Return to Resource_Types.tex CVS log

Up to [LON-CAPA] / loncom / html / adm / help / tex

- Fix typo.
- Wording change: Resource behavior preferred to Resource role.
- Compromise to support display in both contextual online help, and aggregated
  in manual (PDF).
  - Identify the "section" by name, because the \ref is converted to a question
    mark icon only, and not a number in online help context.

\label{Resource_Types}

LON-CAPA provides several types of resources for organizing your course website. 
Resource behavior is determined by file extension. Valid extensions are:
.xml, .html, .xhtml, .htm, .xhtm, .problem, .page, .sequence, .rights,
.sty, .task, .library, .js, .css, .txt.

\begin{itemize}
\item A \textbf{.css} cascading style sheet file \index{.css}\index{css}\index{cascading style sheet} 
can be published for use in multiple courses.
Use of a specific CSS style within a resource can be set using an html tag within a text
block that refers to a class by name, where the class is included in the
published css file.  You would specify use
of the css file with a $<$link$>$ tag, and indicate a file dependency with
an allow tag (if the $<$allow$>$ tag is not specified LON-CAPA should add it
at the first publication step).

\begin{verbatim}
<startouttext />
<link rel="stylesheet" index="11"
href="/res/yourname/yourpath/testcss.css" type="text/css" />
<span class="Yellow">After the Earth and Mars, which other body in our
solar system is thought to be the next most likely site for finding
life?</span><endouttext />
<allow src="/res/yourname/yourpath/testcss.css" />

where testcss.css contains:

.Yellow {
  color: yellow;
}
\end{verbatim}

It also possible to indicate use of a css file within a course,
course-wide, for a specific folder, or specific resource etc, by setting
the parameter: CSS file to link [Part: 0] (cssfile).

\item A \textbf{.html} HTML file\index{HTML file}\index{content page}\index{.htm, .html, xhtm, xhtml}, 
(formerly known as a Content Page), displays course content. It is a conventional HTML page. 
These resources use the extension
{}``.html''. By using the ``New File..'' dropdown, you can enter a file name with one
of the other extensions, htm, xhtml, xhtm, xml. For more information see the section \ref{Content_Page_Overview}.

Although the extensions: xhtml and xhtm imply that the file should be
xhtml compliant (i.e., be a valid document, according to w3c validation
meaning (amongst other things): all elements closed; attributes
case-sensitive; attributes required by certain elements, certain
specials characters need to be included as entities in some attributes
etc.), LON-CAPA does not test whether a document with an xhtml extension
is actually valid xhtml.

Files of type .xml are supported for legacy files, but it is suggested that new files
are one of the html varieties. See also the .library file description for xml.

\item A \textbf{.problem} Problem\index{problem}\index{.problem} resource represents problems for the students
to solve, with answers stored in the system. These resources are stored in
files that must use the extension {}``.problem''. Problems are coded in a combination
of Perl and xml markup tags. Most of this manual concerns authoring problems. For an overview
see the section \ref{Problem_Types}

\item A \textbf{.page} Page\index{page}\index{.page} is a type of \textbf{Map}\index{map} which
is used to join other resources together into one HTML page. For example,
a page of problems will appears as a problem set. These resources are stored
in files that must use the extension {}``.page''. 

For performance purposes it is best not to include too may resources in a
.page (8 would be a good limit; and likely fewer if maxima or R are
required for computation).  The course editor offers similar tool called 
a ``Composite page'' which resides within a course rather than in the published
repository.

The underying XML structure, and 
behavior of a .page file are the same as used for a ``Composite page'',
which can be added to a course using the Course Editor.  One difference
between the two is that for a .page in Authoring Space,  one of the
Authoring Space editors (Simple Edit or Advanced Edit) will be used to
modify the contents of the file, whereas for a Composite Page, the
course editor is used.  

Options for reuse of a course Composite page are: (a) use cloning to copy
everything from the old course to the new; (b) as course coordinator, 
copy the Composite map into the Course Editor's clipboard, change role to 
course coordintator in a different course, and past the item
into the other course from the Course Editor's clipboard.

