Creating folders in categories

1 Description

Status quo (5.0.4)
It's not possible to create folders in categories.

What we'd like
We'd like to create also folders in categories. Folders have got nice features like:

• Download
• Sorting (The manual free sorting - independend of object/resource type - should be available though)

• Less features[1]
• Local administrators don't have to be confused with another word
• Different icons so normal users may realize the difference
• Categories are not the right object to order files but files in categories are possible

2 Status

• Scheduled for Release: Not scheduled yet (already in use @ PH Zürich )
• Funding: t.b.d.
• Development: Feature is to be developed by t.b.d.

3 Additional Information

• If you want to know more about this feature, its implementation or funding, please contact: t.b.d. (original request: ilias@phzh.ch)
• If you want to know more about a patch/plug-in: sr.solutions

4 Discussion

HJL, 23.8.11: For the 10th ILIAS-Conference in Bern, we decided to publish all presentations (ppts, pdfs, ...) in a category on www.ilias.de - www.conference.ilias.de - instead at the conference-website www.ilias-conference.org. With this, we`ll promote www.ilias.de, and we thought then conference-participants and other people can download the files all at once. Now we saw: Webdav is possible, but download as a zip-file is actually not possible. So we support this feature-request because it is an important feature for ILIAS-platforms with content outside of courses and groups.

ILIAS_LM 2011-08-24:
@HJL: Thank you for the support and the nice example of use!

Simon Moor HSLU:
This just needs one simple tweak on the database: INSERT INTO `il_object_subobj` (`parent`, `subobj`, `mmax`) VALUES ('cat', 'fold', 0);
If you want folders in the root you need this too: INSERT INTO `il_object_subobj` (`parent`, `subobj`, `mmax`) VALUES ('root', 'fold', 0);

JF 26 Sep 2011: There are number of reasons why folders are only supported in Courses/Groups, e.g. that it prevents that courses are nested with courses. If folders would be a possible top item, inexperienced users may just start with folders to structure their installation and not be able to create any courses at all. We have to discuss, whether these features should be supported on the category level as well, or not.

• Edit Timings is currently a course feature. It would be feasible to make this available on the category levels as well.
• Download as zip: Since top level categories can gain an enormous size, we need to be able to limit the size of data that should be zipped in some way.
• Sorting: Making additional views of the course available in categories (like Simple View vs. Grouped-by-Type View) is also a feasible request.

ILIAS_LM 2015-12-03:
Since 2011 we are patching our ILIAS to create folders in categories. We'd like to get this in the trunk because one should have all possibilities. It's the only object one can't create in categories. It's OK if the default role templates do not have checked the permission "create folder" in categories. Newbies will still start with categories and courses, but there will be no patrionizing.

To prevent too huge downloads we are using a plug-in we also want to get into the trunk: ILIAS Folder Download – Wait dialog.

So we'd like to have JF discussing this feature again. Time has passed.

PS: As courses can't be built in folders, the "nesting of courses in courses" still isn't possible. The nesting of groups in groups and folders however was always possible. So there will be no change at all.

JourFixe, ILIAS [jourfixe], Jan 04, 2015: Before scheduling this feature we need to clarify what distinguishes categories from folders in categories and from folders in courses. It is clear that a folder in a category is a "light category". But is it exactly like a course folder? A table showing the differences would be highly appreciated.

Pascal, Jan 06, 2016: I don't see why a folder is a "light category" - a folder is just a folder, no matter where in the system it is located. I don't see any necessity to distinguish between a "folder in a category" and a "folder in a course".

We, any many others, have this feature implemented for years and never had any troubles (except the need to patch the system). 

Weber, Frank [franklin66]We'd really appreciate the possibilty to create folders in categories, too.

5 Follow-up