Abandon Link Checker

1 Reasons to Abandon Feature

The existing cron job 'Weblink check' in the component ILIAS Learning Module usually takes several minutes when being executed. Therefore, the confirmation page stays unchanged and without feedback for this period of time. But the link checker is based on old code and cannot be developed further, see Alex' comment below. A full refactoring would be needed to go on with this feature.

Therefore, I recommend to abandon the current link checker and remove all related code from ILIAS. If anyone is interested to offer such a service (indicating outdated links and notifying selected users), please create a feature request to develop a new link checker service.

2 Technical Information

Killing, Alexander [alex], 17 Mar 2021: I think the core of the link checker service is around 17 years old. It is currently coupled to the learning modules in a nasty way. I would a) abandon this service or b) completely refactor it in a way that consumers could feed the checker with a number of URLs without the current tight coupling. The service might also provide reusable Background Task steps.

3 Contact

• Author of the Request: Kunkel, Matthias [mkunkel]
• Maintainer: Killing, Alexander [alex] for ILIAS LM, Meyer, Stefan [smeyer] for Link Checker service
• Implementation of the feature is done by: {The maintainer must add the name of the implementing developer.}

4 Funding

Removing the feature from the ILIAS code base might need funding. If you are interest in funding this request, please add your name and institution to this list.

• ILIAS-Verein

5 Discussion

Use the following discussion section to express your objections against this request or your consent to get rid of this feature.

Killing, Alexander [alex], 17 Mar 2021: See my comment under technical. This service needs a complete rewrite imo.

Kunkel, Matthias [mkunkel], 14 APR 2021: Based on Alexander's  estimation that an improvement of the cronjob needs a complete rewrite, I decided to suggest to abandon the current implementation and to get rid of a buggy and outdated implementation. Maybe one day there will be interest and funding for an improved link checker cronjob.

JourFixe, ILIAS [jourfixe], 19 APR 2021: We highly appreciate this suggestion and abandon the cronjob with ILIAS 8.

Tödt, Alexandra [atoedt] The request should inlcude not only the link checker cron job, but the actual link checker in its entirety as well as its implementation in the weblink. The request is to be renamed to "Abandon Link Checker".

JourFixe, ILIAS [jourfixe], 04 APR 2022 : We accept the requested changes of the article and rename the page to "Abandon Link Checker". The request includes also the removal of the link checker from the Weblink object.

6 Implementation

Killing, Alexander [alex], 25 April 2022: The link checker has been removed from the learning modules (incl. cron job).

Removed Testcases

The following testcases have been removed from Testrail or modified because the feature is no longer part of the ILIAS core.

• C18540, C13695, C693 and C13695 were removed

Approval

Approved at {date} by {user}.