Moodle Community Sites

Here is the current list of forums for 3rd party modules and plugins in Using Moodle:

Attendance module
Book module
Dialogue module
Exercise module
Flash modules
Journal module
Project module
Questionnaire and Feedback modules
Webquest module

CMS extensions and integrations
Conditional activities
Repositories
Portfolios
Roleplay (and simulations)

These could be moved into a separate course section.

Regarding creating a forum for a new 3rd party module, I vote for Martin deciding whether it's necessary

Totally sounds like an excellent idea.

Just a thought for one step further: in order to reduce some of the traffic in Using Moodle and reduce the confronting size of it a bit, we could put all the 3rd party modules into a new course called "Third party modules" ... I'm worried that this might "segregate them" them too much though. We do need some sort of scalability solution though as the list grows longer. (Just to be clear, I'm all for a forum for every 3rd party module, large or small)

What do you think?

Considering the number of entries currently in the modules and plugins database, if a forum is to be provided for each entry, then a new course with Anthony facilitating sounds more feasible.

Martin - While there may be some segregation, I can see where that might be somewhat beneficial. I also understand the concerns of segregation; however, it seems that the folks that are utilizing and working on CONTRIB code is somewhat of a specialized group. I'm OK either way (either within the Using Moodle course) or its own course. Perhaps if you give yourself some time and the idea of a separate course some time to brew you'll have a greater sense of clarity. My gut reaction is that the separate course idea is a good one. Peace - Anthony

If a separate course for third party modules is set up, it would be helpful to have a way of moving forum discussions from Using Moodle into the course - see MDL-12622.

Regarding greater clarity, I'd like consistency in the name we give to code in contrib. Is it:

• contrib code
• third-party code, or
• non-standard code?

I think "third-party code" is confusing, as it implies that there is some first and second-party code somewhere

The docs wiki currently has categories for non-standard modules http://docs.moodle.org/en/Category:Modules_%28non-standard%29 and non-standard blocks http://docs.moodle.org/en/Category:Block_%28non-standard%29 However, in order to have greater clarity, I'd like to create a higher-level category for all third-party/non-standard code documentation when we agree on the name.

Helen - I agree consistency is important. My vote would be that it be called Contributed Code or contrib code. While I understand the meanings behind third-party and non-standard code, third-party code makes it sound like its less important and non-standard code makes it sound like a deviant. Contrib code strikes me as maintaining that Moodle spirit of generosity as it is code that other users have contributed for evaluation, use, feedback, etc. I think it will help foster (no pun intended) that sense of user's making a real contribution to Moodle by submitting code that they have found helpful. Peace - Anthony

"... non-standard code makes it sound like a deviant." - hehe!

Contrib code seems a good name to me, apart from the fact that you could argue that ALL code is contributed by someone. Anyway, we can always explain the name on the category page in the documentation. Contrib code is easily explained because it's all kept in the contrib folder.

Martin, have you any comments?

Let's agree on calling code in contrib "contributed code" or "contrib code" for short.

Regarding forums for contrib code, I suggest we do as follows:

1. Create a new course section in Using Moodle called Contributed Code.
2. Move all existing contrib code forums (as listed above) into this section.
3. Create new contrib code forums as necessary e.g. separate forums for the feedback and questionnaire modules.
4. Create a new forum in this section for new contrib code. When there's a good discussion in the new contrib code forum about some contrib code, then a new forum can be set up and the discussion moved into it.

Eventually this section will become very large. When this happens we will notify people that all content in the section will be moved into a separate Contributed Code course.

Regarding a new forum for new contrib code, this may include code that is not chronologically new but simply not mature, popular, etc. so perhaps it could simply be named "Contributed code" rather than "New contrib code".

Helen - The more I think about it, based on the number of forums. I think we may be ready to branch out to a new course. I'm attaching a text file outlining how I envision laying out the course. We could have sections for each of the main level items. Perhaps if Martin could take a look at the structure and provide some feedback we could go ahead and move forward by creating the course. There is enough of a distinction that I think it will actually be good for the community to have all the CONTRIB stuff on its own like we do in CVS and the tracker. It seems like a logical next step as Moodle continues to grow . Peace - Anthony

Text file containing a possible way of laying out the Contributed Code course (or section).

We now have a hidden Contributed Code course http://moodle.org/course/view.php?id=1002 with Anthony as facilitator.

From a skype chat with Anthony:

Whilst I think that a contrib course will definitely be the final solution, I also think we need an intermediate stage of rearranging things in Using Moodle to help people get used to the idea of an area focussing on contrib. Also, lots of contrib discussions start in the general dev forum. We can easily move them into a contrib forum in Using Moodle but not into a forum in another course (yet).

I'm going to get started creating a contrib section in Using Moodle and then move all existing contrib forums (as listed above) into it.

Helen - Do you think this is complete enough for us to mark this is as resolved? I think we are good shape for now. Peace - Anthony

The section "Moodle contributed code - help and discussion" in the Using Moodle course seems to be working out fine. New forums can be added as required. The forums can be moved to the currently hidden Contributed Code course when the section becomes too large.

Anthony, thanks a lot for your help