question_with_responses Class Reference

This class represents a real question. More...

Inheritance diagram for question_with_responses:

Public Member Functions
	__get ($name)
	When a pending definition tries to read its latest version, fill in the latest version for all pending definitions.
	apply_attempt_state (question_attempt_step $step)
	When an in-progress question_attempt is re-loaded from the database, this method is called so that the question can re-initialise its internal state as needed by this attempt.
	check_file_access ($qa, $options, $component, $filearea, $args, $forcedownload)
	Checks whether the users is allow to be served a particular file.
	classify_response (array $response)
	Categorise the student's response according to the categories defined by get_possible_responses.
	clear_wrong_from_response (array $response)
	Given a response, rest the parts that are wrong.
	format_generalfeedback ($qa)
	format_questiontext ($qa)
	format_text ($text, $format, $qa, $component, $filearea, $itemid, $clean=false)
	Apply format_text() to some content with appropriate settings for this question.
	get_correct_response ()
	What data would need to be submitted to get this question correct.
	get_expected_data ()
	What data may be included in the form submission when a student submits this question in its current state?
	get_max_fraction ()
	Some questions can return a mark greater than the maximum.
	get_min_fraction ()
	Some questions can return a negative mark if the student gets it wrong.
	get_num_parts_right (array $response)
	Return the number of subparts of this response that are right.
	get_num_variants ()
	get_question_definition_for_external_rendering (question_attempt $qa, question_display_options $options)
	Return the question settings that define this question as structured data.
	get_question_summary ()
	Generate a brief, plain-text, summary of this question.
	get_renderer (moodle_page $page)
	get_student_response_values_for_simulation ($realresponse)
	Does the opposite of prepare_simulated_post_data.
	get_type_name ()
	get_variants_selection_seed ()
	html_to_text ($text, $format)
	Convert some part of the question text to plain text.
	is_complete_response (array $response)
	Used by many of the behaviours, to work out whether the student's response to the question is complete.
	is_gradable_response (array $response)
	Use by many of the behaviours to determine whether the student has provided enough of an answer for the question to be graded automatically, or whether it must be considered aborted.
	is_same_response (array $prevresponse, array $newresponse)
	Use by many of the behaviours to determine whether the student's response has changed.
	make_behaviour (question_attempt $qa, $preferredbehaviour)
	Creat the appropriate behaviour for an attempt at this quetsion, given the desired (archetypal) behaviour.
	make_html_inline ($html)
	Take some HTML that should probably already be a single line, like a multiple choice choice, or the corresponding feedback, and make it so that it is suitable to go in a place where the HTML must be inline, like inside a.
	prepare_simulated_post_data ($simulatedresponse)
	Takes an array of values representing a student response represented in a way that is understandable by a human and transforms that to the response as the POST values returned from the HTML form that takes the student response during a student attempt.
	set_latest_version (int $latestversion)
	Set the latest version.
	start_attempt (question_attempt_step $step, $variant)
	Start a new attempt at this question, storing any information that will be needed later in the step.
	summarise_response (array $response)
	Produce a plain text summary of a response.
	un_summarise_response (string $summary)
	If possible, construct a response that could have lead to the given response summary.
	update_attempt_state_data_for_new_version (question_attempt_step $oldstep, question_definition $oldquestion)
	Update the data representing the initial state of an attempt another version of this question, to allow for the changes.
	validate_can_regrade_with_other_version (question_definition $otherversion)
	Verify if an attempt at this question can be re-graded using the other question version.

