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
I already have a course working and I wondering if I instal the TC do I need to make the course from the beginning, or can I modified the one that I already have.
The problem may have been caused by a rocky installation. I first downloaded and attempted to install a slightly older version of TC, noticed that there was a newer version available (released the day before I did the install) and downloaded and attempted to install that one instead.
I'll try a fresh install with the latest version of TC and let you know how it goes.
D.
Thanks Donna, I 'm glad the information I provided helped.
Collapsed Topics v2.3.9.1 (2012101800)
I'm getting a Plugin dependencies check saying that Collapsed Topics requires Moodle 2012062502.05.
That's an earlier version of the Moodle build than I have, no? What are my options?
BTW: This is the same message I got in the earlier installation attempt.
If you are getting the message then it means that you need a later version of Moodle, in this case: 2.3.2+ (Build: 20121005). It is this way because the format depends on core code that is subject to change. So when core changes are made, I keep track of them and implement them as soon as I can updating to the last dependent version I can for the code changes. Otherwise, the code would fail.
You have two options:
1. Update Moodle to 2.3.2+ (Build: 20121005) or above.
2. Go back to a previous version of Collapsed Topics, I suspect 2.3.8.1 given the date.
I'm sorry it has to be this way, but there are a few changes going on in core at the moment in this area. Normally not much happens. I have no choice but to support the latest version when I perform updates.
Cheers,
Gareth
(Aside: I don't have a problem with the plugin requiring a later version of Moodle, but maybe the dependency check should mention Build 20121005 then, and not 2012062502.05.)
Perhaps it should. This is a Moodle core thing as 2012062502.05 is the branching date followed by a version - there is a 'docs' page that explains this somewhere.
Cheers,
Gareth
I have raised MDL-36227 (http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-36227) - please feel free to vote for it.
Cheers,
Gareth
It is unusual that a plugin relies on a minor release, but as already stated in the 'Readme.txt' file it relies on Moodle 2.3.2+, version 2012062502.05 (Build: 20121005) because of MDL-31976 and MDL-35276. I take great pride in testing as much as possible and do not put in such a version constraint for no reason. The current particular release was in fact tested on a slightly later version. I work on the basis that the latest version supports the latest stable release of Moodle (with all the new features and fixes that that brings), otherwise I would be getting requests to update the code to the new version. It is far better to recommend an upgrade to a new version of Moodle rather than a downgrade to get something working.
The changes that MDL-31976 and MDL-35276 introduce change the parameter signatures of core functions. And as I inherit from the 'format_section_renderer_base' class in '/course/format/renderer.php' (a superb new object orientated polymorphic feature of Moodle 2.3 I might add, that speeds up development) I need to keep my code compatible. To save you some time, the following is the specific differences on GitHub you need to look at: https://github.com/gjb2048/moodle-format_topcoll/commit/7420849c623f2192cf76cb383e247c669e7338bb#renderer.php.
Cheers,
Gareth
BTW, one of our consultants mentioned to me that the + / - buttons are not present with the collapsed topics format. This is a new feature in the core formats in 2.3 which allow easy adding and removing of topic sections without having to edit the course settings. I'm sure people would love if it could support that feature some day.
Thanks again
Ash
No problem.
Please tell the consultant that the + / - buttons 'are' present with the format if you look at the bottom right in editing mode (same place as topics format). If they are not, then most likely a theme hiding issue. It took me a while when I originally upgraded the format to 2.3 get this working.
Cheers,
Gareth
I noticed one thing that may cause serious problems. In your db/upgrade.php you call course_get_format(...)->restore_topcoll_setting(...)
restore_topcoll_setting() is the function defined only in your class, so it really worth it checking if this is an instance of your format.
I'm just imagining the following scenario (I did not try it though):
1. user created a course in topcoll format
2. user changed the format from topcoll to topics (but he still uses topcoll format on his site for other courses)
3. user tries to upgrade topcoll format, there is an entry in table format_topcoll_settings for this course but it's format is different. course_get_format() returns an instance of format_topics. There is a fatal error "function does not exist" during upgrade.
Another thing is that I'm not sure why do you ever need restore_topcoll_setting() function and I don't like at all substituting of $this->courseid inside it. This can end up with completely unpredictable results. For example, get_course() will still return cached object of other course data.