Course Tool Plugins

Course tool plugins add new tools to the course homepage alongside built-in tools like Documents, Exercises, and Forums.

How Course Tool Plugins Work

When a plugin registers itself as a course tool:

1. It appears in the course homepage tool grid

2. Teachers can show/hide it like any other tool

3. Clicking the tool opens the plugin's interface within the course context

Registering as a Course Tool

In your plugin class, set $isCoursePlugin = true. To automatically add a tool icon to the course homepage, also set $addCourseTool = true:

class MyToolPlugin extends Plugin
{
    protected function __construct()
    {
        parent::__construct('1.0', 'Author');
        $this->isCoursePlugin = true;
        $this->addCourseTool = true;
    }
}

Per-Course Settings

Define course-level configuration fields via the $course_settings property:

public array $course_settings = [
    ['name' => 'my_plugin_enabled', 'type' => 'checkbox', 'default' => false],
    ['name' => 'my_plugin_limit',   'type' => 'text',     'default' => '10'],
];

These appear in the course settings panel and can be validated by overriding validateCourseSetting(string $variable) (return false to reject a value) or acted on via course_settings_updated(array $values).

Installation and Uninstallation

To register the plugin fields across all existing courses on install:

public function install(): void
{
    $this->install_course_fields_in_all_courses(add_tool_link: true);
}

To install into a single course (e.g., when a new course is created):

$this->course_install(courseId: $courseId, addToolLink: true);

To remove fields from a specific course:

$this->uninstall_course_fields(courseId: $courseId);

Integration Points

Course tool plugins integrate through:

• LegacyPluginCourseTool (src/CoreBundle/Tool/LegacyPluginCourseTool.php) — Registers the plugin as a tool in the course

• CToolStateProvider (src/CoreBundle/State/CToolStateProvider.php) — Resolves which tools (including plugin tools) appear on the course homepage

• The tool appears in the CTool collection for the course

Course Context

When a learner clicks your plugin's tool, your plugin code runs within the course context. You can access:

• The current course (via api_get_course_id() or the CID request store)

• The current session (if applicable)

• The current user

• Course-level plugin settings

Examples

Built-in course tool plugins:

• BigBlueButton (Bbb/) — Video conferencing within courses

• Zoom (Zoom/) — Zoom meetings within courses

• OnlyOffice (Onlyoffice/) — Document editing within courses