Public Attributes
integer	$category
	question category id.
integer	$contextid
	question context id.
integer	$createdby
	userid of the use who created this question.
array	$customfields = array()
	of array of core_customfield\data_controller objects indexed by fieldid for the questions custom fields.
float	$defaultmark = 1
	what this quetsion is marked out of, by default.
string	$generalfeedback
	question general feedback.
integer	$generalfeedbackformat
	question test format.
array	$hints = array()
	of question_hints.
integer	$id
	id of the question in the datase, or null if this question is not in the database.
string	$idnumber
	question idnumber.
integer	$length = 1
	How many question numbers this question consumes.
integer	$modifiedby
	userid of the use who modified this question.
string	$name
	question name.
integer	$parent = 0
	parent question id.
number	$penalty = 0
	penalty factor of this question.
question_type	$qtype
	the question type this question is.
int	$questionbankentryid
	Bank entry id for the question.
string	$questiontext
	question text.
integer	$questiontextformat
	question test format.
string	$stamp
	unique identifier of this question.
boolean	$status = core_question\local\bank\question_version_status::QUESTION_STATUS_READY
	question status hidden/ready/draft in the question bank.
integer	$timecreated
	timestamp when this question was created.
integer	$timemodified
	timestamp when this question was modified.
int	$version
	Version number of the question in a question bank.
int	$versionid
	Version id of the question in a question bank.

Protected Attributes
int	$latestversion = null
	The latest version of the question.

Detailed Description

This class represents a real question.

That is, one that is not a question_information_item.

Copyright

2009 The Open University

License

http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html GNU GPL v3 or later

Member Function Documentation

__get()

question_definition::__get ( $name )

inherited

When a pending definition tries to read its latest version, fill in the latest version for all pending definitions.

Parameters

string

$name

Return values

mixed

apply_attempt_state()

question_definition::apply_attempt_state ( question_attempt_step $step )

inherited

When an in-progress question_attempt is re-loaded from the database, this method is called so that the question can re-initialise its internal state as needed by this attempt.

For example, the multiple choice question type needs to set the order of the choices to the order that was set up when start_attempt was called originally. All the information required to do this should be in the $step object, which is the first step of the question_attempt being loaded.

Parameters

question_attempt_step

The first step of the question_attempt being loaded.

Reimplemented in qtype_calculated_question, qtype_calculatedmulti_multi_question, qtype_calculatedmulti_single_question, qtype_gapselect_question_base, qtype_match_question, qtype_multianswer_question, qtype_multichoice_base, qtype_numerical_question, qtype_ordering_question, and qtype_randomsamatch_question.

check_file_access()

question_definition::check_file_access ( $qa, $options, $component, $filearea, $args, $forcedownload )

inherited

Checks whether the users is allow to be served a particular file.

Parameters

question_attempt	$qa	the question attempt being displayed.
question_display_options	$options	the options that control display of the question.
string	$component	the name of the component we are serving files for.
string	$filearea	the name of the file area.
array	$args	the remaining bits of the file path.
bool	$forcedownload	whether the user must be forced to download the file.

Return values

bool	true if the user can access this file.

Reimplemented in qtype_ddmarker_question, qtype_ddtoimage_question_base, qtype_essay_question, qtype_gapselect_question_base, qtype_match_question, qtype_multianswer_question, qtype_multichoice_base, qtype_numerical_question, qtype_ordering_question, qtype_shortanswer_question, and qtype_truefalse_question.

classify_response()

question_with_responses::classify_response

(

array

$response

)

Categorise the student's response according to the categories defined by get_possible_responses.

Parameters

$response

a response, as might be passed to grade_response().

Return values

array

subpartid => question_classified_response objects. returns an empty array if no analysis is possible.

Implements question_manually_gradable.

Reimplemented in qtype_ddmarker_question, qtype_ddtoimage_question_base, qtype_gapselect_question_base, qtype_match_question, qtype_multichoice_multi_question, qtype_multichoice_single_question, qtype_numerical_question, qtype_ordering_question, qtype_truefalse_question, and question_graded_by_strategy.

clear_wrong_from_response()

question_definition::clear_wrong_from_response ( array $response )

inherited

Given a response, rest the parts that are wrong.

Parameters

array

$response

a response

Return values

array

a cleaned up response with the wrong bits reset.

Reimplemented in qtype_ddmarker_question, qtype_ddtoimage_question_base, qtype_gapselect_question_base, qtype_match_question, qtype_multianswer_question, and qtype_multichoice_multi_question.

format_generalfeedback()

question_definition::format_generalfeedback ( $qa )

inherited

Return values

the	result of applying format_text() to the general feedback.

format_questiontext()

question_definition::format_questiontext ( $qa )

inherited

Return values

the	result of applying format_text() to the question text.

format_text()

question_definition::format_text ( $text, $format, $qa, $component, $filearea, $itemid, $clean = false )

inherited

Apply format_text() to some content with appropriate settings for this question.

