This document outlines the requirements for the Data Manager application built on the ACS 5.2 platform.

Most of object implied in the learning process can and should be reused, may be another time or may be in another computer. Data Manager package allows you to move .LRN objects from one class of community to another one. It also provides de possibility of export an object to a file and import it into another .LRN instance. Once a class or community is designed, this is, taks to be resolved and objects that takes part into this tasks, next step is to put all this events into the plattform. Obviously, it must be done by the administrator or the professor, while the student is just an spectator.

Since the aim of this package is to move and copy objects created by another packages, and to do this from a unique interface, here is a brief list of several objects and the task allowed by them. Faqs: A faq can be disabled and enabled later. When a faq is disabled it does not appear in the community home, but it continue belonging to this community. You can also delete a Faq, but with this you don't delete any data from the database and neither you can recover the erased object. News: You can tag a New as archived, but it does not means that the object has been moved or deleted. Forums: As wells as faqs, a forum can be disabled and enabled. A forum cannot be deleted. Assessment: The assessment package provides de functionality to export and import to an QTI file. User portlet: File Storage Folders: A single file can be moved, copied and deleted. A folder can be deleted. When a item is deleted, it cannot be recovered.

Datamanager package does not create new tables into data model, because it does not need any persistent data. The main task of the aplication is to provide a unique interface to move and copy objects, which implies that the database values must be modified. That means: this package does not need its own tables in the data model, but it has the functionality of changing the values of tables created for another packages.

Involved roles are administrator and profesor, and tipical use cases in which datamanager can be used are: A profesor has done a mistake, so he has created an object into another community. He does not want just to delete this object, he would want to move it to the correct community. An object has been created, but it has been an error. The tipical procedure is to delete this wrong object or to move it to a invisible place. The period of a class has been finished, and the profesor want to reuse the objects in the next period or class. Here, the desired issue is to be able of copying objects, so the ended class can be archived without changes and the new one has all the required contents. Tipically, only the object root is needed. This is, avoiding to copy all the students comments. Despite of this, the two scenarios can take place. The platform will be instaled in a newer computer, or a new release of the platform leads the administrator to a migration of the system. In this case, the administrator can export objects to an xml file and later he will import them into the new instance of the platform. A platform has a really interesting object, so it is desirable to use this objects into another platforms, or just to store it into a file and place this file into a file server. With this, you allow another profesors to improve his own platforms using your interesting contents. In this case, the profesor will export the object to an XML file.

Data Manager package only can be used by professors and administrators, so there are two different interfaces. Both of them are linked form the administration page (/dotlrn/control-panel).

A professor is able to move, copy, delete, export and import objects. Move Provide a list of objects from which the professor has permissions. Provide a way to select objects from this list. Provide a list of communities or classes where the object will be moved. Provide a confirmation page. Copy Provide a list of objects from which the professor has permissions. Provide a way to select objects from this list. Provide a list of communities or classes where the object will be copied. Provide a confirmation page.no Delete Provide a list of objects from which the professor has permissions. Provide a way to select objects from this list. Provide a confirmation page. Export Provide a list of objects from which the professor has permissions. Provide a way to select objects from this list. Allow to choose the filename. Provide a confirmation page. Import Allow to select a XML local file. Provide a list of communities or classes where the object will be imported. Provide a confirmation page.

All the requirements listed at , and the capability to recover data from the Trash. Recover Provide a list of objects stored in the Trash. Provide a way to select objects from this list. Provide a list of communities or classes where the object will be stored.. Provide a confirmation page.

User directory: /datamanager/ TCL procedures: /datamanager/tcl/datamanager-procs.tcl This document: /datamangar/www/doc/datamanager_spec.html

Data Manager package aims to provide a centralized interface which allow users to move, copy, export and import objects. Main tips related with the aplication desing are exposed here.

The API will be defined during the development phase.

Regresion test will be implemented to check all the functionalities.

The first release is designed to work with forums, faqs, assessment, news, folders and user portlets. Next releases will implement the same features for all the objects in the platform.

Please, mail suggestions or bug reports to Luis de la Fuente (lfuente@it.uc3m.es).

Document revision Action Taken Date(dd/mm/yyyy) Author 0.1 Creation 24/06/2005 Luis de la Fuente