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Abandon Generate PDF by User in ILIAS Test

1 Reasons to Abandon Feature

The ILIAS Test currently uses wkhtmltopdf as its PDF renderer. However this has several flaws:

  • it relies on a command line tool, which needs to be installed
  • wkhtml is not very well maintained, see https://wkhtmltopdf.org/status.html
  • it comes with security risks, also see https://wkhtmltopdf.org/status.html
Also, the User-generated PDF Files lack some information, e.g. the title of the Test and the generation is prone to errors. The print view is sufficient. This article only tackles the PDF Export for Users. The Test archive file is not the subject of this article.

2 Technical Information

This removes the PDF Download option in Settings --> General --> Finishing the Test --> Overview of Answers Given -->
PDF Download:

This also removes the PDF-Exports from the "Results" tab:

All Participants --> Results Overview of one participant & Detailed Results of a participant.

Result Overview
Detailed Results

Test Results of a participant (if activated in scoring and results settings):

User Result Overview
Detailed View of Results User

This also removes the function in Questions --> Print View and Questions --> Review:

Questions Print View
Screenshot Questions Print View
Screenshot Questions Review
Screenshot Questions Review

3 Contact

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.

5 Discussion

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

JourFixe, ILIAS [jourfixe], 27 JUN 2022 : We highly appreciate this suggestion and abandon the generation of PDFs by the user with ILIAS 9. Please check if the button "Print" or "Print View" is appropriate for the different screens (if a print view is opened, "Print View" is correct).

Strassner, Denis [dstrassner], 15 AUG 2022: I forgot to add the link to the excellent post at the Administration - Installation - Core Forum by Tesche, Uwe [utesche]. To clarify once again where the PDF export is abandoned everywhere, here is the list of places:

  • <Test>  >>  Questions  >>  Print View  >>  "PDF Export"
  • <Test>  >>  Questions  >>  Review  >>  "PDF Export"
  • <Test>  >>  Results  >>  All Participants  >> (Participant-Action-Menue:) "Test Results"  >>  "PDF Export"
  • <Test>  >>  Results  >>  All Participants  >>  (Participant-Action-Menue:) Test Results  >>  "Detailed Results"  >>  "PDF Export"
  • <Test>  >>  Results  >>  Test Results  >>  "PDF Export"
  •  <Test>  >>  Results  >>  Test Results  >>  Detailed Results  >>  "PDF Export"
  •  <Test>  >>  Info  >>  "Start New Test Pass"  >>  "Finish the Test"  >>  "PDF Export" (you have to be activate the options: "Exam View" and "Overview of Answers Given" and "PDF Download" to get the button)

6 Implementation

Removed Testcases

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

Modified

  • C230 : Übersicht gegebener Antworten 
  • C160 : Testergebnisse drucken/exportieren 
  • C50076 : Testergebnisse drucken/exportieren 

Removed

  • C147 : Druckansicht als PDF exportieren
  • C150 : Vorschau als PDF exportieren

Approval

Approved at 2023-05-17 by Strassner, Denis [dstrassner].

Last edited: 17. May 2023, 11:51, Strassner, Denis [dstrassner]