Supported Formats for Media Objects

1 Initial Problem

Traditionally ILIAS allows to upload all kind of file types to media objects. However it is unclear how all these types are supported or rendered when embedded, e.g in pages. Some formats needed special browser plugins, others have been abandonded by the web community completely (applets, flash).

2 Conceptual Summary

ILIAS will only support the following file types for being uploaded/referenced as media objects:

• Images: png, jpeg, gif, svg, webp
• Audio: mp3
• Video: mp4, youtube (external reference), vimeo (external reference)
• HTML (iframe)
• PDF (limited, since behaviour of embedded PDF viewers highly depend on OS/browser)

Here some examples of file types / reference types that will not be supported (anymore):

• Flash, Java Applets, wav, webm, quicktime, ogg, Flickr, Google Docs, pptx, xlsx, docx, general "embedd" tag

3 User Interface Modifications

3.1 List of Affected Views

• Administration > Repository and Objects > Settings
• Media Pool / Page Editor > Add Media Object

3.2 User Interface Details

3.2.1 Administration > Repository and Objects > Settings

The input for "Allowed File Types" will be removed. The input for "Forbidden File Types will list the currently supported types.

3.2.2 Media Pool / Page Editor > Add Media Object

The creation dialogs will only accept the defined file types.

3.3 New User Interface Concepts

No new interface concepts

3.4 Accessibility Implications

No accessibility implications. The limitation to a defined set of file types will make it easier to address these in the future specifically.

4 Technical Information

No technical issues.

5 Privacy

Current state of privacy in Media Object service see https://github.com/ILIAS-eLearning/ILIAS/blob/trunk/Services/MediaObjects/PRIVACY.md.

This feature does not implement any privacy related changes.

6 Security

The limitation on certain file types will increase security.

7 Contact

• Author of the Request: Killing, Alexander [alex]
• Maintainer: Killing, Alexander [alex]
• Implementation of the feature is done by: {The maintainer must add the name of the implementing developer.}

8 Funding

If you are interest in funding this feature, please add your name and institution to this list.

• …

9 Discussion

JourFixe, ILIAS [jourfixe], 03 APR 2023: We highly appreciate this suggestion and schedule the feature for ILIAS 9. We would like to support WebM, too - in case this format will be supported by the KS Audio/Video Player.

10 Implementation

Test Cases

Test cases completed at 2023-09-27 by Tödt, Alexandra [atoedt]

• 13655 : Dateitypen einschränken

Approval

Approved at 06.10.2023 by Becker, Matthias [matthias.becker]