DataPlus – Databases for Moodle

DataPlus for Moodle 2.3 is available at https://moodle.org/plugins/pluginversions.php?plugin=mod_dataplus.

DataPlus, from it’s creation, has supported Smarty (PHP) templates.  Moodle HQ dropped the Smarty library from version 2.2.2, meaning that supporting it’s use falls for more heavily to me.

There seems to be little actual use of it and, in theory, some possibility of security issues etc.  From the next release of DataPlus, Smarty support will be dropped.   There will be increased exposure of data and improved escaping in the JavaScript template to compensate (these will be documented further when the release takes place).  The last version of DataPlus, with Smarty bundled, will continue to be available.

Finally completed a working beta for Moodle 2.0 today including import from Moodle 1.9.  You can get it from the download page.  I’d very much appreciate your comments.

Once this is past, there will be a new version with…

• Renderer support
• MP4 and Flash field types
• Expand collapse options for templates
• Mobile view and input templates

Plus a new, better, set of documentation.

There are two small new features in the beta.  A ‘clear all data’ option for editors to empty all records but keep the templates and data structure (useful if you want to import the database to use as the basis of another instance of the module but obviously to use with caution) and the ability to show an unlimited number of records on the view screen (useful for some folks engaged in template building).

Hopefully the file will be here tomorrow.