Collapsed Topics is 14!
Introduction
On the 18th February 2023, I was improving Collapsed Topics with the consequence of updating the Changes.md file. This lead to me scanning through all that I had done since its creation. Then I realised that the first version (0.1) was released on the 21st February 2009, and thus its fourteenth birthday would be on the 21st February 2023. I had to do something to celebrate this event.
Disclaimers
Firefox® is a registered trademark of the Mozilla Foundation.
Moodle™ is a registered trademark of ‘Martin Dougiamas’ – moodle.com/trademarks.
Other names / logos can be trademarks of their respective owners. Please review their website for details.
I am independent from the organisations mentioned and am in no way writing for or endorsed by them.
The information presented in this article is written according to my own understanding, there could be technical inaccuracies, so please do undertake your own research.
References
- Collapsed Topics – moodle.org/plugins/format_topcoll
- Moodle forum post – moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=444143
- YouTube video – youtu.be/dVYlSvGUqFM
The event
Collapsed Topics was developed in the time of Moodle 1.9 and backported to 1.8. So what better way to celebrate than to get a Moodle 1.9 up and running and make a video of the first version running? So I did!
The video
With an ‘event’ that shows the date, for which I had to alter ‘weblib.php’ in order to extend the year range. As Moodle 1.9 is hard coded only to run up to 2020 in that respect.
If you’d like to try for yourself, then you can get the code from a post I created – moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=444143 – you will need a copy of Moodle 1.9, for which there are installers still available, download.moodle.org/macosx/ and download.moodle.org/windows/.
Thoughts
Collapsed Topics and Moodle has come a long way, in what in reality is a short length of time. Looking at what it once was though, you can see how I’ve maintained the fundamental objective of the format as a solution to the ‘scroll of death’.
Conclusion
Please do say what you think in the comments.
- Moodle 4 Security – A Review – 16th April 2024
- A little bit #fab – 16th March 2024
- Static framework – 16th February 2024
Hi, I´ve got problem with the 4.2 moodle version, Topcoll crash system. When will it be avaible for 4.2 moodle version?
Hello. The plugin has a README file, and it gives direction on where to post quests and bug reports etc. You should do that in the correct way, as it will reach the developer directly 🙂
Wow – that takes me back !
As I recall I started using Moodle at version 1.3, and I remember 1.9 very fondly 🙂