An admin tool that allows you to control a block layout across units.
| Moodle Version | Branch |
|---|---|
| Moodle 3.9 - 4.1 | master |
| Moodle 4.4 - 4.5 | MOODLE_404_STABLE |
- Lock down functionality for the blocks in the regions.
- Create locking rules for the regions in the specific course categories (block regions in courses from the selected course categories (including child categories) will be locked according to configured rules).
- Create locking rules for specific blocks in the specific regions of the specific course categories (block rules will override region rules).
- There is Bypass blocks locking ('tool/blocksmanager:bypasslocking') capability that allows users to bypass created locking rules.
- Add a specific set of blocks to the courses in the specific course categories:
- Define region and weight for every block type.
- Set visibility for each block type.
- Reposition or add another block instance if it's already exist in the course.
- Set up config data as a string if required.
- Set whether to show the block in subcontexts.
- Set the page type pattern.
- Add blocks to course module / activity / resource pages.
- Download files or clone the repository to /admin/tool/blocksmanager
- Install the plugin as usual.
This feature allows locking a specific block in a specific region through a selected course category so no one (expect users with 'tool/blocksmanager:bypasslocking') can apply changes to a block configuration in that region.
Actions that could be locked per block:
- configuration
- deleting
- hiding
- moving
To create set of rules to lock blocks, navigate to Site administration > Plugins > Admin tools > Blocks Manager > Blocks management
This feature gives an ability to lock a whole region through a selected course category. That means all blocks in the matching region will be locked from performing configured actions (expect for users with 'tool/blocksmanager:bypasslocking').
Actions that could be locked per region:
- configuration
- deleting
- hiding
- adding blocks to region
- moving
To create set of rules to lock regions, navigate to Site administration > Plugins > Admin tools > Blocks Manager > Region management
This features helps to create blocks in bulk through selected course categories (for example add a calendar block to every course for a selected category).
To do that, navigate to Site administration > Plugins > Admin tools > Blocks Manager > Set up blocks
The form let you to select:
- Region - what region to add a block to (e.g. side-pre, side-post)?
- Block - what block to add?
- Categories - what categories to apply the block?
- Weight - what block weight will be on those pages?
- Config data - does block have any config? Could be applied here (but should be exact string of config that is stored in DB if you would add the block manually)?
- Visible? - is block visible when added?
- Add another instance (if exists)? - if the same block already exists, should we add another instance of that block?
- Update instance (if exists)? - if the block already exists, should we update the block by new settings?
- Reposition instance (if exists)? - if the block already exists, should we reposition the block?
- Show in subcontexts - should the block be displayed on course subpages (e.g. course page and activity pages)?
- Page type pattern - what page should the block be displayed? E.g. course-view-*, mod-assign-view and etc.
- courses: course-view-* (https://examplemoodle.com/course/view.php?id=1)
- assign modules: mod-assign-view (https://examplemoodle.com/mod/assign/view.php?id=1)
- quiz modules: mod-quiz-view (https://examplemoodle.com/mod/quiz/view.php?id=1)
- feedback modules: mod-feedback-view (https://examplemoodle.com/mod/feedback/view.php?id=1)
Once you configured all fields in the form, you click on "Add new line". This will update "Set of blocks" text field with a new configuration line. (This data will be used later for applying blocks.) Once all blocks are added to a set, click 'Apply set of blocks'. The form will be submitted, and the set of blocks will be applied by an adhoc task in the background. This means there will a little delay before you see new blocks appeared.
A CLI script has been added to handle recurring set of blocks. The configuration created in "Set up blocks" can be added to a file, then the script can be called as:
sudo -u www-data /usr/bin/php admin/tool/blocksmanager/cli/blocks_cli_setup.php --filepath=block_setup.txt
The set of blocks will be applied in the same way as previously by an adhoc task in the background.
This plugin was developed by Catalyst IT Australia:
