Advanced Notifications

Blocks ::: block_advnotifications
Maintained by Zander Potgieter
Easily create, manage and display notifications/alerts to users.
Latest release:
1832 sites
341 downloads
125 fans
Current versions available: 3

TravisCI Pull Requests Welcome


Easily create, manage and display notifications/alerts to users

This block allows users to display DEFCON-like alerts, which are Bootstrap-based, allowing for various configurations.

This could be useful in cases such as alerting users of scheduled outages, welcoming them to your site, teachers can use it to notify users of changes/due dates, etc.

Features


Features:

  • Customisable title & message
  • Basic HTML tags allowed for advanced users
  • Multi-lingual/filter support
  • Multiple types of notifications (Bootstrap-based styles)
  • Type-based icons (optional setting)
  • Dismissible/Non-Dismissible
  • Customisable date range to show notifications
  • Display a notification to the user a set amount of times
  • Instance-based or global/site-wide notifications
  • (NEW) Users (e.g. teachers) can create and manage their own instance-based notifications - disabled by default
  • Enable/Disable a/all notifications (Site-wide and instance-based)
  • Edit/Delete/Restore notifications
  • Option to auto-delete notification after end-date
  • Option to permanently delete notifications that have had the deleted flag for more than 30 days
  • Option to automatically remove user (dismissed/seen) records that relate to notifications that don't exist anymore
  • AJAX used to improve user-experience and simplify processes
  • Live-preview when making/editing a notification
  • Easy to use, but fully documented with all the nitty-gritty information
  • Implements Privacy API (GDPR Compliance)

For full documentation, please check here - or check the plugin's `/docs` directory.


Notification Anatomy

Alert Types


Installation Notice

All the plugin's settings are disabled by default. Enable it upon installation if you wish to start using it immediately or enable it later by navigating to Site Administration > Plugins > Blocks > Advanced Notifications. 


Backwards Compatibility/Progressive Enhancement

Although the plugin works and is usable without JavaScript, it is highly recommended to use the plugin with JavaScript enabled. Using the plugin with JavaScript disabled does not allow for some features to be used to their full potential ranging from dismissing a notification to dynamically editing existing notifications and the live-preview feature - all of which relies on JavaScript in some form to make the user's experience more enjoyable.


Pull Requests

Pull requests are welcome - submit pull requests to address issues, add features, fix typos, anything!

Screenshots

Screenshot #0
Screenshot #1
Screenshot #2
Screenshot #3
Screenshot #4

Contributors

Zander Potgieter (Lead maintainer)
Please login to view contributors details and/or to contact them

Comments RSS

Comments

  • bobby demers
    Fri, 25 Jan 2019, 2:51 PM
    Hi Zander.
    It must be the Moodle version then. The full message is:

    Debugging output enabled
    Downloading block_advnotifications ...
    <- https://moodle.org/plugins/download.php/18798/block_advnotifications_moodle36_2019012311.zip
    -> /var/moodle_data/temp/core_plugin/code_manager/distfiles/4789cdcac10e2b655fe3e9de9a62bba9.zip ... OK
    Validating block_advnotifications ... Error
    [OK] Name of the plugin to be installed [advnotifications]


    [OK] Plugin version [2019012311]
    [Error] Required Moodle version [2018051703]
    Installation aborted due to validation failure

    Thanks

    bobby
  • Zander Potgieter
    Tue, 29 Jan 2019, 5:15 AM
    No worries, Bobby! ;)
  • Amanda Doughty
    Wed, 29 May 2019, 11:49 PM
    This block is awesome! Thank you
  • Zander Potgieter
    Thu, 11 July 2019, 11:17 AM
    Thanks Amanda! Thank you for helping to improve the plugin too.
    https://github.com/learningworks/moodle-block_advnotifications/issues/21
  • Samuel Sánchez sanz
    Wed, 29 Apr 2020, 5:24 PM
    Hola

    Habría alguna forma de que incrustarlo en la pagina de inicio de un curso, y que se pueda configurar para solamente un curso y para unos alumnos determinados

    gracias
  • Zander Potgieter
    Wed, 3 June 2020, 1:07 PM
    Hola, Samuel!

    Tuve que usar el Traductor de Google, lo siento si no está traducido correctamente ...

    Sí, puede agregarlo a un solo curso y cualquier alerta que agregue a ese bloque solo aparecerá en ese bloque (no haga clic en "Notificación global" cuando lo configure).

    Limitarlo solo a ciertos estudiantes en un curso aún no es realmente posible; no puede limitarse a usuarios o grupos específicos en un curso. Una forma de hacerlo es dar a los estudiantes un rol único en el curso, agregar el bloque al curso y establecer los permisos en el bloque para que solo ese rol pueda ver el bloque.