Parameters

string	$text	some content that needs to be output.
int	$format	the FORMAT_... constant.
question_attempt	$qa	the question attempt.
string	$component	used for rewriting file area URLs.
string	$filearea	used for rewriting file area URLs.
bool	$clean	Whether the HTML needs to be cleaned. Generally, parts of the question do not need to be cleaned, and student input does.

Return values

string

the text formatted for output by format_text.

get_correct_response()

question_definition::get_correct_response ( )

abstractinherited

What data would need to be submitted to get this question correct.

If there is more than one correct answer, this method should just return one possibility. If it is not possible to compute a correct response, this method should return null.

Return values

array|null

parameter name => value.

Reimplemented in qtype_calculated_question, qtype_ddmarker_question, qtype_essay_question, qtype_gapselect_question_base, qtype_match_question, qtype_missingtype_question, qtype_multianswer_question, qtype_multichoice_multi_question, qtype_multichoice_single_question, qtype_numerical_question, qtype_ordering_question, qtype_shortanswer_question, qtype_truefalse_question, question_graded_by_strategy, and question_information_item.

get_expected_data()

question_definition::get_expected_data ( )

abstractinherited

What data may be included in the form submission when a student submits this question in its current state?

This information is used in calls to optional_param. The parameter name has question_attempt::get_field_prefix() automatically prepended.

Return values

array|string

variable name => PARAM_... constant, or, as a special case that should only be used in unavoidable, the constant question_attempt\USE_RAW_DATA meaning take all the raw submitted data belonging to this question.

Reimplemented in qtype_ddmarker_question, qtype_essay_question, qtype_gapselect_question_base, qtype_match_question, qtype_missingtype_question, qtype_multianswer_question, qtype_multichoice_multi_question, qtype_multichoice_single_question, qtype_numerical_question, qtype_ordering_question, qtype_shortanswer_question, qtype_truefalse_question, and question_information_item.

get_max_fraction()

question_definition::get_max_fraction ( )

inherited

Some questions can return a mark greater than the maximum.

This method returns the lowest highest the question can return, on the fraction scale. that is, where the nominal maximum mark is 1.0.

Return values

float

maximum fraction this question will ever return.

Reimplemented in qtype_multianswer_question.

get_min_fraction()

question_definition::get_min_fraction ( )

inherited

Some questions can return a negative mark if the student gets it wrong.

This method returns the lowest mark the question can return, on the fraction scale. that is, where the maximum possible mark is 1.0.

Return values

float

minimum fraction this question will ever return.

Reimplemented in qtype_multianswer_question, qtype_multichoice_multi_question, and qtype_multichoice_single_question.

get_num_parts_right()

question_definition::get_num_parts_right ( array $response )

inherited

Return the number of subparts of this response that are right.

Parameters

array

$response

a response

Return values

array

with two elements, the number of correct subparts, and the total number of subparts.

Reimplemented in qtype_ddmarker_question, qtype_gapselect_question_base, qtype_match_question, qtype_multianswer_question, qtype_multichoice_multi_question, and qtype_ordering_question.

get_num_variants()

question_definition::get_num_variants ( )

inherited

Return values

int	the number of vaiants that this question has.

Reimplemented in qtype_calculated_question, qtype_calculatedmulti_multi_question, and qtype_calculatedmulti_single_question.

get_question_definition_for_external_rendering()

question_definition::get_question_definition_for_external_rendering ( question_attempt $qa, question_display_options $options )

inherited

Return the question settings that define this question as structured data.

This is used by external systems such as the Moodle mobile app, which want to display the question themselves, rather than using the renderer provided.

This method should only return the data that the student is allowed to see or know, given the current state of the question. For example, do not include the 'General feedback' until the student has completed the question, and even then, only include it if the question_display_options say it should be visible.

