View source for Developer Area/Import//Export/HTML Export

Mahara's HTML export is implemented as a plugin for Mahara's [[../../../../Developer Area/Import//Export/Export API|"Export" plugin type]]. It allows Mahara to export portfolios as standalone HTML websites, easily viewed in a standard web browser. It is '''not''' possible to import from this format again.

<div id="section_1">

===Architecture===

The HTML export plugin lives in <code>htdocs/export/html/</code>. The export plugin itself handles the exporting of Views, while offloading the export of Artefacts to the associated artefact plugins. If artefact plugins want to export data to the HTML export, they need to add an <code>export/html/lib.php</code> file which implements the class <code>HtmlExport</code> which extends <code>HtmlExportArtefactPlugin</code>.

</div><div id="section_2">

===Implementation===

A directory is set up in which the exported data should be generated. This is known to the exporter as <code>$this-&gt;rootdir</code>. In this directory, directories for artefact plugins, views and static data are set up.

<div id="section_3">

====Artefacts====

Each artefact plugin is in charge of exporting its own artefacts. Each one has a 'fileroot' property which points to the directory where it should write its files. The artefact plugin is free to write whatever it needs there, including creating any subdirectories.

If creating a templated file, such as an index.html for a directory, the artefact plugins should call <code>$this-&gt;exporter-&gt;get_smarty($rootpath)</code> to get the smarty object they need. The <code>$rootpath</code> is a relative path to the root of the export from where the file is to be written, and is used to create links in the templates back to the homepage of the export, among other things.

Artefact plugins should test that files/folders are able to be created, and throw SystemExceptions when they can't.

</div><div id="section_4">

====Views====

The HTML export plugin exports Views itself. They appear in the <code>views/</code> subdirectory of the export.

</div><div id="section_5">

====Export Homepage====

The homepage for the export provides a summary of all the exported information. It gets this information by polling all the artefact plugins for it, as well as asking itself for a summary of the Views exported.

</div><div id="section_6">

====Finishing up====

The export plugin copies smilies and other static files into the export, and generates a zipfile of all of the data.

</div></div>