Collapsed Topics

Course formats ::: format_topcoll
Maintained by Gareth J BarnardGareth J Barnard
An interchangeable topic or week based format that solves the issue of the 'Scroll of Death' when a course has many topics.
Latest release:
5186 sites
2k downloads
160 fans
Current versions available: 27

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.

The Complete Guide to Collapsed Topics book


The Complete Guide to Collapsed Topics book on a book stand


Inside the Complete Guide to Collapsed Topics.


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

Screenshot #0
Screenshot #1
Screenshot #2
Screenshot #3
Screenshot #4
Screenshot #5
Screenshot #6
Screenshot #7

Contributors

Gareth J Barnard
Gareth J Barnard (Lead maintainer)
Please login to view contributors details and/or to contact them

Comments RSS

Comments

  • Gareth J Barnard
    Wed, 25 Sept 2019, 1:27 AM
    Hi Shannon,

    With the links, currently not. I changed the format from core as the 'Course layout' setting could be confusing. However is 'linkcoursesections' admin setting enabled so that the navigation links act as anchor links?

    G
  • Virgil Ashruf
    Mon, 10 Feb 2020, 7:14 PM
    I have added a piece of javascript to a client's theme to handle the opening of sections with the nav drawer items. It's quite simple.

    window.onhashchange = function() {
    $(location.hash + ' .toggledsection').addClass('sectionopen');
    }
  • Gareth J Barnard
    Tue, 11 Feb 2020, 3:27 AM
    Hi Virgil,

    Nice idea, but it does not take into account the toggle persistence functionality.

    G
  • Gareth J Barnard
    Tue, 11 Feb 2020, 3:30 AM
    PS.... and the toggle is wrong because you've not set 'toggle_open'.
  • Lisa Kupfer
    Thu, 12 Mar 2020, 6:33 PM
    Hello!
    We have recently found out that Collapsed Topics are shown differently in our Internet Explorer/Microsoft Edge (the segments are not shown completeley or sometimes twisted) - in Firefox or Chrome Browser they appear normal. Is there any known issue with different browsers? We use Windows 10, Moodle 3.8, Collapsed Topics is also updatet on Version 3.8.
  • Gareth J Barnard
    Sat, 14 Mar 2020, 9:07 PM
    Hi Lisa,

    Please could you post a screen shot here: https://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?id=47 - with exact version information of both Moodle and CT along with steps to replicate.

    G
  • Milan Sadil
    Thu, 26 Mar 2020, 4:25 AM
    Would it be possible to increase maximum number of sections? Currently it is possible to set it to 56, but I receieved a requirement to have more.
  • Shaun T
    Thu, 26 Mar 2020, 5:51 AM
    Hi, when editing is turned on in the course the section names are hard to read the text is getting different colour then what is specified in the settings. We also have a similar issue when loading courses on mobile. The section name colour is too dark and I can find a place to change it.
  • Gareth J Barnard
    Thu, 26 Mar 2020, 5:57 AM
    Dear Shaun,

    This will be down to other CSS somewhere that is out of the control of the format. Please investigate and solve locally.

    Kind regards,

    Gareth
  • Gareth J Barnard
    Thu, 26 Mar 2020, 6:00 AM
    Dear Milan,

    The format uses the core settings for the number of sections, hunt out a core 'maxsections' type setting as an administrator.

    Kind regards,

    Gareth
  • Liko Purba
    Wed, 22 Apr 2020, 7:27 PM
    I install it on Moodle 3.8.2 and my moodle get "error/generalexceptionmessage". I can't access my moodle. I have to replace moodle's folder with fresh moodle download and replace the config file with my old config. The moodle then detect the faulty plugin (with it's database) and remove them.
  • Gareth J Barnard
    Thu, 30 Apr 2020, 6:32 PM
    Dear Liko,

    Where there any errors in the PHP error log?

    Please post details on https://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?id=47.

    G
  • Liko Purba
    Tue, 5 May 2020, 7:39 PM
    Dear Gareth

    Post there already since the error occurred but no one respond
    https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=401417
  • Gareth J Barnard
    Tue, 5 May 2020, 7:44 PM
    See my reply Liko and you post might have moved to https://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?id=47
  • Shannon Freeman
    Sat, 20 June 2020, 3:13 AM
    Hi Gareth, I'm so sorry--I missed your response to my question FOREVER ago. I asked if it was possible to make the links on the left column open up the sections on the right. You replied by asking me if the linkcoursesections admin setting is turned on > YES, it is turned on.

    Right now, if users click on the topic name in the left-hand navigation box, the link DOES move that topic to the top of the page but doesn't open it (so for most users, it's more confusing than helpful). In an ideal world, I'd love for those links to be .../course/view.php?id=253&section=6 (which opens the topic in its own window) instead of .../course/view.php?id=253#section-6 (which just scrolls to the top of that topic on the full page but doesn't open it if it's closed).
Please login to post comments