But, within those rules, it is recommended that you return all the settings for the question, to give maximum flexibility to the external system providing its own rendering of the question.

Parameters

question_attempt	$qa	the current attempt for which we are exporting the settings.
question_display_options	$options	the question display options which say which aspects of the question should be visible.

Return values

mixed

structure representing the question settings. In web services, this will be JSON-encoded.

Reimplemented in qtype_essay_question, qtype_gapselect_question_base, qtype_match_question, qtype_multianswer_question, qtype_multichoice_base, qtype_numerical_question, qtype_shortanswer_question, and qtype_truefalse_question.

get_question_summary()

question_definition::get_question_summary ( )

inherited

Generate a brief, plain-text, summary of this question.

This is used by various reports. This should show the particular variant of the question as presented to students. For example, the calculated quetsion type would fill in the particular numbers that were presented to the student. This method will return null if such a summary is not possible, or inappropriate.

Return values

string|null

a plain text summary of this question.

Reimplemented in qtype_ddtoimage_question_base, qtype_gapselect_question_base, qtype_match_question, qtype_multianswer_question, qtype_multichoice_base, and question_information_item.

get_renderer()

question_definition::get_renderer ( moodle_page $page )

inherited

Parameters

moodle_page

the page we are outputting to.

Return values

qtype_renderer

the renderer to use for outputting this question.

Reimplemented in qtype_multichoice_multi_question, and qtype_multichoice_single_question.

get_student_response_values_for_simulation()

question_definition::get_student_response_values_for_simulation ( $realresponse )

inherited

Does the opposite of prepare_simulated_post_data.

This takes a student response (the POST values returned from the HTML form that takes the student response during a student attempt) it then represents it in a way that is understandable by a human.

Primarily this is used when creating a file of csv from real student responses in order later to be able to simulate the same student interaction with a quiz later.

Parameters

string[]

$realresponse

the response array as was returned from the form during a student attempt (without prefixes).

Return values

string[]

an array of data representing a student response.

Reimplemented in qtype_match_question, qtype_multianswer_question, qtype_multichoice_multi_question, and qtype_multichoice_single_question.

get_type_name()

question_definition::get_type_name ( )

inherited

Return values

string

the name of the question type (for example multichoice) that this question is.

get_variants_selection_seed()

question_definition::get_variants_selection_seed ( )

inherited

Return values

string

that can be used to seed the pseudo-random selection of a variant.

Reimplemented in qtype_calculated_question, qtype_calculatedmulti_multi_question, and qtype_calculatedmulti_single_question.

html_to_text()

question_definition::html_to_text ( $text, $format )

inherited

Convert some part of the question text to plain text.

This might be used, for example, by get_response_summary().

Parameters

string	$text	The HTML to reduce to plain text.
int	$format	the FORMAT_... constant.

Return values

string

the equivalent plain text.

is_complete_response()

question_manually_gradable::is_complete_response ( array $response )

inherited

Used by many of the behaviours, to work out whether the student's response to the question is complete.

That is, whether the question attempt should move to the COMPLETE or INCOMPLETE state.

Parameters

array

$response

responses, as returned by question_attempt_step::get_qt_data().

Return values

bool	whether this response is a complete answer to this question.

Implemented in qtype_ddmarker_question, qtype_essay_question, qtype_gapselect_question_base, qtype_match_question, qtype_missingtype_question, qtype_multianswer_question, qtype_multichoice_multi_question, qtype_multichoice_single_question, qtype_numerical_question, qtype_ordering_question, qtype_shortanswer_question, and qtype_truefalse_question.

is_gradable_response()

question_with_responses::is_gradable_response

(

array

$response

)

Use by many of the behaviours to determine whether the student has provided enough of an answer for the question to be graded automatically, or whether it must be considered aborted.

Parameters

array

$response

responses, as returned by question_attempt_step::get_qt_data().

Return values

bool	whether this response can be graded.

Implements question_manually_gradable.

