Annotation of loncom/html/adm/help/tex/Resource_Types.tex, revision 1.6

1.2       bowersj2    1: \label{Resource_Types}
1.1       bowersj2    2: 
1.4       lira        3: LON-CAPA provides several types of resources for organizing your course website. 
                      4: Resource roles are determined by file extension. Valid extensions are:
                      5: .xml, .html, .xhtml, .htm, .xhtm, .problem, .page, .sequence, .rights,
                      6: .sty, .task, .library, .js, .css, .txt.
1.1       bowersj2    7: 
                      8: \begin{itemize}
1.4       lira        9: \item A \textbf{.css} cascading style sheet file \index{.css}\index{css}\index{cascading style sheet} 
                     10: can be published to use in multiple courses.
                     11: Use of a specific CSS style within a resource can be set using an html tag within a text
                     12: block that refers to a class by name, where the class is included in the
                     13: published css file.  You would specify use
1.5       raeburn    14: of the css file with a $<$link$>$ tag, and indicate a file dependency with
                     15: an allow tag (if the $<$allow$>$ tag is not specified LON-CAPA should add it
1.4       lira       16: at the first publication step).
                     17: 
                     18: \begin{verbatim}
                     19: <startouttext />
                     20: <link rel="stylesheet" index="11"
                     21: href="/res/yourname/yourpath/testcss.css" type="text/css" />
                     22: <span class="Yellow">After the Earth and Mars, which other body in our
                     23: solar system is thought to be the next most likely site for finding
                     24: life?</span><endouttext />
                     25: <allow src="/res/yourname/yourpath/testcss.css" />
                     26: 
                     27: where testcss.css contains:
                     28: 
                     29: .Yellow {
                     30:   color: yellow;
                     31: }
                     32: \end{verbatim}
                     33: 
                     34: It also possible to indicate use of a css file within a course,
                     35: course-wide, for a specific folder, or specific resource etc, by setting
                     36: the parameter: CSS file to link [Part: 0] (cssfile).
                     37: 
                     38: \item A \textbf{.html} HTML file\index{HTML file}\index{content page}\index{.htm, .html, xhtm, xhtml}, 
                     39: (formerly known as a Content Page), displays course content. It is a conventional HTML page. 
                     40: These resources use the extension
                     41: {}``.html''. By using the "New File..." dropdown, you can enter a file name with one
                     42: of the other extensions, htm, xhtml, xhtm, xml. For more information see the section \ref{Content_Page_Overview}.
                     43: 
                     44: Although the extensions: xhtml and xhtm imply that the file should be
                     45: xhtml compliant (i.e., be a valid document, according to w3c validation
                     46: meaning (amongst other things): all elements closed; attributes
                     47: case-sensitive; attributes required by certain elements, certain
                     48: specials characters need to be included as entities in some attributes
                     49: etc.), LON-CAPA does not test whether a document with an xhtml extension
                     50: is actually valid xhtml.
                     51: 
                     52: Files of type .xml are supported for legacy files, but it is suggested that new files
                     53: are one of the html varieties. See also the .libary file description for xml.
                     54: 
                     55: \item A \textbf{.problem} Problem\index{problem}\index{.problem} resource represents problems for the students
1.1       bowersj2   56: to solve, with answers stored in the system. These resources are stored in
1.4       lira       57: files that must use the extension {}``.problem''. Problems are coded in a combination
                     58: of Perl and xml markup tags. Most of this manual concerns authoring problems. For an overview
                     59: see the section \ref{Problem_Types}
                     60: 
                     61: \item A \textbf{.page} Page\index{page}\index{.page} is a type of \textbf{Map}\index{map} which
                     62: is used to join other resources together into one HTML page. For example,
                     63: a page of problems will appears as a problem set. These resources are stored
                     64: in files that must use the extension {}``.page''. 
                     65: 
                     66: For performance purposes it is best not to include too may resources in a
                     67: .page (8 would be a good limit; and likely fewer if maxima or R are
                     68: required for computation).  The course editor offers similar tool called 
                     69: a "Composite page" which resides within a course rather than in the published
                     70: repository.
                     71: 
                     72: The underying XML structure, and 
                     73: behavior of a .page file are the same as used for a "Composite page",
                     74: which can be added to a course using the Course Editor.  One difference
                     75: between the two is that for a .page in Authoring Space,  one of the
                     76: Authoring Space editors (Simple Edit or Advanced Edit) will be used to
                     77: modify the contents of the file, whereas for a Composite Page, the
                     78: course editor is used.  
                     79: 
                     80: Options for reuse of a course Composite page are: (a) use cloning to copy
                     81: everything from the old course to the new; (b) as course coordinator, 
                     82: copy the Composite map into the Course Editor's clipboard, change role to 
                     83: course coordintator in a different course, and past the item
                     84: into the other course from the Course editor's clipboard.
