Tools (2.7)

1.0 Enterprise Bundle (Core) Tools

Tools that are integral to every Sakai release are called "Core" tools. Such tools are those that are deemed most tried, tested, and follow best practices for Sakai. They are visible out-of-the-box, and require no special configuration to begin using them.

1.1 Worksite Tools

The following tools (with one exception, see below) are available in Worksite Setup and Site Info > Edit Tools by default.

Announcements (sakai.announcements)
Assignments (sakai.assignment.grades)
Basiclti (sakai.basiclti)
Calendar Summary (sakai.summary.calendar) - a synoptic tool for events created in the Schedule tool
Chat Room (sakai.chat)
Drop Box (sakai.dropbox)
Email Archive (sakai.mailbox)
Forums (sakai.forums) - discussion forums, formerly part of "Message Center"
Gradebook (sakai.gradebook.tool)
Messages (sakai.messages) - for sending private messages, formerly included in "Message Center"
News (sakai.news)
Podcasts (sakai.podcasts) - displays podcasts and provides an RSS feed for access through one's favorite podcatcher; leverages the Resources tool for storage
Polls (sakai.poll) - allows site maintainers to post simple multiple-choice polls for the voting of site participants
Post 'Em (sakai.postem) - for quick uploading of feedback with an Excel import
Resources (sakai.resources)
Roster (sakai.site.roster)
Schedule (sakai.schedule)
Section Info (sakai.sections)
Site Info (sakai.siteinfo)
Sitestats (sakai.sitestats)
Syllabus (sakai.syllabus)
Tests & Quizzes (sakai.samigo)
Web Content (sakai.iframe)
Wiki (sakai.rwiki)

The following tools are not available for direct selection from Worksite Setup, as they are designed to be components of the Home page of a worksite.

My Workspace Info Display (sakai.iframe.myworkspace)
Recent Announcements (sakai.synoptic.announcement)
Recent Chat Messages (sakai.synoptic.chat)
Recent Discussion Items (sakai.synoptic.discussion)

1.2 Admin Tools

These core tools are found within the Admin Workspace by default. Provisional admin tools are also visible by default (see below for details).

Admin: Archive Tool (sakai.archive)
Administrator's Preferences Tool (sakai.admin.prefs)
Admin: Alias Editor (sakai.aliases)
Admin: Memory / Cache Tool (sakai.memory)
Admin: On-Line (sakai.online)
Admin: Realms Editor (sakai.realms)
Admin: Sites Editor (sakai.sites)
Admin: SU tool (sakai.su) - log in as another user.
Admin: User Editor (sakai.users)
Admin: User membersship (sakai.usermembership)
Job Scheduler (sakai.scheduler) - based on Quartz
Search (sakai.search)

1.3 My Workspace and Special Tools

These tools all have some special, specific function in a particular region of Sakai, such as the My Workspace or Gateway sites.

Account (sakai.singleuser)
Help Documentation (sakai.help)
LinkTool (sakai.rutgers.linktool) - light-weight tool for communicating with web-service-enabled external applications.
Membership (sakai.membership)
Message Of The Day (sakai.motd)
New Account (sakai.createuser)
Preferences Tool (sakai.preferences)
Presence Tool (sakai.presence)
Profile (sakai.profile)
Reset Password (sakai.retrievepass)
Service Information Display (sakai.iframe.service)
Site Browser (sakai.sitebrowser)
Site Information Display (sakai.iframe.site)
Worksite Setup (sakai.sitesetup)

1.4 Portfolio Tools

The following tool suite supports portfolio-based learning and assessment activities.

Evaluation (osp.evaluation)
Exposed Matrix (osp.exposedmatrix)
Exposed Wizard (osp.exposedwizard)
Glossary (osp.glossary)
Guidance Sample (osp.guidance.sample)
Matrix (osp.matrix)
Presentation Template (osp.presTemplate)
Presentation (osp.presentation)
Synoptic (osp.synoptic)
Synoptic Editor (osp.synoptic.design.publish)
Wizard (osp.wizard)
Metaobj (sakai.metaobj)

1.5 Other Tools

Tools that defy categorization and are not for the end user are collected here.

Admin: Site Management (sakai.sitemanage) (stealthed) - unfinished tool
Gradebook Service Test (sakai.gradebook.testservice)
Sakai OSID Unit Test Servlet (sakai.test.tools.OSIDUnitTest)
Sample use of RepositoryManager Component (sakai.sample.tools.OSIDRepository)
Simple Sample Servlet Tool (sakai.sample.tool.servlet)
Simple Sample Servlet Tool 2 (sakai.sample.tool.servlet2)

1.6 Stealthed tools

Blog (blogger) - deprecated and stealthed in Sakai 2.7. Scheduled for removal in Sakai 2.8.
Reports (sakai.reports) - deprecated and stealthed in Sakai 2.7. Scheduled for removal in Sakai 2.8.

Stealthed tools do not appear as options in either the Worksite Setup or Edit Tools lists - they effectively require the intervention of an admin in order to be added to a site. Stealthing can be overridden in sakai.properties through a combination of two settings: one for revealing stealthed tools and the other for hiding tools (whether they are stealthed or not). To add tools to these settings, simply include the particular tool ID in a comma-separated list, e.g.:

visibleTools@org.sakaiproject.tool.api.ActiveToolManager=sakai.mailtool,sakai.poll
hiddenTools@org.sakaiproject.tool.api.ActiveToolManager=sakai.announcements

1.7 Contrib Tools

A great deal of useful functionality can be found amidst Contrib tools, which range from brand-new ideas to fully mature projects to old tools retired from the release. Many schools deploy one or more Contrib tools in production whose functionality they find particular valuable. The Contrib tools are not, however, included in releases for a variety of reasons, perhaps because of license compatibility issues, development and release timelines are our of sync, they are not fully integrated with key Sakai services, etc.

In general Contrib tools have not been formally QA'ed as part of the Sakai release process, and the level and effort of integration varies considerably, though many can be deployed in a Sakai instance with trivial effort. Contrib tools should be evaluated on a case-by-case by basis by organizations interested in deploying them.

Contrib tools are available in most cases from the Contrib area of Sakai's Subversion repository. In some cases they are hosted external to the Sakai project by the group leading their development.