What is a Module? A module is the basic building block of a Connexions course. You can think of it as a folder that contains the text, image, and CNXML files that address a single topic or a specific aspect of a topic. The author of a module determines the size of the module. Each module should contain enough information to be able to stand alone, if necessary. To a student viewing a course, a module is simply a web page of information on a specific topic. Modules allow students to follow the information path in a course arranged by their instructor or to branch off and discover their own path. To an instructor putting a course together, having different topics in different modules allows for easy selection and arrangement of the information. When building a course, an instructor can include existing modules from other courses or other academic disciplines that are important to the presentation of the course subject. An example of the contents of a new module are shown in , which displays the "Files" tab of the "Manage Files" screen.

"Files" tab of a new module that contains only the index.cnxml file.

The Module Status Sidebar The "Module Status" sidebar contains important status information about the module and several links to useful tasks for the module editor. This sidebar appears to the right of the module contents and contains the following items: State - the current status of the module Last action - the last action performed on the module, who performed it, and when Actions - for new modules this item displays links to the Connexions pages for publishing modules to the Content Commons and discarding the current operations on the module. When editing an existing module, this item also displays links for suggesting edits to original authors and creating a derived copy of an existing module, View - for new modules this item displays links to display the on-line version of the module, the print version, and the CNXML source. When editing an existing module, this item also displays a summary of the differences between the version of the module in your work area and the last published version

The "Module Status" sidebar for a new module.

Editing Modules Once you have created a new module in or added an existing module to your work area, you will need to edit the module to add content, files, and images. These operations are performed with the links and buttons on the "Manage Files" screen or the "Module Status" sidebar. The recommended sequence to perform these operations in is described in this module and appears in the following list: Edit the CNXML file Add any other files that you want to associate with the module Edit the metadata to enter the appropriate search keywords and the module title Edit the module roles Add links to the module Preview the module in both print and on-line versions Publish the module Each of these operations of module editing will be discussed in the following paragraphs.

Editing the CNXML File The "Files" tab for the module displays a list of all the files associated with the module. The file containing the text of the module that is marked up with CNXML is named "index.cnxml". To edit this file click on the file name. The "Edit CNXML File: index.cnxml" screen displays. From this screen you can perform the following actions on the file: Export to an XML Editor Export to an External Text Editor Download to a Specific Location for Editing Edit Text in Connexions You can also import/export other file types, and preview the module using appropriate tabs.

The "Edit CNXML File: index.cnxml" tab.

Import/Export to an XML Editor The preferred method of editing your file is with a software package that is specifically designed for editing XML files. To do this, the index.cnxml file must be altered so that your XML editor can read it. Then the file is exported from Connexions to the editor. Once you have completed your edits, the file imported back into Connexions and the changes for editor readability are removed. Using the import and export functions on the module "Import/Export" tab automatically adds and removes the changes for editor readability. Currently, the only XML editor format supported by Connexions is the format used by the Altova xmlspy® editor or the Altova authentic® editor.

The module "Import/Export" tab. To export the "index.cnxml" file to be edited with your XML editor, use the following steps: Click the import/export link on the "Files" tab to the right of the "index.cnxml" file entry in the module contents. The "Import/Export" tab displays. Click Export. A dialog box displays for opening the "index.cnxml" file. Specify that you want to save the file to a disk. Specify the filename and location of the file to be saved. Launch your XML editor and edit the file. To import the "index.cnxml" file back into Connexions, use the following steps: Click the import/export link on the "Files" tab to the right of the "index.cnxml" file entry in the module contents. The "Import/Export" tab displays. Click Browse. Locate the "index.cnxml" file you edited with your XML editor and click on the filename. Click Import. The edited file is imported back into the Connexions module.

External Text Editor Another method of editing the "index.cnxml" file is with an external text editor which is not specifically designed to be an XML editor. Note that when you view the module contents a small pencil icon appears to the right of the "index.cnxml" filename. Click on this icon to launch an editing session of the "index.cnxml" file in an external text editor. This editing method does the downloading and uploading of the "index.cnxml" file for you, but it is only a text editor. You must manually enter all the markups for CNXML. If you are not familiar with CNXML, this method is slow and awkward. It also requires that you or your system administrator set up the external editor as the default editor for files of type .cnxml before you can use it. In addition, you or your system administrator must install the Zope ExternalEditor client in a Windows environment and the Zope EditManager in a Macintosh environment.