                     85: 
                     86: The course manual describes ways to combine resources in folders, 
                     87: which is an alternative to creating composite pages. The advantage of a .page
                     88: is that they can be printed all at once. The disadvantage is that once a .page
                     89: is published, the contents are more difficult to change. Publishing a .page
                     90: in the repository is suggested if the content does not need to change.
                     91: 
                     92: For more information on .pages, see the section \ref{Sequence_Page_Maps}
                     93: 
                     94: \item A \textbf{.js} javascript file contains javascript code which might be referenced
                     95: with HTML in a textblock in a LON-CAPA problem in a manner similar to a .css file.
                     96: 
                     97: \item A \textbf{.library} library file contains LON-CAPA XML which can be imported into
                     98: other .problem files.  Typically a .library file will hold commonly used subroutines, or 
                     99: data structures (to be called in
                    100: LON-CAPA perl script blocks).  It is included in a problem in the
                    101: colorful editor by using the "Import a File" selection in a dropdown
                    102: list in the colorful editor.
                    103: 
                    104: \item A \textbf{.sequence} sequence\index{sequence}\index{.sequence} is a type of \textbf{Map}\index{map}
1.1       bowersj2  105: which is used to link other resources together. The users of this resource
1.4       lira      106: can use links to follow the
1.1       bowersj2  107: sequence. Sequences are stored in files that must use the extension {}``.sequence''.
                    108: Sequences can contain other sequences and pages.
1.4       lira      109: 
                    110: A published sequence contains XML which describes which LON-CAPA resources are to be
                    111: grouped together in a folder. If a .sequence file is imported in its entirety 
                    112: then there is limited
                    113: control over which specific resources are shown, and in which order. The
                    114: "Randomorder" and "Randompick" checkboxes in the Course Editor can be
                    115: used to cause the resources to be displayed in a randomorder (randomized
                    116: for each user), and to display M of the total N resources in the
                    117: sequence (again the choice of which M are shown is randomized for each
                    118: user).  By contrast, if the "Import from Assembled Map", 
                    119: a "Select Map" link will allow all resources in the
                    120: published sequence to be imported into the current folder, as distinct
                    121: resources, allowing them to be reordered, and cut/removed, as preferred
                    122: using the standard Course Editor tools.
                    123: 
                    124: Conditional sequences are published sequence files for which conditions
                    125: have been specified for one or more links between resources in the map.
                    126:  These have to be created using the "Advanced Edit" button when creating
                    127: a new sequence file in Authoring Space.  These are the types of sequence
                    128: for  which a student's progress through a series of resources can be
                    129: specified. Grading of conditional sequences can be complicated.
                    130: 
                    131: \item A .rights file is used to specify custom access rights for a published
                    132: resource. The access rights to apply to a specific resource are
                    133: specified on publication (or republication) of the resource.  A .rights
                    134: file also must be published to be selectable during resource publication
                    135: as a "Custom Distribution File" when "Customized right of use ..." is selected from the
                    136: "Copyright/Distribution" dropdown list. See the section \ref{Publishing_Copyright}.
                    137: 
                    138: \item A .sty is a LON-CAPA style file used to apply custom styling to specific
                    139: tags in a LON-CAPA problem. The styles defined in the file can be applied to display of all
                    140: resources in a course using:
                    141: 
1.6     ! raeburn   142: Main Menu-$>$Modify course configuration-$>$Display of resources
        !           143: (checked) + click "Display" button-$>$Click "Select Style File" link (
1.4       lira      144: Default XML style file item) to launch window to select published .sty
                    145: file, then click "Save Changes" in main window.
                    146: 
                    147: Style files can contain different instructions for different
                    148: targets (e.g., web or tex). For example, the following style file would replace 
1.5       raeburn   149: the $<$h1$>$-tag in all
                    150: incorporated pages by the annoying $<$blink$>$-tag:
1.4       lira      151: 
                    152: \begin{verbatim}
                    153: <definetag name = "h1">
                    154:    <meta></meta>
                    155:    <render>
                    156:       <web><blink></web>
                    157:       <tex>\section{</tex>
                    158:       <latexsource>\section{</latexsource>  
                    159:   </render>
                    160: </definetag>
                    161: 
                    162: 
                    163: <definetag name = "/h1">
                    164:    <meta></meta>
                    165:    <render>
                    166:       <web></blink></web>
                    167:       <tex>}</tex>
                    168:       <latexsource>}</latexsource>  
                    169:   </render>
                    170: </definetag>
                    171: \end{verbatim}
                    172: 
                    173: To use the .sty in a course, within the course, In PARM - "Set Course Environment" 
                    174: you can specify a style file for your course under "Default XML Style File".
                    175: 
                    176: When printing, LON-CAPA will use the tex \textbackslash section as 
1.5       raeburn   177: $<$h1$>$-rendering.
1.4       lira      178: 
                    179: Note that .css is perhaps a more modern way to acheive formatting.
                    180:  
                    181: \item A \textbf{.task} task file is a bridge task file. Bridge tasks permit
                    182: assessment using rubrics. See the section \ref{BridgeTask_About}.
1.1       bowersj2  183: \end{itemize}

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