File management

Dealing with files in web-based applications is not always straightforward. While Moodle provides a user interface to perform this task, it is sometimes necessary that, as the administrator, you will have to bypass this mechanism and use other means. First though, let's look at the built-in file handling that is also the one used by students and teachers.

The Moodle file management interface

Moodle offers a basic file management interface, which lets you upload, move, delete, and rename files and directories. It is also possible to copy or link to files from third-party services such as Dropbox; on the same token, Moodle isn't a content management system.

We already talked about how Moodle stores files at system level—the ones we are not to touch! At application level, it arranges files according to Moodle's structure.

Note

In Moodle, a file is always connected to the particular bit of Moodle that uses it.

Files are organized in a tree-like structure, which...