30 April 2011, 4:29

Hi,

My institution is progressively rolling out Mahara to students, accessed by single sign-on from the main Moodle site.

All students are post-19 and many are fairly competent at simple PHP. From our pilot groups, the most skilled users are already asking if they can create themes (not simply select them), and my response has been that if they created a theme in a test Mahara site, I could upload these, and then they could select them.

But this approach has drawbacks. Firstly it double handles everything, and involves me testing however many themes I get sent to see if they are suitable for general use (not causing any white-outs or unreadable colour combinations anywhere). Secondly it means the theme list could rapidly fill with themes designed by and for individuals. I see that as an untidy solution.

So my question is: has anyone experimented with user themes? For example, could I get the theme selector to include themes placed in a user/theme folder? This plainly would mean the theme could only appear in that user's views; which sound just right to me.

A theme can readily mess up or even white out a user's views - but by its very nature would I be correct in claiming that that could not possibly affect other user's or the site itself?

Any input would be appreciated.

Regards,

John

30 April 2011, 11:37

I've created user created skins... There is too little time, to get them into official Mahara 1.4, but I've been told, they will appear in Mahara 1.5.

If you would like to try them, login with test account (user: test, password: test140test) at http://mahara.ledina.org/DEV/

Feedback appreciated.

Kind regards,
Gregor

30 April 2011, 14:31

Gregor, this is an awesome test site, you've been a busy boy...I also like what I see of the questionnaires.

Permission to show this briefly at imoot and CanadaMoot over the coming week?

01 May 2011, 7:36

Permission granted...

Questionnaires have been renamed to surveys and I expect to complete them till the end of May/beginnig of June...

I'll announce it on this forum.

Regards,
Gregor

02 May 2011, 7:50

Thanks Gregor:

I demonstrated the skins and surveys yesterday for iMoot and will again tomorrow and then Wednesday for Canada Moot. Good interest, and I for one very much look forward to the release of the surveys.

30 April 2011, 14:54

Gregor,

As Don says that's awesome. Its exactly what I need.

If its not coming until 1.5 will that arrive before next academic year (Sept 2011)?

Or can you publish the code mods for 1.3 or 1.4?

I am really keen to get going with this. Many thanks for your excellent work.

John

30 April 2011, 19:19

I just listened to a great presentation on Mahara 1.4 at iMoot and 1.5 is probably not coming until 2012.

Paul

30 April 2011, 20:11

Hello Paul,

As I said in the presentation, we do not yet have a date for 1.5, but looking at the last release cycles, 1.5 may not come before 2012. However, that does not mean that you cannot use the skins feature before that. Once it is ready and reviewed, you may be able to include that feature in your 1.4 installation, i.e. "cherry-pick it". That depends on how the code is integrated.

Gregor: Can you please provide an update on how ready you think the skins are for use or if it needs to go into core Mahara?

Cheers

Kristina

01 May 2011, 7:39

Krisitna, I've done my part, rebase skins to current Mahara core about two weeks ago. It's all up to Richard, Francois or Andrew - they need to review it.

I will definitelly rebase it to official Mahara 1.4 and post it somwehere if anybody will be interested to use it with 1.4.

Regards,
Gregor

01 May 2011, 14:24

Gregor,

I for one would very much appreciate that, so that as soon as we are able to move to 1.4 we could add your code.

Regards,

John