Reimplemented in qtype_ddmarker_question, qtype_essay_question, qtype_gapselect_question_base, qtype_match_question, qtype_multianswer_question, qtype_multichoice_multi_question, qtype_multichoice_single_question, qtype_numerical_question, and qtype_ordering_question.

is_same_response()

question_manually_gradable::is_same_response ( array $prevresponse, array $newresponse )

inherited

Use by many of the behaviours to determine whether the student's response has changed.

This is normally used to determine that a new set of responses can safely be discarded.

Parameters

array	$prevresponse	the responses previously recorded for this question, as returned by question_attempt_step::get_qt_data()
array	$newresponse	the new responses, in the same format.

Return values

bool	whether the two sets of responses are the same - that is whether the new set of responses can safely be discarded.

Implemented in qtype_ddmarker_question, qtype_essay_question, qtype_gapselect_question_base, qtype_match_question, qtype_missingtype_question, qtype_multianswer_question, qtype_multichoice_multi_question, qtype_multichoice_single_question, qtype_numerical_question, qtype_ordering_question, qtype_shortanswer_question, and qtype_truefalse_question.

make_behaviour()

question_definition::make_behaviour ( question_attempt $qa, $preferredbehaviour )

inherited

Creat the appropriate behaviour for an attempt at this quetsion, given the desired (archetypal) behaviour.

This default implementation will suit most normal graded questions.

If your question is of a patricular type, then it may need to do something different. For example, if your question can only be graded manually, then it should probably return a manualgraded behaviour, irrespective of what is asked for.

If your question wants to do somthing especially complicated is some situations, then you may wish to return a particular behaviour related to the one asked for. For example, you migth want to return a qbehaviour_interactive_adapted_for_myqtype.

Parameters

question_attempt	$qa	the attempt we are creating a behaviour for.
string	$preferredbehaviour	the requested type of behaviour.

Return values

question_behaviour

the new behaviour object.

Reimplemented in qtype_essay_question, question_graded_automatically_with_countback, and question_information_item.

make_html_inline()

question_definition::make_html_inline ( $html )

inherited

Take some HTML that should probably already be a single line, like a multiple choice choice, or the corresponding feedback, and make it so that it is suitable to go in a place where the HTML must be inline, like inside a.

tag.

Parameters

string

$html

to HTML to fix up.

Return values

string

the fixed HTML.

prepare_simulated_post_data()

question_definition::prepare_simulated_post_data ( $simulatedresponse )

inherited

Takes an array of values representing a student response represented in a way that is understandable by a human and transforms that to the response as the POST values returned from the HTML form that takes the student response during a student attempt.

Primarily this is used when reading csv values from a file of student responses in order to be able to simulate the student interaction with a quiz.

In most cases the array will just be returned as is. Some question types will need to transform the keys of the array, as the meaning of the keys in the html form is deliberately obfuscated so that someone looking at the html does not get an advantage. The values that represent the response might also be changed in order to more meaningful to a human.

See the examples of question types that have overridden this in core and also see the csv files of simulated student responses used in unit tests in :

• mod/quiz/tests/fixtures/stepsXX.csv
• mod/quiz/report/responses/tests/fixtures/steps00.csv
• mod/quiz/report/statistics/tests/fixtures/stepsXX.csv

Also see , a quiz report plug in for uploading and downloading student responses as csv files.

Parameters

array

$simulatedresponse

an array of data representing a student response

Return values

array

a response array as would be returned from the html form (but without prefixes)

Reimplemented in qtype_match_question, qtype_multianswer_question, qtype_multichoice_multi_question, and qtype_multichoice_single_question.

set_latest_version()

question_definition::set_latest_version ( int $latestversion )

inherited

Set the latest version.

Making $this->latestversion public would break the magic __get() behaviour above, so allow it to be set externally.

Parameters

int

$latestversion

Return values

void

start_attempt()

question_definition::start_attempt ( question_attempt_step $step, $variant )

inherited

Start a new attempt at this question, storing any information that will be needed later in the step.

This is where the question can do any initialisation required on a per-attempt basis. For example, this is where the multiple choice question type randomly shuffles the choices (if that option is set).

