see, I didn't realize you had cat and subcat in the breadcrumbs. Hmm, I wouldn't have thought of doing it that way since it seems like the course cat and subcat really only come into play when a student is enrolling into the course. After that, it doesn't seem necessary to me that they would need to be in the breadcrumbs. But it can get tricky to sort everything out. Are use using Mike's course programs block also? It shows course links via category.
Helen posted some code a while back that I use to take the module/activity index page out of the breadcrumbs.
Helen posted some code a while back that I use to take the module/activity index page out of the breadcrumbs.
Me??? Actually it was wild girl in Not the breadcrumb trail again... 
These days I no longer use that hack as I've been persuaded of the value of the full navigation bar.
These days I no longer use that hack as I've been persuaded of the value of the full navigation bar.
Thanks Helen.
It's even getting some use now
Mark
It's even getting some use now
Mark