WebCT VistaPowerLinks SDK Overview

Sasan SalariVP, New Technology Services

Head, Vista Developers Network

salari@webct.com

Overview

• WebCT Vista 3.0 contains 4 major areas in the SDK:– System Integration– WebServices– Deployable Components– Reporting Interfaces

Overview

• Each interface offers access to slightly different parts of the Vista Core Framework

Overview

• Each interface also provides a variety of sub-services and ways to get at those services

System Integration

• Focuses on enterprise data integration & bulk transactions

• e.g.:– Courses, Sections, Groups– Users and Enrolments– Bulk file uploads

• Broken into 3 layers– Transport Layer– Translation Layer– Core Layer

• Each layer processes request, then hands it to the next layer

System Integration

System Integration

• Transport Layer:– 3 built-in Adaptors

• WebAPI• Command Line Interface• LDIS (SunGard SCT)

– Option to write your own

System Integration

• Translation Layer:– 3 built-in Adaptors

• IMS• LDIS (SunGard SCT)• Standard

– Option to write your own

System Integration

• Core Layer– Processes final request and

hands actions off to individual Vista services

WebServices

• Focus on “user level” transactions

• Handy for external manipulation/retrieval of user information or course data

WebServices

• Commands are processed by the same services that process UI events

• Proper permissions apply– e.g.: Student cannot edit

Quiz

WebServices

• Supported Interfaces in Vista 3:– Context– Calendar– Gradebook– Mail– File Manager– Quiz & Question

Access Options

3 ways to get at WebServices SDK

.NET DLL Client

Java SDK Client

Vista WebService

s

Vista

Outside World

Direct WSDL in

your favorite

language

Vista Gradebook

Vista Mail Service

Context WebService

• Before you do anything, you have to log in. This is the primary reason for the Context WebService’s existence

• Also provides access to enrollment information

Context WebService

• Functions:– Log a user in, and receive a session object

(must be used in all other WS calls)– Get a list of Learning Contexts a user is

enrolled in, and what roles the user has in those

– Get ID of template associated with LC

Context WebService

• login method can also use Single Sign-On for password-less authentication

• Supporting methods for retrieving section instructor (e.g. for submitting grades)

Calendar WebService

• Gives access to Vista Calendar tool

• Ideal for synchronizing external calendars, scheduling applications & portal channels

• Functions:– Support for full Create, Read, Update, Delete

of calendar entries– Bulk call for retrieving all entries for a user

Gradebook WebService

• Great for assignment or testing integration, portals

• Functions:– Create, read, update, delete for columns,

values, types, meta-data, attributes (25 methods in total)

– Common gotcha: students can not set their own grades; only instructors can do this

Mail WebService

• Good for campus mail integration, portals, implementing outside email in Vista

• Functions:– Create, read, update, delete for messages,

mailboxes (per course), marking mail read/unread

– Support for bulk transactions, attachments

File Manager WebService

• Provides access to Vista file system

• Good for managing content, portals, client integration

• Functions:– Create, read, update, delete for files,

folders, plus duplicate, rename, upload– Editable permissions (read/write)

Assessment WebService

• Access to Vista Quiz/Question engine based on IMS QTI (Question and Test Interoperability)

• Functions:– Create, read, update, delete for questions,

quizzes– All via the IMS QTI format

(http://www.imsproject.org)

Versioning

• All interfaces contain methods for determining version compatibility

• Compatibility guaranteed for at least two major Vista revisions

Now Vista 4.0 Vista 5.0

2005 200X

Documentation

• Full Web Services Javadoc included in SDK Client Distribution

• SDK Programmer’s Guide covers best-practices and higher-level documentation

WebServices

• Example Applications:– Remote mail client– Portal integration– Remote quiz delivery– File uploader

• Added in Vista 2.1• Focused on:

– Authentication of users into/from Vista– Delivering content and applications to

Vista frameset

Deployable Components

Deployable Components

• Authentication Modules (AuthModules for short) enable SSO into Vista

• Format of SSO is up to you; Vista only supplies the framework

• Great for Portals

Deployable Components

• Proxy Tools do the opposite, allowing users to be brought from Vista to another application

• They allow an AuthModule to appear in the UI just like any other tool (Quiz, Mail, etc.)

Deployable Components

Deployable Components

• In Vista 2.1, an XML file was used to create Proxy Tools. Vista 3.0 introduced a very nice, and easy to use UI

Deployable Components

Deployable Components

Deployable Components

Reporting

• WebCT contains vast amounts of data

• Prior to WebCT Vista, this data was stored in a distributed, flat file database

• This made correlation and detailed data analysis almost impossible

Reporting

• WebCT Vista introduced an SQL database server

• With that, detailed analysis became possible, but there was still a problem

Reporting

• The Vista data schema is not exactly intuitive

• The DB is designed for functionality and performance, not for data extraction

• Relevant information can be spread out among many, many tables

• The table schema can change from version to version

Reporting

• The Vista Reporting Interfaces solve these problems by abstracting away from direct DB access

• The result is a set of “safe” database views containing the most relevant data all in one place

Reporting

Reporting: Examples

Vista Enrollment by Department

Reporting: Examples

Vista Tool Usage by Department

Reporting: Examples

Average Final Grade vs Vista

Sessions

Developer Support

• Want to build a Community around Vista PowerLinks

• But How?

• Many different ways…

Vista Developers Network

• Members from Institutional and Commercial partners

• Want to learn more about, or get help with, developing Vista PowerLinks

• Contribute their work to the community

• Active monitoring and participation by WebCT staff

New Site Launched

As of July 12th, 2004:

http://devnet.webct.com

DevNet Features

• Links to WebCT Documentation and Resources

• Contribution Area to Share PowerLinks and Code

• How-To area where users can add their own tips and tricks

DevNet Features

• Frequently Asked Questions

• Discussion Forums

• List of known issues and their workarounds and resolution targets

• + much more…

Sample Contributions

• 12 contributions in the past 2 months

• Examples:– RSS Module– Shibboleth and CAS Authentication– Simple quiz creation from MS Word Template– Utilities for SIS IMS imports– E-mail checker

• Many currently under development

Thank you

Questions?

salari@webct.com

http://devnet.webct.com