Frankenstyle component names
The term 'Frankenstyle component names' refers to the naming convention that is used to uniquely identify a Moodle plugin based on the type of plugin and its name. They are used throughout the Moodle code (with a notable exception being the css class names in the themes).
Format
Frankenstyle component names have a prefix and then a folder name, separated by an underscore.
- The prefix is determined by the type of plugin. For example, the prefix for an activity module is mod.
- The name is the folder name of the plugin, always lower case. For example, the name for Quiz is quiz.
So the frankenstyle component name for the quiz module is mod_quiz.
Plugin types
See Plugin types page for the list of all supported plugin types in Moodle and their frankenstyle prefix.
To get a definitive list in your version of Moodle 2.x, use a small Moodle script with print_object(get_plugin_types());.
Core subsystems
Subsystems in Moodle are not plugins themselves but can be referred to using core_[subsystem.] where the subsystem defined in get_core_subsystems().
Other places that you may see these being used include:
- the PHP Namespace used to autoload classes
- the prefix used in JavaScript module names
- the prefix used in template names
- the
@packageparameter in phpdocs - the webservice function names
Core subsystems can provide own strings via a file stored in lang/en/{subsystemname}.php. Some of them have a dedicated location with libraries, autoloaded classes and other resources.
| Core subsystem | Frankenstyle component name | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Access | core_access | |
| Administration | core_admin | /admin |
| Antivirus | core_antivirus | /lib/antivirus |
| Authentication | core_auth | /auth |
| Conditional availability | core_availability | /availability |
| Backup and restore | core_backup | /backup/util/ui |
| Badges | core_badges | /badges |
| Blocks | core_block | /blocks |
| Blogging | core_blog | /blog |
| Bulk users operations | core_bulkusers | |
| Caching | core_cache | /cache |
| Calendar | core_calendar | /calendar |
| Cohorts | core_cohort | /cohort |
| Comment | core_comment | /comment |
| Competency based education | core_competency | /competency |
| Completion | core_completion | /completion |
| Countries | core_countries | |
| Course | core_course | /course |
| Currencies | core_currencies | |
| Database transfer | core_dbtransfer | |
| Debugging | core_debug | |
| Text editors | core_editor | /lib/editor |
| Education fields | core_edufields | |
| Enrol | core_enrol | /enrol |
| Error reporting | core_error | |
| Favourites | core_favourites | /favourites |
| File picker | core_filepicker | |
| Files management | core_files | /files |
| User filtering | core_filters | |
| Forms | core_form | /lib/form |
| Grades | core_grades | /grade |
| Advanced grading | core_grading | /grade/grading |
| Groups | core_group | /group |
| Help | core_help | |
| Hub | core_hub | |
| IMS CC | core_imscc | |
| Installer | core_install | |
| ISO 6392 | core_iso6392 | |
| Language pack configuration | core_langconfig | |
| License | core_license | |
| Maths library | core_mathslib | |
| Media | core_media | |
| Messaging | core_message | /message |
| MIME types | core_mimetypes | |
| MNet | core_mnet | /mnet |
| Dashboard | core_my | /my |
| User notes | core_notes | /notes |
| Page types | core_pagetype | |
| Pictures and icons | core_pix | |
| Plagiarism | core_plagiarism | /plagiarism |
| Plugins management | core_plugin | |
| Portfolio | core_portfolio | /portfolio |
| Privacy | core_privacy | /privacy |
| Course publishing | core_publish | /course/publish |
| Question bank engine | core_question | /question |
| Ratings | core_rating | /rating |
| Site registration | core_register | /admin/registration |
| Repository | core_repository | /repository |
| RSS | core_rss | /rss |
| Roles | core_role | /admin/roles |
| Global search | core_search | /search |
| Tabular data display/download (deprecated) | core_table | |
| Tagging | core_tag | /tag |
| Timezones | core_timezones | |
| User | core_user | /user |
| User key | core_userkey | |
| Web service | core_webservice | /webservice |
Usage
Frankenstyle component names are used in:
Function names
All plugin functions must start with full frankenstyle prefix.
For backwards compatibility modules may also use modulename_ as prefix.
Something about global functions not being recommended. Please use an autoloaded class.
Class names
All the component classes must be placed under the classes directory, which allows them to be (auto-loaded). These should be placed in a namespace according to their frankenstyle component name, and having a natural name, for example a discussion class in the forum activity should be in the mod_forum namespace and may have a class name of dicussion - \mod_forum\discussion.
The use of non-namespaced classes using only the frankenstyle prefix is now deprecated.
See Coding style for more information.
For example, the class. name mod_forum_example should be written as mod_forum\example.
Constants
All plugin constants must start with uppercase frankenstyle prefix, for example MOD_FORUM_XXXX.
The use of constants is not recommended and, where possible, a class constant on an autoloaded class should be used.
This allows uses of the constant to autoload the content without needing to manually require any files.
Table names
All table names for a plugin must begin with its frankenstyle name (after the standard Moodle table prefix).
The exception to this rule is Moodle activities which (for historical reasons) do not have plugin type mod_ as a prefix to the plugin name.
Examples:
local_coolreportlocal_coolreport_usersforum- for the mod_forum component
Plugin configuration table
In the config_plugins table, column plugin, the frankenstyle name is used.
Capabilities
All capabilities for a plugin use the frankenstyle name, except with a / instead of a _.
For example:
mod/quiz:viewattemptblock/library:readbook
Language files
The main language file for each plugin (with the notable exception of activity modules) is the frankenstyle component name.
For example:
/blocks/participants/lang/en/block_participants.php/mod/quiz/lang/en/quiz.php
Renderers
Module Subplugins
It is possible to extend modules without having to change the basic module's code. See Subplugins for details.
Other places (TODO)
- @package declarations in phpdocs, see Coding style#PHPDoc
- web service function names
- Moodle Plugins database
- JS module names
- Template names
Please add more as they come up.
Theme name variants
Themes are typically a derivatives of some other theme. Where this is the case, you should avoid including the parent theme name in your theme's name.