We're using build Moodle 1.9.1+ (Build 20080521) so unless it was released after this then I don't think so. I've been watching the release notes and didn't see a fix in the notes but I could have missed it.

Thanks. Let's hope that they elevate this problem to a priority so that gets fixed sooner than later. Did you file a separate bug in terms of the import content function or were you hoping that they'd read this one and act on it?

First in function backup_gradebook_info it sets $backupall to false, as shown:

// if no user data selected, we do not backup categories
if (!backup_userdata_selected($preferences,$grade_item->itemmodule,$grade_item->iteminstance)) {
$backupall = false;

Meaning, when we get here (shortly below the above code)

// Now backup grade_item (inside grade_category)
if ($backupall) { $status = backup_gradebook_category_info($bf,$preferences); }

Gradebook categories aren't backed up.

And also in the function backup_gradebook_item_info, if the grade_item is of type category it isn't backed-up if $backupall is false:

} else if ($grade_item->itemtype == 'category') {
// if not all grade items are being backed up
// we ignore this type of grade_item and grades associated

if (!$backupall) { continue; }
}

I'm not sure why it's programmed this way, but removing the $backupall conditional statements in backuplib.php will fix the issue of missing categories.

But, manual grade_items which have a calculation are not restored correctly. The new grade_item ID's aren't populated in the calculation when restored and instead the calculation string from the backup file is plugged straight into the database. The id's in the calculation string need to be adjusted to reflect the newly created ID's for the restored grade_items.

solution could be to add some new switch that would force gradebook category import
as a workaround please use full backup/restore for now

I think this is a big disconnect on how Moodle is implemented in US higher education public institutions - not everyone will use this same process, but those of us I know of (community college level, state university level, etc.) use a process similar to that as described above.

I have documentation on this process as well as a video if anyone is interested in a use-case-scenario. Email me at mparke at ccsf dot edu.

Thanks to everyone here for contributing to a fix.