What is the ilm-application.xml descriptor file

The descriptor file ilm-application.xml uses the XML sintax to inform all the main data necessary to create a new iLM inside iAssig(nment)/Moodle.

It is a mandatory file of any IPZ package, that basically is ZIP to import a new iLM into any iAssig(nment)/Moodle. Besides the ilm-application.xml, any IPZ package must have all the necessary files of the iLM.

The ilm-application.xml must provide the main information to insert a new entry in the iAssig(nment)/Moodle table {iassign_ilm}. The necessary fields of {iassign_ilm} that ilm-application.xml must provide are: name, version, type, description, url, extension, file_jar, file_class, width, height, evaluate, reevaluate, editingbehavior, submissionbehavior, action_buttons.

An example of the sintax of ilm-application.xml file

Here is an example of ilm-application.xml descriptor file:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<application xmlns="https://www.matematica.br/ia/about_ilm-application.html">
  <name>iVProg</name>
  <url>http://www.usp.br/line/ivprog</url>
  <version>1.0.20230504</version>
  <type>HTML5</type>
  <description>{"en":"Interactive Visual Programming on the Internet (HTML5)","pt_br":"Programação visual interativa na Internet (HTML5)"}</description>
  <extension>ivph</extension>
  <file_jar>ivprog/</file_jar>
  <file_class>ivprog/index.html</file_class>
  <width>900</width>
  <height>800</height>
  <evaluate>1</evaluate>
  <reevaluate>1</reevaluate>
  <editingbehavior>1</editingbehavior>
  <submissionbehavior>0</submissionbehavior>
  <action_buttons>1</action_buttons>
</application>

Explained ilm-application.xml file

On the previous section we presents the 15 necessary field to insert in {iassign_ilm} table, the name of these field are in green color (note that their name are used as a tag name).

Bellow we presents a brief explanation of each tag ({iassign_ilm} fields).

name	:	the iLM name (must have at most 20 characters, with no special char)
version	:	the version numer (like 1.0.2023_05_09)
type	:	"Java" or "HTML5"
description	:	the iLM description in this format: {"en":"Interactive Geometry on the Internet","pt_br":"Geometria Interativa na Internet"}
url	:	the main URL of this iLM
extension	:	the extension of any file to this iLM (e.g. "geo" to iGeom and "ivph" to iVProg)
file_jar	:	the path to the initial iLM file (it is heritage of the first iAssign implementation in 2003, was only to Java)
file_class	:	the initial file (now using HTML/CSS/JS must be some "index.html", perhaps with some directory)
width	:	the iLM width (define the width frame of the iLM)
height	:	the iLM height (idem to height)
evaluate	:	1 (if the iLM has automatic evaluation, must return a number between 0 and 1) or 0 (if not)
reevaluate	:	1 (if the iLM has a method automatic evaluation, must return a number between 0 and 1) or 0 (if not)
editingbehavior	:	1 (the auto-evaluation remains working over a solution sent by the student - a counter-example is iGeom Java)
submissionbehavior	:	1 (the iLM has its own submition button) or 0 (it does not has submition button, must use the form one)
action_buttons	:	1 <=> do not use the submition button of the form (i.e., action_buttons=1 implies that iAssign will NOT present form submission button, the submition must be effectuated by the self iLM, using the iAssign JS function "window.jsAnalyseAnswer()")