This document provides an introduction to Moodle development. It outlines the necessary tools and steps to create a basic "Hello World" block, including using language files for localization, implementing capabilities, scheduled execution, and asking questions. The presenter provides background on their Moodle experience and the session objectives are to create a basic block, add configuration options, and display data based on a user's capabilities and scheduled execution. A number of development tools are also briefly outlined.

1. Introduction to Moodle Development
Jonathan Moore
Founder

2. Oklahoma Moot 2010 Edition

3. Background and context
● Managed thousands of Moodle sites
● Managed millions of Moodle user accounts
● Over 10 years experience with Moodle
● Dozens of Moodle dev and reporting projects
● Tuning, scalability, and performance expert
● Author of Moodle Module Development

4. Things you need
●
Local Moodle installation
– https://download.moodle.org/macosx/
– https://download.moodle.org/windows/
●
Text editor
●
Thinking cap!

5. Format / objectives
● Create a 'Hello World' block
● Use language files for localization
● Implement capabilities
● Scheduled execution
● Ask questions!
● Share your tips

6. Getting to know you
● How many new developers?
● How technical are you?
● Are you new to Moodle?
● Does anyone know PHP already?

7. Getting to know you
● What are you hoping to learn today?
● What is your ultimate goal?

8. What is a block?

9. Moodle source folder

10. Finding your source folder

11. Hands-on
● Install local Moodle
● Find source code folder

12. Minimal block requirements
● Choose a block name (ex helloworld)
● Block folder in /block (ex /block/helloworld)
● block_name.php (ex block_helloworld.php)
– Extend block class
– Define init()
– Define get_content() function
● Create language file

13. Language files
● Moodle supports unicode for localization /
multi-language support
● Stored in /lang folder of module
● Each language gets its own folder
ex/lang/en_utf8
● Assigns to global $string hash

14. Hands-on
● Download newblock template
– https://github.com/danielneis/moodle-
block_newblock
● Rename references from newblock to helloworld
● Install into Moodle

15. Settings
● Stores individual block instance configuration
● Requires
– Settings.php
– edit_form.php

16. Hands-on
● Create configuration option to set block text

17. Hands-on
● Display user's firstname in block

18. Capabilities
● Define access limits / powers for users
● Modules can check for capabilities and limit access
● Can use built-in and custom created capabilities

19. Hands-on
● Add capability to view block

20. Scheduling execution
● Update init() function
– $this->cron = 5; //where 5 is minutes between runs
● Define cron() function

21. Hands-on
● Add a cron call for our block

22. Developer tools

23. PhpStorm IDE

24. More tools
● Git – code management
– see github and bitbucket services
● Xdebug – debugger
● Code checker – style checker
● PHP Unit – code level testing
● Behat – browser automation

25. And more dev tools
● Moodle Development KIT (MDK)
● MOOSH
● XHProf
● GRUNT – Bootstrap tool
● Shifter – Javascript compiling

26. What we do
● Expert advice and eLearning program review
● Evangelism and training
● Instructional design
● Custom development
● Reporting
● System tuning
● Performance assessment

27. Questions?
● http://elearningconsultancy.com
● jonathan@elearningconsultancy.com
● Twitter: @moorejon
● Skype: moorejon07