Downloading/Uploading Module Text You can download the contents of the "index.cnxml" file to a location of your choosing and then edit it with a text editor. To download the file, use the following steps: Click the Download a copy link on the "Edit" tab. A dialog box displays for opening the "index.cnxml" file. Specify that you want to save the file to a disk. Specify the filename and location of the file to be saved. Launch your text editor and edit the file. To upload the "index.cnxml" file back into Connexions, use the following steps: Click the Browse link on the "Edit" tab. The "File Upload" dialog box displays. Locate the "index.cnxml" file you edited with your text editor and click on the filename. Click Open. Click Upload File. The edited file is uploaded into the Connexions module. Once you have downloaded the "index.cnxml" file, you can use any editor you choose to edit it. For information on writing and editing CNXML, see The Basic CNXML.

Editing index.cnxml directly You can edit the "index.cnxml" file directly on the web within the Connexions editing interface. To edit the file directly, use the following steps: Click on the "index.cnxml" filename in the module contents display. The "The Edit CNXML File: index.cnxml tab" displays. Click in the text window and begin editing. Click Save when you have finished your edits to save your changes. This method of editing the "index.cnxml" file is recommended for quick changes only. This editor does not have the advanced functions that come with many text editors.

Saving Your Work As you edit the "index.cnxml" file in Connexions, click Save at any point to save your changes to the file. When you want to check your CNXML markup, select the "Validate during save" check box and click Save. The page reloads and any errors in your markup are listed at the top of the page. If there are no errors, your markup is valid and the words "File OK" appear next to the "Validation results" heading. Any "index.cnxml" file that enters the repository must be a valid CNXML document. This means that the file must be well-formed and contain no CNXML errors. If it does contain errors, a description of the errors appears in a pink box when you save the file. You cannot publish the module in Connexions until all the markup errors have been fixed and the "index.cnxml" file has been validated.

Example of validation errors

Adding Associated Files to a Module In addition to the "index.cnxml" file, a module can contain other files, such as images, files, and CNXML documents that are associated with the module. You can add these files from the "Files" tab. The image and file must exist before you add them to the module. You can create the CNXML document during the addition process. When you add these items, you create an instance of the item in Connexions.

File Guidelines Before you add an associated file to a module, please note the following guidelines for files and filenames: The size of a file must be smaller than 10 MB. The first character in a filename cannot be a digit. For example, a file named "1965mustangphoto.gif" would result in an error. Renaming the file to "photo1965mustang.gif prevents the error. A filename cannot contain an embedded blank space. For example, the file named "eiffel tower.png" would cause an error. Renaming the file to "eiffel_tower.png" or "eiffeltower.png" prevents the error. Use only alphanumeric, "." (dot), "-" (hyphen), and "_" (underscore) characters in a filename. Multimedia files must have a recognized MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension) type.

Adding an Image to a Module To add an image to a module, use the following steps: Click the down arrow in the text box next to

Add New 
	      Item

. A drop-down list of valid item types appears. Select "Image" from the drop-down list and click

Add 
	      New Item

. The "Edit Image" tab displays. Click Browse. The "File Upload" dialog box displays. Locate the appropriate image file and click on its filename. Click Open. The image filename appears in the text box next to Browse. Click Save to upload the image file into Connexions. A confirmation message and a preview of the image display.

Adding a File to a Module To add a file to a module, use the following steps: Click the down arrow in the text box next to

Add New 
	      Item

. A drop-down list of valid item types appears. Select "File" from the drop-down list and click

Add 
	      New Item

. The "Edit File" tab displays. Click Browse. The "File Upload" dialog box displays. Locate the appropriate file and click on its filename. Click Open. The filename appears in the text box next to Browse. Click Save to upload the file into Connexions. A confirmation message and information about the file display.

Adding a CNXML Document to a Module To add a CNXML document to a module, use the following steps: Click the down arrow in the text box next to

Add New 
	      Item

. A drop-down list of valid item types appears. Select "CNXML Document" from the drop-down list and click Add New Item. The "Edit CNXML File" tab displays. Enter the contents for the CNXML file by either typing the text into the "Edit Directly" box, uploading a file, or importing a file. Click Save. A confirmation message and information about the CNXML file display.

