Moodle plugins directory: Collapsed Topics | Moodle.org
Collapsed Topics
An interchangeable topic or week (day for 2.3.1+) based format that solves the issue of the 'Scroll of Death' when a course has many topics / weeks. All sections except zero have a toggle that displays that section. One or more sections can be displayed at any given time. Toggles are persistent on a per browser session per course basis but can be made to persist longer by a small code change. Full installation instructions, code adapt-ions and credits are included in the 'Readme.md' file.
If you have a course with more than fifty two sections then currently the toggle persistence will not work for the fifty third section and above. Then you need to upgrade to the Moodle 2.5 version+.
Support:
The format comes with NO support. Please see the 'Support' section in 'Readme.md' file that comes with the format. This is because the format is complex and I regret that I don't have the time / resources to freely assist with questions pertaining to specific enhancements / changes / knowledge improvement.
I will investigate genuine bugs and issue fixes in a timescale set by myself. When reporting issues you MUST clearly state the full version and release of both Moodle and the Collapsed Topics format as contained within their 'version.php' files - if not it takes me longer to figure out, often resulting in me asking for the details anyway and slowing the process of solving your problem down. It really helps to read the 'Reporting Issues' section in the 'Readme.md' file and upload and describe in detail the issue you are having on the 'Course formats' forum.
Book:
NEW: 'The Complete Guide to Collapsed Topics' (and 'Blurb') book is now available, covering: installation, upgrade, uninstallation, course and global features, resetting, capabilities, language strings, overriding icons / styles in a theme and adding a new icon set.
NOTE: The latest version incorporates functionality to support new UK / EU Cookie Law which is implemented as a user acceptance in the 1.9 version and no 'cookie' is used at all in 2.x versions.
Screen casts:
Privacy API support starts with V3.3.1.2 for M3.3 and V3.4.0.2 for M3.4 where the API has been implemented in the minor release of Moodle.
Screenshots
A -> Use CSS.
B -> Use the 'View single section enabled' setting in the course format settings of the course settings.
G
Coding error detected, it must be fixed by a programmer: Request for an unknown renderer format_topcoll, course, general
You've probably deleted the renderer.php file or something like that.
G
thanks for all your work. When will this plugin be ready for moodle 3.9+ ?
???? It has been for ages! -> https://moodle.org/plugins/format_topcoll/versions.
G
When using this plugin - we get four extra blocks in the course (when the course is created with Collapsed Topics format). Or, when we import a course, and import into Collapsed Topics. The "extra" blocks are: "Search Forums", "Latest News", "Upcoming Events", and "Recent Activity". We really like the Collapsed Topics Format - however, is there a way to turn off the blocks so that they don't appear in the courses by default? We're even have a bit of "extra issues" when we create courses using the Ellucian ILP interface- we get two each of the 4 blocks instead of just one of each of the blocks. So - a few questions:
1) Are the 4 blocks even supposed to be there?
2) If they are supposed to be there - Is there a way to turn them off?
3) Any idea why duplicates are being created at times?
4) Any suggestions for troubleshooting these issues?
Love the tool, thanks for the work that you do for the community.
1) Yes.
2) See the config.php file in the format.
3) No.
4) See 2.
Kind regards,
Gareth
Version 3.9.1.5 (2020071810) update is causing an issue on some of my sites of Moodle 3.9.8. It is not allowing the upgrading process to complete. Sample error output is listed below.
Invalid get_string() identifier: 'pluginname' or component 'block_accessibility'. Perhaps you are missing $string['pluginname'] = ''; in /lang/en/block_accessibility.php?
line 353 of /lib/classes/string_manager_standard.php: call to debugging()
line 7401 of /lib/moodlelib.php: call to core_string_manager_standard->get_string()
line 58 of /course/format/topcoll/settings.php: call to get_string()
line 110 of /lib/classes/plugininfo/format.php: call to include()
line 59 of /admin/settings/plugins.php: call to core\plugininfo\format->load_settings()
line 8672 of /lib/adminlib.php: call to require()
line 821 of /admin/index.php: call to admin_get_root()
Invalid get_string() identifier: 'pluginname' or component 'block_ajax_marking'. Perhaps you are missing $string['pluginname'] = ''; in /lang/en/block_ajax_marking.php?
line 353 of /lib/classes/string_manager_standard.php: call to debugging()
line 7401 of /lib/moodlelib.php: call to core_string_manager_standard->get_string()
line 58 of /course/format/topcoll/settings.php: call to get_string()
line 110 of /lib/classes/plugininfo/format.php: call to include()
line 59 of /admin/settings/plugins.php: call to core\plugininfo\format->load_settings()
line 8672 of /lib/adminlib.php: call to require()
line 821 of /admin/index.php: call to admin_get_root()
It looks like you have some contributed blocks that do not define the standard 'pluginname' string that they should do. Please contact their developers and / or add the strings to the plugins.
G
No documentation yet. Its to do with being able to specify the default blocks upon creation of a Collapsed Topics course via the UI. See: https://docs.moodle.org/dev/Course_formats#Default_blocks.
Gareth
We are on Moodle 3.9.9 (Build: 20210729) and Collapsed Topics format_topcoll 3.9.1.5 2020071810
Course designers have created some very long courses (70+ sections, 300+ activities) and since the upgrade to 3.9.9 Moodle (maybe before) we find that although students can load the page OK, we get a php timeout for editors and admins.
Strangely if we switch the course to "topics" course format it loads fine and if we switch editing on using "collapsed topics" course format it loads fine. It is just when editing is not on, but the role is teacher or admin, the load times out.
It is of course possible to extend the php timeout, but that is currently set at a minute and such a long page load needs to be fixed.
I have of course requested course designers to remove hidden content which was being kept as a sort of course archive to reduce the overhead, but wonder if you are aware of any known issues or bugs on collapsed topics? We have a couple of courses which take less than the full minute (so they don't time out) but still take 40-50 seconds to load.
Thanks if you can help us understand what is going on with collapsed topics.
Best regards
Brian
If you could fire up a M3.11 test server and install the same course etc. and install https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=425903, then if that is a big improvement, I'll expedite the backport to M3.9.
Gareth