There are several options for extending the Open edX Platform to provide useful
and innovative educational content in your courses.
This section of the developers' documentation lists and explains the different ways to extend the platform, starting with the following table. Click the name of the extension type in the column header for more information.
and-grading>`_, there is a built-in template in Studio that uses a sample
JavaScript application.
This sample application has students select two different shapes, a cone
and a cube. The correct state is when the cone is selected and the cube is not selected:
.. image:: ../images/JavaScriptInputExample.png
:alt: Image of the sample JavaScript application, with the cone selected
You can `download files for that application <http://files.edx.org/JSInput.zip>`_. You must upload these files in edX Studio to use them in a problem.
The following information uses this example to explain what developers need to know to embed their JavaScript applications in an edX course.
*******************************
Required JavaScript Functions
*******************************
To enable grading of students' interactions, your JavaScript application must contain three global methods:
* ``getState``
* ``setState``
* ``getGrade``
You reference these methods in the XML problem specification, as described below.
====================
getState() Function
====================
Your application must be able to return the state of objects on which grades will be based.
In the template example, grading is based on the the state of the cylinder and cone objects. The state is initialized for the cylinder and cube in the ``WebGLDemo.js`` file:
.. code-block:: javascript
var state = {
'selectedObjects': {
'cylinder': false,
'cube': false
}
}
User interactions toggle the ``state`` values of the cylinder and cube between ``true`` and ``false``.
Your application must contain a ``getState()`` function that is referenced in the XML problem specification and that returns the current state as a JSON string.
The following is the ``getState()`` function in the sample application:
.. code-block:: javascript
function getState() {
return JSON.stringify(state);
}
====================
setState() Function
====================
When a student clicks **Check** for the JavaScript problem, the application's state must be saved so that the student can later return to the application and find it in the same state.
Your application must contain a ``setState()`` function that is referenced in the XML problem specification and that saves the current state.
The following is the ``setState()`` function in the sample application:
The ``updateMaterials()`` function called by ``setState()`` updates the state of the cylinder and cone with the user's current selections:
.. code-block:: javascript
function updateMaterials() {
if (state.selectedObjects.cylinder) {
cylinder.material = selectedMaterial;
}
else {
cylinder.material = unselectedMaterial;
}
if (state.selectedObjects.cube) {
cube.material = selectedMaterial;
}
else {
cube.material = unselectedMaterial;
}
}
====================
getGrade() function
====================
The student's interactions with your application, and the resulting application state, must be able to be graded.
Your application must contain a ``getGrade()`` function that is referenced in the XML problem specification and that returns the current state as a JSON string.
The following is the ``getGrade()`` function in the sample application:
.. code-block:: javascript
function getGrade() {
return JSON.stringify(state['selectedObjects']);
}
The returned JSON string is then used by the Python code defined in the problem to determine if the student's submission is correct or not, as described in the next section.
*******************************
Grading the Student Response
*******************************
The problem definition contains Python code that, when the student clicks **Check**, parses the JSON string returned by your application's ``getGrade()`` function and determines if the student's submission is correct or not.
The following is the Python function ``vglcfn`` in the sample application:
.. code-block:: python
<script type="loncapa/python">
import json
def vglcfn(e, ans):
'''
par is a dictionary containing two keys, "answer" and "state"
The value of answer is the JSON string returned by getGrade
The value of state is the JSON string returned by getState
'''
par = json.loads(ans)
# We can use either the value of the answer key to grade
answer = json.loads(par["answer"])
return answer["cylinder"] and not answer["cube"]
'''
# Or we could use the value of the state key
state = json.loads(par["state"])
selectedObjects = state["selectedObjects"]
return selectedObjects["cylinder"] and not selectedObjects["cube"]
'''
</script>
In this example, the ``ans`` parameter contains the JSON string returned by ``getGrade()``. The value is converted to a Python Unicode (?) structure in the variable ``par``.
In the function's first option, object(s) the student selected are stored in the ``answer`` variable. If the student selected the cylinder and not the cube, the ``answer`` variable contains only ``cylinder``, and the function returns ``True``, which signifies a correct answer. Otherwise, it returns ``False`` and the answer is incorrect.
In the function's second option, the objects' states are retrieved. If the cylinder is selected and not the cube, the function returns ``True``, which signifies a correct answer. Otherwise, it returns ``False`` and the answer is incorrect.
*******************************
XML Problem Structure
*******************************
Following the Python code and any HTML content you want to precede the IFrame containing your JavaScript application, you define the XML for the problem.
The XML problem for the sample template is:
.. code-block:: xml
<customresponse cfn="vglcfn">
<jsinput gradefn="WebGLDemo.getGrade"
get_statefn="WebGLDemo.getState"
set_statefn="WebGLDemo.setState"
width="400"
height="400"
html_file="/static/webGLDemo.html"
sop="false"/>
</customresponse>
As in this example, the JS Input problem is defined in a ``<customresponse>`` element.
The value of the ``cfn`` attribute is the name of the Python function in the problem that evaluates the submission's grade.
The ``<customresponse>`` element contains a ``<jsinput>`` element, which defines how your JavaScript application is used in the course.
Following are details about the attributes of the ``<jsinput>`` element.
===================
jsinput attributes
===================
.. list-table::
:widths: 10 80 10
:header-rows: 1
* - Attribute
- Description
- Example
* - gradefn
- The function in your JavaScript application that returns the state of the objects to be evaluated as a JSON string.
- ``WebGLDemo.getGrade``
* - get_statefun
- The function in your JavaScript application that returns the state of the objects. [NOT CLEAR TO ME WHY YOU NEED BOTH getGrade and setState]
- ``WebGLDemo.getState``
* - set_statefun
- The function in your JavaScript application that saves the state of the objects.
- ``WebGLDemo.setState``
* - width
- The width of the IFrame in which your JavaScript application will be displayed, in pixels.
- 400
* - height
- The height of the IFrame in which your JavaScript application will be displayed, in pixels.
- 400
* - html_file
- The name of the HTML file containing your JavaScript application that will be loaded in the IFrame.
- /static/webGLDemo.html
* - sop
- The same-origin policy (SOP), meaning that all elements have the same protocol, host, and port. To bypass the SOP, set to ``true``.