Renaming, Cutting, Copying, and Removing Items in a Module You can rename, cut, copy, or remove any item that you add to a module. These operations are done at the module level in the same way as they are done at the work area level. See Removing Items from a Work Area, Renaming Items in a Work Area, and Cutting or Copying Items in a Work Area, for a description of how to do these operations in work areas. You should not rename, cut, copy, or paste the "index.cnxml" file.

Editing Metadata To enable users to search the Connexions Content Commons for a module, Connexions must have some information on the module. It is very important that you insert metadata into the module.

Example "Metadata" tab with entries for name, keywords, and abstract. To insert metadata, use the following steps: Click the "Metadata" tab to display it. Type the name you want to give the module in the "Name" field. This name will appear wherever the module title appears in Connexions. Type the topic related terms that a user may use in a search for the module in the "Keywords" field. Enter each term on a separate line. Type a brief description of the module topic in the "Abstract" field. Do not repeat the title of the module in the abstract. The abstract displays under the title in the module and restating the module title in the abstract would be redundant. Click Save. A message that the metadata was updated displays and the name of the module replaces "New Module" in the screen title.

Editing Module Roles As creator of a module, by default you hold all three roles: author, maintainer, and copyright holder. You can grant one or more roles to other Connexions account holders who you want to be associated with the module. The table on the bottom the "Roles" tab displays the names of the users and their current roles. A checked box in the "Author", "Maintainer", or "Copyright Holder" column indicates that person was granted that role or roles.

Example "Roles" tab.

Granting Roles to Other Users To grant one or more module roles to a user, use the following steps: Click the "Roles" tab to display it. Type the name of the user you want to grant a role to in the text box next to Search. Click Search. The Connexions accounts are searched and any users that match the search string are displayed. Select the checkbox next to the desired user name and click Add People. A "Roles Pending Approval" table displays under the "Roles" table. Verify that the checkboxes in the "Author", "Maintainer", or "Copyright Holder" columns are checked for the roles you want to grant to that user. By default all the checkboxes are selected. If desired, de-select the checkboxes for the roles you do not want to grant, and click Update Roles. A request to accept the role will display to the user upon his or her next login to Connexions. When granting or updating another user's roles, the change does not take affect until the other user has accepted the role change. Once the user has approved the change, their new roles are reflected in the "Roles" table. See approving role requests for information about approving requests. All pending role changes must be accepted or rejected before a module can be published.

Viewing and Processing Pending Role Requests Connexions makes it easy to collaborate on educational materials. One way to do this is to share authorship or maintenance of a module or course. If another author has granted you a role in their module or course so that you can collaborate with them, the "Pending" sidebar will appear in the upper right corner of your Connexions pages.

"Pending" sidebar with one role request. Click the Role Request link to display the "Collaboration Requests" screen. From this screen you can: Requests awaiting your approval Requests you have made awaiting others' acceptance Completed requests

"Collaboration Requests" screen showing one request awaiting your approval and one awaiting another author's approval.

Requests Awaiting Your Approval If another Connexions author grants you a role on their module or course as an author, maintainer, and/or copyright holder, an entry appears under the 'Requests Awaiting Your Approval' section of the "Collaboration Requests" screen. To accept the request select the checkbox in the table for the request you wish to accept and click Accept. To reject the request, select the checkbox in the table for the request you wish to reject, and click Reject. If you have been requested to be added to a module or course as a copyright holder, you must select the checkbox indicating that you agree to the license which has been selected for that module before you can accept the request. A link to the license is provided in the "License" column of the table.

Requests You Have Made If you have requested that someone be added to one of your modules or courses as an author, maintainer, and/or copyright holder, an entry appears under the "Requests You Have Made" section of the "Collaboration Requests" screen until the other author acts on it. You can cancel pending requests from here.

Completed Requests Any requests you have made that were accepted or rejected are listed in the "Requests You Have Made -- Completed" section of the "Collaboration Requests" screen. When you no longer need to keep the record, you can delete it.

Adding Links to a Module To add or edit links that are associated with a module, click on the "Links" tab on the editing interface. The "Edit Links" screen displays.