The course manual describes ways to combine resources in folders, 
which is an alternative to creating composite pages. The advantage of a .page
is that they can be printed all at once. The disadvantage is that once a .page
is published, the contents are more difficult to change. Publishing a .page
in the repository is suggested if the content does not need to change.

For more information on .pages, see the section \ref{Sequence_Page_Maps}

\item A \textbf{.js} javascript file contains javascript code which might be referenced
with HTML in a textblock in a LON-CAPA problem in a manner similar to a .css file.

\item A \textbf{.library} library file contains LON-CAPA XML which can be imported into
other .problem files.  Typically a .library file will hold commonly used subroutines, or 
data structures (to be called in
LON-CAPA perl script blocks).  It is included in a problem in the
colorful editor by using the ``Import a File'' selection in a dropdown
list in the colorful editor.

\item A \textbf{.sequence} sequence\index{sequence}\index{.sequence} is a type of \textbf{Map}\index{map}
which is used to link other resources together. The users of this resource
can use links to follow the
sequence. Sequences are stored in files that must use the extension {}``.sequence''.
Sequences can contain other sequences and pages.

A published sequence contains XML which describes which LON-CAPA resources are to be
grouped together in a folder. If a .sequence file is imported in its entirety 
then there is limited
control over which specific resources are shown, and in which order. The
``Randomorder'' and ``Randompick'' checkboxes in the Course Editor can be
used to cause the resources to be displayed in a randomorder (randomized
for each user), and to display M of the total N resources in the
sequence (again the choice of which M are shown is randomized for each
user).  By contrast, if the ``Import from Assembled Map'', 
a ``Select Map'' link will allow all resources in the
published sequence to be imported into the current folder, as distinct
resources, allowing them to be reordered, and cut/removed, as preferred
using the standard Course Editor tools.

Conditional sequences are published sequence files for which conditions
have been specified for one or more links between resources in the map.
 These have to be created using the ``Advanced Edit'' button when creating
a new sequence file in Authoring Space.  These are the types of sequence
for  which a student's progress through a series of resources can be
specified. Grading of conditional sequences can be complicated.

\item A .rights file is used to specify custom access rights for a published
resource. The access rights to apply to a specific resource are
specified on publication (or republication) of the resource.  A .rights
file also must be published to be selectable during resource publication
as a ``Custom Distribution File'' when ``Customized right of use ...'' is selected from the
``Copyright/Distribution'' dropdown list. See the section \ref{Publishing_Copyright}.

\item A .sty is a LON-CAPA style file used to apply custom styling to specific
tags in a LON-CAPA problem. The styles defined in the file can be applied to display of all
resources in a course using:

Main Menu-$>$Modify course configuration-$>$Display of resources
(checked) + click ``Display'' button-$>$Click ``Select Style File'' link (
Default XML style file item) to launch window to select published .sty
file, then click ``Save Changes'' in main window.

Style files can contain different instructions for different
targets (e.g., web or tex). For example, the following style file would replace 
the $<$h1$>$-tag in all
incorporated pages by the annoying $<$blink$>$-tag:

\begin{verbatim}
<definetag name = "h1">
   <meta></meta>
   <render>
      <web><blink></web>
      <tex>\section{</tex>
      <latexsource>\section{</latexsource>  
  </render>
</definetag>


<definetag name = "/h1">
   <meta></meta>
   <render>
      <web></blink></web>
      <tex>}</tex>
      <latexsource>}</latexsource>  
  </render>
</definetag>
\end{verbatim}

To use the .sty in a course, within the course, In PARM - ``Set Course Environment'' 
you can specify a style file for your course under ``Default XML Style File''.

When printing, LON-CAPA will use the tex \textbackslash section as 
$<$h1$>$-rendering.

Note that .css is perhaps a more modern way to acheive formatting.
 
\item A \textbf{.task} task file is a bridge task file. Bridge tasks permit
assessment using rubrics. See the Bridge Task section \ref{BridgeTask_About}.
\end{itemize}