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Bulk imported portfolios attachments location
07 July 2025, 22:11
Mahara version 25.04
We are running some tests of the bulk import functionality in Mahara as described here https://manual.mahara.org/en/25.04/administration/experimental.html. We have a cohort of students who are using a different ePortfolio system (a plugin to Moodle I believe) and we want to move them to using Mahara.
The users are doing Leap2A exports of their portfolios, then we are building the import zip as described here https://manual.mahara.org/en/25.04/administration/experimental.html#bulk-import-from-scratch.
The import appears to work correctly for the portfolio pages. We get new users created, their portfolios and pages are created. The blocks in the portfolios that have file attachments get created but the links to the files do not work. They are not rendering as links.
On the webserver I can see in the maharadata folder an import folder which contains the user folders and the attachments in there. I assume those files should be moved to the artefact folder in a specific folder within there. I can't see where the files are being copied to so as the links don't work I'm assuming that the files are only in the import folder not in the artefact folder for the user to access. I also cannot see the files in the file picker when masquerading as the newly created user.
Does anyone have any idea what the expected behaviour is for the importing?
I would also be interested to know if the import script is going to have a file picker option. I think I saw an issue in the GIT repo from a few years about this but it has not progressed.
08 July 2025, 12:22
Hi James,
Some questions to track down where to check on our end:
- Are you testing on 25.04.0 or 25.04.1?
- What version are you upgrading / updating from where the attachments are correctly linked up?
Kind regards,
Doris
08 July 2025, 23:39
Hi Doris,
I'm currently testing on 25.04.0. The other ePortfolio tool is not a version of Mahara. It is a Sales force tool called 'Application Portfolio Manager'. I don't have access to the tool myself. I have just been sent the exported zip files from that tool.
Do let me know if you need any more details.
Thanks
James
09 July 2025, 10:06
Hi James,
From what I've gathered, you have been given Leap2A exports from a non-Mahara e-portfolio system.
The experimental bulk import feature not been tested to import accounts from non-Mahara platform, as we don't know what content to expect. Because of this, the attachments don't link up the same way they did on the previous platform.
Can you please provide an example of a problematic Leap2A so we can see what is being imported and why it may be resulting in mis-linked file attachments?
Best,
Doris
11 July 2025, 22:46
Hi Doris,
I've attached a zip of the exported portfolio. Hopefully it will help find out what the issue is.
16 July 2025, 10:59
Hi James,
Thanks for providing some examples.
Non-working example
<entry>
<id>portfolio:view329</id>
<title>emily test course</title>
<content type="xhtml">
<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<div>
<div><strong>assignment 1</strong><br/>Attached file: <a href="portfolio:artefact669" rel="leap2:has_part">assignment 1(Hurricane_Assignment.docx)</a></div>
</div>
</div>
</content>
<link rel="leap2:has_part" href="portfolio:artefact669"/>
<rdf:type rdf:resource="leap2:entry"/>
<link rel="leap2:is_part_of" href="portfolio:view:coursework"/>
<mahara:artefactplugin mahara:type="html" mahara:plugin="internal"/>
<published>2017-04-24T03:03:55+00:00</published>
<updated>2017-04-24T03:03:55+00:00</updated>
</entry>
But there isn't a matching entry for the referenced file 'Hurricane_Assignment.docx'. Without the reference, Mahara doesn't know to import it.
Working example
The following export involves a note block with an image in the content that also has an attachment and successful imports. There is an entry for the note content as well a separate entry for the referenced file.
This one is for an image that's part of the note content
<entry>
<title>fix-it-felix.jpg</title>
<id>portfolio:artefact214</id>
<updated>2025-07-15T22:18:00+00:00</updated> <published>2025-07-15T22:18:00+00:00</published> <content type="xhtml"><div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><div></div></div></content>
<rdf:type rdf:resource="leap2:resource"/>
<mahara:artefactplugin mahara:type="image" mahara:plugin="file"/> <link rel="enclosure" type="image/jpeg" href="export_info/files/214-fix-it-felix.jpg"/>
<link rel="leap2:is_part_of" href="portfolio:view33"/>
<category term="Offline" scheme="categories:resource_type#" label="File"/>
</entry>
This one is for an attachment
<entry>
<title>Note!</title>
<id>portfolio:artefact216</id>
<updated>2025-07-15T22:18:11+00:00</updated> <published>2025-07-15T22:18:11+00:00</published> <content><p>A note!!</p>
<p><img width="355" alt="" role="" aria-hidden="" loading="lazy" src="https://main.local/artefact/file/download.php?file=214&amp;embedded=1&amp;textbox=216" /></p></content>
<rdf:type rdf:resource="leap2:entry"/>
<mahara:artefactplugin mahara:type="html" mahara:plugin="internal"/> <link rel="leap2:is_part_of" href="portfolio:view33"/>
<link rel="related" href="portfolio:artefact215"/>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>Matrix picture curry.png</title>
<id>portfolio:artefact215</id>
<updated>2025-07-15T22:18:09+00:00</updated> <published>2025-07-15T22:18:09+00:00</published> <content type="xhtml"><div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><div></div></div></content>
<rdf:type rdf:resource="leap2:resource"/>
<mahara:artefactplugin mahara:type="image" mahara:plugin="file"/> <link rel="enclosure" type="image/png" href="export_info/files/215-Matrix picture curry.png"/>
<category term="Offline" scheme="categories:resource_type#" label="File"/>
</entry>
11 July 2025, 11:49
Hi James,
Out of curiosity, do the files come along when a person imports their Leap2A archive file via Main menu > Manage > Import?
Are you making sure not only to import the XML file but the entire Leap2A archive, i.e. a Zip file, that contains the files?
Thank you
Kristina