OLAT Online Learning And Training OLAT Development Framework

OLAT - Online Learning And Training OLAT Development Framework Better than Struts, more than JSF for JUGS Felix Jost, Dezember 2005 JGS goodsolutions Gmb. H 1 © 2005 JGS goodsolutions Gmb. H

Agenda • • • 2 What is OLAT Why build an own framework? Live-Programming-Demo Lessons learned in three years The future, Questions & Answers, Discussion © 2005 JGS goodsolutions Gmb. H

What is OLAT • Strategic Learning Management System of the University of Zürich • Used by about 11 Universities and about 8 „Fachhochschulen“ 3 © 2005 JGS goodsolutions Gmb. H

OLAT Development I • 1. x Prototyp phase – Projectstart Spring 1999 – Developed für Veranstaltung „Einführung in Informatik I“ at If. I – PHP, PHPLib, My. SQL (LAMP) • 2. x Migration phase – Start „Java Rebuild“ 2002 – Release 2. 0 Frühjahr 2003 – New Java Framework + new Java Code + old PHP Funktionality 4 © 2005 JGS goodsolutions Gmb. H

OLAT Development II • 3. x New Softwarearchitecture – – – Release 3. 0 Sommer 2004 100% pure Java Clean component based Architecture Simple but efficient Development-Framework Built to scale (Campus-Size LMS) Multilingual (de, fr, it, en, . . . ), UTF-8 • 4. x (Current System) – Konsolidating Framework, Extension Points (Spring FW) – About 1400 Java classes – Creation of JGS goodsolutions Gmb. H (official Uni ZH Spin off) – A growing open source community 5 © 2005 JGS goodsolutions Gmb. H

OLAT Buzzwords Kommunication Technical Shibboleth (AAI) My. SQL XML Linux Hibernate J 2 EE Web. DAV RSS Client / Server HTTP SSL Jabber IM XStream Velocity Content IMS Content Packaging UTF-8 SCORM Development Java MVC Ant j. Unit Eclipse Open. Source Bugzilla CVS 6 CSS Docbook IMS Question & Test Interoperability (QTI) HTML 4. 01 Transitional WYSIWYG Java. Script ELML © 2005 JGS goodsolutions Gmb. H

Own Framework • 2003 – Jpublish and Templates (good for a CMS) – There was Struts, no JSF: but simple page flows – Existing good systems are not open source • • 7 End of 2003: Crisis and parallel development Today: like Java Server Faces, but much more This speech focuses on the GUI-Part of the framework More conzepts and code for – Message Bus – RSS, Web. DAV – own Virtual File System (VFS) –. . . © 2005 JGS goodsolutions Gmb. H

OLAT Software Architecture 8 © 2005 JGS goodsolutions Gmb. H

Design decisions • We wanted to have – Fun while developing (quick development, but still control) – Swing like coding (no URLs, no state worries, no Req/Res) – Easy to debug (events, clear resposibilities, no bytecodemanipulation) – Good look and feel (CSS, Usability guidelines) • What we did – Look und Feel mit CSS – Program swing-like with Windows, Panels, Layouts, Forms, Tables, . . . – Event-based: event -> dispatch -> rerender – Layouter have their own files (HTML-Fragments) – Language Translators have their own online tool – Business workflows are reusable! 9 © 2005 JGS goodsolutions Gmb. H

Repository Data Managers XML x. Streams GUI Elements Generic Controllers Hibernate / JDBC Java API 10 Groups Forrum SCORM IMS QTI IMS CP SCORM Course File Groups IMS QTI Home IMS CP OLAT System Architecture OLAT Application Course OLAT Framework Web. DAV, RSS, Mail J 2 EE Servlet API Libraries © 2005 JGS goodsolutions Gmb. H

Development framework 11 © 2005 JGS goodsolutions Gmb. H

GUI Elements 12 © 2005 JGS goodsolutions Gmb. H

Live Demo • Develop some tasks the customer group set us • Adapt to changing workflows – “no, the form comes here!. . “ – „we need a confirmation dialog here“ • Even do the english translation and some look and feel! 13 © 2005 JGS goodsolutions Gmb. H

Lessons learned • A CMS Framework can never make a LMS • Do not underestimate migration issues • People first need to know that they are using a webapplication, not a website • Always use or develop a good framework • You cannot be a product manager -and- an architect guy 14 © 2005 JGS goodsolutions Gmb. H

The future • LMS Features: Release 4. 1, see 07/10/2020 ww. olat. org • Technical Features: • AJAX Integration – Don't hype too much (WEB 2. 0? !? ) – Drag & Drop C/S – Component reload for faster navigation – Server push (e. g. Chat, shared screens etc) • More flexible layouting of forms • . . . ? ? ? 15 © 2005 JGS goodsolutions Gmb. H

Develop with us • 07/10/2020 ww. olat. org Open Source Homepage – About 20 downloads per day – 3 -4 posts a day on the mailinglists – Technical documentation online 16 © 2005 JGS goodsolutions Gmb. H

Contact 17 © 2005 JGS goodsolutions Gmb. H