    Espero que se haya traducido correctamente, de lo contrario, necesitaré algo de ayuda de la comunidad si ven esto. smile

    Siéntase libre de crear un 'Problema' en GitHub o enviar una Solicitud de extracción. Espero que esto ayude.

    Gracias,
    Zander
    ---------------------------------------------
    Hi there, Samuel!

    I had to use Google Translate, so sorry if it's not translated correctly...

    Yes, you can add it to a single course and any alerts you add to that block will only appear in that block (don't click "Global notification" when setting it up).

    To limit it to only certain students in a course is not really possible yet - you can't limit to specific users or groups in a course. One way you could do it is to give the students a unique role in the course, add the block to the course and set the permissions on the block so only that role can see the block.

    Hopefully that translated correctly, otherwise, I'll need some help from the community if they see this. smile

    Feel free to create an 'Issue' on GitHub or submit a Pull Request. Hope this helps.

    Thanks,
    Zander
  • Renee Doehrel Rhodehamel
    Tue, 7 July 2020, 11:31 PM
    Hello. Does this work at the course level, so that a instructor can send out a message to only the students in their course (not global messages). We cannot get the configuration to work. Our instructor role seems to be blocked from adding notifications. Only admins can create messages.
  • Zander Potgieter
    Wed, 8 July 2020, 7:43 AM
    Hi Renee,

    I think this is a combination of being a bug and a feature I've been meaning to add. I've created an issue on GitHub - https://github.com/learningworks/moodle-block_advnotifications/issues/24 - to track this and fix it in (hopefully) the near future. Anyone is also free to submit a pull request to implement this if they have time. smile

    Thanks,
    Zander
  • Renee Doehrel Rhodehamel
    Wed, 8 July 2020, 8:14 AM
    Zander - Thanks for the fast reply. It seems like the site admin would also need to be able to block the permission for the instructors to send out global notifications.

    Renee
  • Zander Potgieter
    Wed, 8 July 2020, 10:01 AM
    Yeah, I'd likely make it so that only admins can create notifications by default (as is the situation currently) and roles needing to be given express permission - using Moodle's permissions system. This will prevent existing users of the plugin from being surprised by their teachers/instructors all of a sudden being able to make notifications in a new version of the plugin.

    Thanks,
    Zander
  • Health & Safety Training Ninja
    Fri, 23 Oct 2020, 10:06 PM
    After testing this plugin, I realise there is no way to selectively choose, which notification(s) are displayed in any given 'Advanced Notifications' block when added.

    I believe it will just show all notifications created when adding the block.

    So, for example, I thought this was a brilliant solution as I wanted to put these Advanced Notifications into specific courses, so I can display course specific info messages/ notifications on a particular course.

    However, It doesn't look like I can achieve this without the ability to select, which notification(s) should be displayed in any particular block added to a course or elsewhere.

    Is there any chance of adding this feature as it would vastly improve the functionality and flexibility of this plugin?

    Great job btw, just hoping I can use this in the above scenario.
  • Zander Potgieter
    Mon, 16 Nov 2020, 7:56 AM
    Hi Steve,

    maybe you're looking for more than just this, but you should be able to do it by unticking the "Global notification?" checkbox when you create a notification. Global notifications show in all Advanced Notifications blocks (as global ones are usually very important - site going down for maintenance, etc), but if it's not global, it should only display for the block it was created in.

    In short, you need to go into the course you want to add the unique message to, turn editing mode on, add the 'Advanced notifications' block, click the cog/configure button for the block and select "Manage notifications" from the dropdown, create the course-specific notification, make sure "Global notification?" is unchecked, click "Save". Your new notification should now only show in that course.

    Two things to note:
    * Global notifications are shown everywhere there is an Advanced Notifications block
    * You need to create the non-global notification from the block you want it to appear in, and leave 'Global notification' unchecked.

    Hope that helps! smile

    Thanks,
    Zander
  • Santos M
    Sat, 5 Dec 2020, 3:21 AM
    Nice plugin, when will it be available for version 3.10?
  • Zander Potgieter
    Wed, 9 Dec 2020, 7:39 AM
    Hi Santos,
    I suspect it should still work for Moodle v3.10 - but I will test it soon and officially update it.
    Thanks,
    Zander
  • Zander Potgieter
    Fri, 18 Dec 2020, 12:26 PM
    Hi Renee (& others interested), the plugin has been updated to now support users to manage their own notifications. Give the role(s) you want the permission `manageownnotifications` and they will be able to make their own instance-based (not global) notifications.
    More info here: https://github.com/learningworks/moodle-block_advnotifications/issues/24

    This update also ensured the plugin supports Moodle v3.10!

    Hope this helps!

    Thanks,
    Zander smile
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