The "Links" tab. From the "Links" tab you can: Add new links Edit existing links Delete a link These links are viewable in the "links" tab that displays with each module. The links appear under their specified category type, for example, the supplemental links are listed under the "Supplemental" heading.

Adding New Links To add a new link to a module, use the following steps: Type the label for the link in the "Link Name" field (required). Identify the target of the link by typing in a module ID in the "Module ID" field or typing a URL in the "Link URL" field. You can optionally specify a version if you entered a module ID. Click on the down arrow next to the "Link Type" field and select the type of link from the drop-down list. Click on the down arrow next to the "Link Strength" field and select a number from the drop-down list for the strength of the link. 5 is the strongest link. Click Add to add the link.

Editing Existing Links If the module already contains links, they will appear in the top half of the screen. To edit an existing link, use the following steps: Update the contents of the "Name" field to change the label of the link. Update the contents of the "URL" field to change the URL of the link. Click on the down arrow next to the "Link Type" field and select another type of link from the drop-down list. Click on the down arrow next to the "Link Strength" field and select another number from the drop-down list for the strength of the link. 5 is the strongest link. Click Update Links to make your changes.

Deleting a Link To delete an existing link, select the checkbox in the "Delete" column in the list of existing links. Then click Update Links to delete the link.

Previewing the Module After editing the module, you should preview the module to verify that it appears as you want it to appear. You can view modules from the "Preview" tab in the following ways: Preview the module on-line Preview the module in a print version (PDF file) View the change summary View the markup source for the module

Previewing Modules On-Line To view a module on-line, use the following steps: Click on the "Preview" tab. The "Preview" screen displays. Click the Online Preview link. This displays an on-line version of the module that is similar to the on-line display of the published module. The difference between the preview and the published versions is that the preview does not contain the links and tabs at the beginning and the links at the end of the module. Review the module content and verify that it appears as you intended it to display. Use your browser's "Back" function to return to the "Preview" screen.

Previewing a Print Version of the Module The print version of a module is formatted differently than the on-line version. This difference is necessary because of the differences in the on-line and printed media. To view a print version of the module, use the following steps: Click on the "Preview" tab. The "Preview" screen displays. Click the Print Preview link. An "Opening index.pdf" dialog box appears. Verify that the option to open the file with a PDF viewing application is selected and click OK. The print version of the module displays. Review the module display and verify that text and figures display as you intended them to display. You can print this PDF file using your PDF viewer's file/print option. Close the PDF viewing application.

Viewing Change Summary When editing an existing module, you can view a summary of the differences between the last published version of the module and the version you are currently editing. Click the Changes link to view the change summary. This option is useful when you checked out a module some time ago and do not remember what changes you made to it.

The "Changes to" summary. The "Change To" summary lists changes to the module, including role assignments and the names of any files that were changed, files that were added, and files that were removed. Click on a file name to display a brief description of the changes.

Previewing the code source Occasionally it may be convenient to view the markup source for a module. To view the source of the module, click the Source link under the "View" heading in the "Module Status" sidebar. The most recent markup source that has been saved displays. This feature is useful when you are trying to find a markup error.

Discarding Your Changes The situation may arise in which you wish to return a module that you are editing back to its original state: the state in which it was before you began editing it. To do this, click the Discard link under the "Actions" heading in the "Module Status" sidebar. The module will revert back to the state it was in when you checked it out. If the module is new and has never been published, you will lose all the content you entered and the module will be blank.

Publishing the Module To make your module or your changes to an existing module viewable by anyone on the Internet, you must publish the module in Connexions. To publish a module, use the following steps: Click on the "Publish" tab. The "Publish Module" screen displays. This screen contains a list of reminders for you to check before you publish the module. Type a brief description of your work on the module in the "Description of Changes" text box. Click Publish. Your work on the module is entered into the Connexions Content Commons. Once in the Content Commons, anyone with Internet access can view the module.

The "Publish" tab. A new module would not necessarily have editing changes, so in the "Description of Changes" text box you might enter a comment like, "Created a new module". The act of publishing a module is different from clicking on the Save button in an editing session. When you save your changes, only you and your collaborating authors can see your changes. When you publish a module, the entire world can view your work on the Internet.