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Implementing LEAP2A using the Argotic library in .NET

Andrew Everson

Extensions for Argotic version 2008.0.2.0 can be downloaded from:http://www.pebblepad.co.uk/leap2a/

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Importing and exporting in PebblePad

IMS ePortfolio

Export

First standard implemented in PebblePad, uses custom XML serialisation to create representations of PebblePad assets and XSL to convert them to IMS eP.

Slow compared to other export methods

Error prone, care must be taken that the standard is followed

Fragile, errors introduced by changes elsewhere tend to show up as subtle problems

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Importing and exporting in PebblePad

IMS ePortfolio

Import

XML Serialisation, uses the XML Schema Definition Tool (xsd.exe) to create classes which can be used to convert between XML and an object graph.

One of the fastest methods for reading a writing XML

Don't have to worry about parsing XML, the contents of a file are accessed as strongly typed objects

Generated classes are often not easy to work with, can require a lot of helper functions ease development

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Importing and exporting in PebblePad

IMS Content Packaging export

Pebble Learning library, uses XML Document Object Model to write manifest files

Difficult to create documents which follow the standard correctly

HR-XML export

XML Serialisation

Always produces conforming output if all the fields are filled in correctly

Difficult to work with classes generated from complex schemas

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Importing and exporting in PebblePad

RSS and Atom feeds

Argotic library

Very fast

Perfect output, most details of the specification are taken care of by the library

Generally well documented

Extensible, easy to add additional elements needed

Designed to be easy to work with, lower code overhead compared to XML serialisation

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Argotic Syndication Framework

General content syndication library, supports RSS, Atom, and various other syndication specifications

Available from Codeplex http://www.codeplex.com/Argotic

Extensions for Argotic version 2008.0.2.0 can be downloaded from:http://www.pebblepad.co.uk/leap2a/

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Argotic Syndication Framework

Issues with using a general syndication library for portfolio interoperability

Extensions are not well documented, difficult to get working initially

Tracking changes in library can be time consuming

The library is under continuous development and major releases can be expected to break code, especially extensions

Doesn't automatically resolve links with a feed

Helper class required to handle fetching linked entries based link and entry type

Argotic uses namespaces to determine extensions used, this mean that it cannot cope with adding a dynamic namespace required to support CURIES for links between entries

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Mapping LEAP entry types to internal portfolio types

Basic mapping

Some types have an easy one to one mapping

ability

achievement

activity -> experience

plan -> actionplan

meeting

Except if an entry is part of something other than a selection. If the entry is just part of another asset it must not be .

Steps to success in an actionplan become activities which are part of a plan, they are not assets so they must not be treated as experiences.

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Mapping LEAP entry types to internal portfolio types

Selection types are determined by their categories

blog by default

webfolio if selected entries have Webpage category

Untyped or unknown entry types are thoughts as long as they are not linked by anything other than a blog.

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Everything else is not an asset!!