Any information about how the question has been set up for this attempt should be stored in the $step, by calling $step->set_qt_var(...).

Parameters

	question_attempt_step	The first step of the question_attempt being started. Can be used to store state.
int	$varant	which variant of this question to start. Will be between 1 and get_num_variants() inclusive.

Reimplemented in qtype_calculated_question, qtype_calculatedmulti_multi_question, qtype_calculatedmulti_single_question, qtype_gapselect_question_base, qtype_match_question, qtype_missingtype_question, qtype_multianswer_question, qtype_multichoice_base, qtype_numerical_question, qtype_ordering_question, and qtype_randomsamatch_question.

summarise_response()

question_manually_gradable::summarise_response ( array $response )

inherited

Produce a plain text summary of a response.

Parameters

array

$response

a response, as might be passed to grade_response().

Return values

string

a plain text summary of that response, that could be used in reports.

Implemented in qtype_ddmarker_question, qtype_ddtoimage_question_base, qtype_essay_question, qtype_gapselect_question_base, qtype_match_question, qtype_missingtype_question, qtype_multianswer_question, qtype_multichoice_multi_question, qtype_multichoice_single_question, qtype_numerical_question, qtype_ordering_question, qtype_shortanswer_question, and qtype_truefalse_question.

un_summarise_response()

question_with_responses::un_summarise_response

(

string

$summary

)

If possible, construct a response that could have lead to the given response summary.

This is basically the opposite of summarise_response() but it is intended only to be used for testing.

Parameters

string

$summary

a string, which might have come from summarise_response

Return values

array

a response that could have lead to that.

Implements question_manually_gradable.

Reimplemented in qtype_essay_question, qtype_multichoice_multi_question, qtype_multichoice_single_question, qtype_numerical_question, qtype_shortanswer_question, and qtype_truefalse_question.

update_attempt_state_data_for_new_version()

question_definition::update_attempt_state_data_for_new_version ( question_attempt_step $oldstep, question_definition $oldquestion )

inherited

Update the data representing the initial state of an attempt another version of this question, to allow for the changes.

What is required is probably most easily understood using an example. Think about multiple choice questions. The first step has a variable '_order' which is a comma-separated list of question_answer ids. A different version of the question will have different question_answers with different ids. However, the list of choices should be similar, and so we need to shuffle the new list of ids in the same way that the old one was.

Note: be sure to return all the data that was originally in $oldstep, while updating the fields that require it. Otherwise you might break features like 'Each attempt builds on last' in the quiz.

This method should only be called if {

See also

validate_can_regrade_with_other_version()} did not flag up a potential problem. So, this method will throw a {

coding_exception} if it is not possible to work out a return value.

Parameters

question_attempt_step

$oldstep

the first step of a {

See also

question_attempt} at $oldquestion.

Parameters

question_definition

$oldquestion

the previous version of the question, which $oldstate comes from.

Return values

array

the submit data which can be passed to {

See also

apply_attempt_state} to start an attempt at this version of this question, corresponding to the attempt at the old question.

Exceptions

coding_exception

if this can't be done.

Reimplemented in qtype_match_question, qtype_multianswer_question, qtype_multichoice_base, and qtype_ordering_question.

validate_can_regrade_with_other_version()

question_definition::validate_can_regrade_with_other_version ( question_definition $otherversion )

inherited

Verify if an attempt at this question can be re-graded using the other question version.

To put it another way, will {

See also

update_attempt_state_date_from_old_version()} be able to work?

It is expected that this relationship is symmetrical, so if you can regrade from V1 to V3, then you can change back from V3 to V1.

Parameters

question_definition

$otherversion

a different version of the question to use in the regrade.

Return values

string|null

null if the regrade can proceed, else a reason why not.

Reimplemented in qtype_gapselect_question_base, qtype_match_question, qtype_multianswer_question, qtype_multichoice_base, and qtype_ordering_question.

Member Data Documentation

$latestversion

int question_definition::$latestversion = null

protectedinherited

The latest version of the question.

null if we haven't checked yet.

---

The documentation for this class was generated from the following file:

• question/type/questionbase.php