copying files from one course to another?

copying files from one course to another?

by chris rolando -
Number of replies: 11

Hello All,

I've created 2 courses: an English and a French.

So far there are only lessons in the French one.  While I was adding lessons (or activities) a bug came up: Moodle decided I wasn't adding a title to my files. 

"No, no no! You can't create a new file it doesn't have a title! "

"Yes it does have a title"

"No, no it doesn't!!'

Etc

So I found the way of just duplicating the files I already had in order to create new ones. And it worked.

Now I want to add files to my new English course.  But I can't of course because the programme is convinced I'm leaving the title space blank.

I'd just like to duplicate file from my French course and import them to my English courses.


I really don't want to waste time argueing with a machine so I'd be quite content to continue the way I have so far.

Who can tell me how to duplicate a file and send it to another course?

Thans a lot!!



 












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In reply to chris rolando

Re: copying files from one course to another?

by Howard Miller -
Picture of Core developers Picture of Documentation writers Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Peer reviewers Picture of Plugin developers

Those aren't Moodle error messages wink

If you added the files as resources then you can just use the 'import' feature to pull them from one course to another. See, Import_course_data

However, as you can drag-and-drop files onto the course page it's probably much quicker to just add them again in the new course.

Note that identical files will only take up one lot of storage behind the scenes.

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In reply to Howard Miller

Re: copying files from one course to another?

by chris rolando -
Thanks!

There's a little red exclamation mark "field can't remain blank" or something similar. I've even tried with a different browser. Moodle is adamant the title field is blank. 

I don't know if I've specificaly created files as resources. I've just created files and put information on them to teach.

I'd love to drag and drop or better still "click right , copy and paste"  but dragging seems possible within one file but not from one file to another: If I open a file, the other is closed, or at least isn't shown to me.


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In reply to chris rolando

Re: copying files from one course to another?

by chris rolando -


This link tells me to:


How to import activities or resources

  • In Administration > Course Administration, click on the Import link:


But I can't even find "administration" !  Is it the site administration? I don't think so... 

Seriously, why am I once again looking for a secret hidden menu within a hidden menu?  The "copy and send" function (as it should properly be named)   should be within "Edit" right next to a particular file.

Copying and sending and editing and duplicating are all part of the same functions.  There's no reason that it should be called "importing" and even less reason to hide it miles away from the file that wants copying.

This is exhausting!




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In reply to chris rolando

Re: copying files from one course to another?

by Mary Cooch -
Picture of Documentation writers Picture of Moodle HQ Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Testers Picture of Translators

I just updated the first part of that page to show where you should find the Import link in more recent versions of Moodle. (The documentatation is a collaborative wiki that relies on volunteers, but we do try to keep it updated)

"Copying" is a wideranging term. Within a course if you want to copy something you use the Duplicate feature. If you want to copy an item from one course into another, different course, then you use the Import feature as mentioned above.

When you say I don't know if I've specificaly created files as resources. I've just created files and put information on them to teach can you show a screenshot of the sort of thing you have been creating?

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In reply to Mary Cooch

Re: copying files from one course to another?

by chris rolando -

I've tried everything: two different browsers and I also used a Mac but there's a bug in Moodle. It's convinced that I'm leaving my files without a title. (This is in : add activity or resource. I want to create "new file" but it won't let me)

As I can't create new files now, I want to copy a file from Course A and paste it in Course B. Then rename it and go on my jolly way.  But that doesn't seem easily possible either.  (without giving up half my Saturday)

Next I tried to go into my empty course B and import the whole backup of course A into it. I was hoping that it would be a clever way of duplicating course A.  I did that and nothing happened. (I think that part of the problem is the unique moodle terminology such as "restore" )  It's odd also that you first have to go through the process of backing up an empty course before being asked if you want to import a backup. "backup succesfully created"   Well, I've backed up an empty course !

I've tried to import the backup 3 times.  No reaction so far. Then I pressed on "restore" just to see. I went through the whole process and it says "backup sucessfully completed"

But now as a result I have a copy of the empy course I was trying to fill.  The idea was to take the backup of the full course and paste it in the empty course.  

It's a bit like being brought back to the early 90's and rediscovering computer language!


 
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In reply to chris rolando

Re: copying files from one course to another?

by Howard Miller -
Picture of Core developers Picture of Documentation writers Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Peer reviewers Picture of Plugin developers

Any chance of some screen shots. This is pretty much a core feature of Moodle. It's not the first place I would expect to find such a glaring bug so, until proved otherwise, I'm assuming you are doing something wrong. I'm just struggling a bit to see what it might be.

Anyway, pictures being worth a thousand words and all that. 

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In reply to chris rolando

Re: copying files from one course to another?

by Howard Miller -
Picture of Core developers Picture of Documentation writers Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Peer reviewers Picture of Plugin developers

I've read through this again... to be honest, I'm wondering if we're all talking about the same thing when you say 'file'.

To me that means you have something like a Word document or a PDF and you want to put it in Moodle so that students can download it and view it. Is this what you mean - or something else? 

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In reply to Howard Miller

Re: copying files from one course to another?

by chris rolando -

In 6 steps here s the first problem : not being able to create new files.


Attachment fhvbhgvfg.png
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In reply to chris rolando

Re: copying files from one course to another?

by chris rolando -
here's the rest
Attachment bljhnjmm.PNG
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In reply to chris rolando

Re: copying files from one course to another?

by Mary Cooch -
Picture of Documentation writers Picture of Moodle HQ Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Testers Picture of Translators

That is for uploading files you have already created, for example Word documents. You are getting the error message because you haven't uploaded a file and it is expecting one. See this video (and then, underneath that, I will post a video about an alternative which might be useful to you)


Here is something called a Page, and in that you can type your own stuff, add videos, image and so on:


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In reply to Mary Cooch

Re: copying files from one course to another?

by chris rolando -


Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah damn me I've understood !!!!!!

My oh my oh my !!!


Ok, here's why it's not my fault: In fact, I'd been adding "pages" all along and not "files" - Pages are what I'm working with in my French course.

As you say, to create a "file" we need to upload a little document such as a picture.

But as both icons are blue and rectangular with a folded corner, I was convinced I was clicking on the right one !!  

Well at least that's that settled.

Thanks for your kind assistance.






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