WebCT Vista PowerLinks SDK Overview Sasan Salari VP, New Technology Services Head, Vista Developers Network

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

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 WebServices 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 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 (

Versioning All interfaces contain methods for determining version compatibility Compatibility guaranteed for at least two major Vista revisions Now Vista 4.0Vista X

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

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

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

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 12 th, 2004:

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 – checker Many currently under development

Thank you Questions?