Advanced URL - Moodle Activity Module

A powerful Moodle activity module that enhances external link management with advanced features including YouTube embedding, broken link reporting, and course-level configuration.

🚀 Features

✨ Core Functionality

• External Link Management: Safely open external websites in new tabs
• Dynamic Disclaimer: Customizable warnings with institution name
• YouTube Integration: Automatic detection and embedding of YouTube videos
• Broken Link Reporting: Configurable reporting system with status management
• Backup & Restore: Full Moodle 2 format backup and restore support
• Event Tracking: Comprehensive activity logging and analytics

🎯 Teacher Features

• Course Dashboard: Centralized management interface
• Configurable Email: Set course-wide report email addresses
• Report Management: View and manage broken link reports
• Status Tracking: Track report status (Open, Resolved, False Positive)

🛡️ Security & Privacy

• GDPR Compliant: Full privacy provider implementation
• Capability-based Access: Granular permission control
• Session Security: CSRF protection on all forms

📋 Requirements

• Moodle: 4.0 or later
• PHP: 7.4 or later
• Database: MySQL 5.7+ or PostgreSQL 10+

🛠️ Installation

Method 1: Git Clone

cd /path/to/moodle/mod
git clone https://github.com/autoscriptor/moodle-mod_advurl.git advurl

Method 2: Manual Installation

1. Download the latest release
2. Extract to /path/to/moodle/mod/advurl/
3. Visit Site Administration → Notifications
4. Complete the installation

Method 3: Moodle Plugin Directory (Coming Soon)

1. Go to Site Administration → Plugins → Install plugins
2. Search for "Advanced URL"
3. Install directly from Moodle plugin directory

⚙️ Configuration

Initial Setup

1. Add to Course: Add "Advanced URL" activity to your course
2. Configure Email: Visit the Advanced URL Dashboard in course navigation
3. Set Report Email: Enter the email address for broken link reports

Activity Settings

• URL: The external link to open
• Detect YouTube Links: Automatically embed YouTube videos
• Show Disclaimer: Display external content warning
• Description: Optional activity description

📖 Usage

For Teachers

1. Create Activity: Add Advanced URL to your course
2. Configure Settings: Set URL and options
3. Manage Reports: Use dashboard to handle broken link reports
4. Monitor Status: Track report resolution

For Students

1. View Activity: Access the Advanced URL activity
2. Read Disclaimer: Review external content warning
3. Open Link: Click "Open Link in a New Tab" button
4. Report Issues: Use "Report Broken Link" if needed

🏗️ Architecture

Database Tables

• advurl: Main activity instances
• advurl_reports: Broken link reports
• advurl_course_settings: Course-level configuration

Key Files

• lib.php: Core functionality and YouTube detection
• view.php: Activity display and user interface
• dashboard.php: Teacher management interface
• report.php: Broken link reporting system
• mod_form.php: Activity configuration form
• backup/: Backup functionality for course exports
• restore/: Restore functionality for course imports
• classes/event/: Event tracking and analytics

Capabilities

• mod/advurl:addinstance: Create activities
• mod/advurl:view: View activities
• mod/advurl:reportbroken: Report broken links
• mod/advurl:viewreports: Access dashboard

🔧 Development

Local Development Setup

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/autoscriptor/moodle-mod_advurl.git

# Install in Moodle development environment
cp -r moodle-mod_advurl /path/to/moodle/mod/advurl

# Run Moodle upgrade
php /path/to/moodle/admin/cli/upgrade.php

Code Standards

This plugin follows Moodle's coding standards: - Frankenstyle: All functions use mod_advurl_ prefix - PHPDoc: Comprehensive documentation - Security: Input validation and output escaping - Accessibility: WCAG 2.1 compliant

🤝 Contributing

We welcome contributions! Please see CONTRIBUTING.md for details.

Development Process

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Add tests if applicable
5. Submit a pull request

📝 Changelog

Version 1.1.0

• Added: Full backup and restore functionality for Moodle 2 format
• Added: Event tracking system for course module views and analytics
• Added: Privacy provider updates for new data types
• Enhanced: Language strings for new features
• Improved: Version management and upgrade path

Version 1.0.9

• Fixed: YouTube video aspect ratio to eliminate black bars
• Improved: Custom URL validation with better error messages
• Enhanced: User experience with clearer validation feedback

Version 1.0.8

• Added: Custom URL validation error messages
• Improved: User guidance for URL format requirements

Version 1.0.7

• Fixed: YouTube responsive embed parameters
• Enhanced: Video display with modern CSS aspect-ratio

Version 1.0.6

• Fixed: YouTube video aspect ratio issues
• Improved: Video container styling

Version 1.0.5

• Fixed: CSS compatibility for YouTube embed styling
• Enhanced: Cross-version Moodle compatibility

Version 1.0.4

• Added: Backward compatibility wrappers for function names
• Fixed: Fresh installation compatibility issues

Version 1.0.3

• Fixed: Syntax error in language file
• Improved: Code quality

Version 1.0.2

• Fixed: "Show Disclaimer" default value
• Enhanced: Form behavior consistency

Version 1.0.1

• Fixed: Function names to comply with Moodle frankenstyle standards
• Improved: Code quality and documentation

Version 1.0.0

• Initial Release: Complete Advanced URL functionality
• Features: YouTube embedding, broken link reporting, dashboard
• Security: GDPR compliance and capability-based access

📄 License

This project is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0 - see the LICENSE file for details.

👨‍💻 Author

Walid Alieldin - Email: walid.alieldin@gmail.com - GitHub: @autoscriptor

🙏 Acknowledgments

• Moodle Community for the excellent platform
• Contributors and testers
• Educational institutions providing feedback

📞 Support

• Issues: GitHub Issues
• Documentation: Wiki
• Email: walid.alieldin@gmail.com

🔗 Links

• Moodle.org
• Plugin Directory (Coming Soon)
• Developer Documentation

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Made with ❤️ for the Moodle Community