UPNA WebCT 4.1 Migration Tool

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Last updated: Aug 06, 2008Version comment
4 min read

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

First at all, this program is based in the Rutgers & New England previous works, which can be used for:

-Import the web content from WebCT 4.1 into the Sakai's Melete tool.
-Import the quizzes into the Sakai's Samigo tool.
-Generate HTML from the web content.

You can find these tools in the Confluence Page: http://confluence.sakaiproject.org/confluence/display/MIG/UNE+Migration+Utility .

However, while the Samigo import worked very well with these tools (althought we didn't test it exhaustly), the web content import didn't do as well, as least for us. There were enough content lost in the process, so I investigated the problem. The design of the program was very complicated to track these bugs, and I didn't understand several classes designs, so I rewrote a new program from the beginning, using some of the previous work.

This program ONLY serves to migrate the exported web contents of WebCT 4.1 courses. It can be migrated in IMS format (for importing into Melete) or in HTML format (for importing into Resources). For migrating quizzes, you can use the other tools. For migrating other content, like Glossary, Calendar, etc. , there isn't any solution yet.

Feel free to use any of the solutions provided and feel free to correct my bad english in this document. (wink)

The program's output is in spanish, but I think it isn't complicated to understand it.

If you undestand spanish, maybe you could be interested in the page of the Spanish Sakai Group about migration from WebCT to Sakai

You can send me any comment or question to: daniel.merino@unavarra.es 

HOW TO USE THE PROGRAM

A few important things:

-WebCT doesn't export all the course, only exports the web contents of the initial page and the files linked in them, but it doesn't export all the files from the File Manager. Fortunately, you can get these files, just keep reading.

-WebCT exports contents in an IMS format that isn't standard at all, so it must be transformed for importing it in another tool (like Melete).

-We don't use Melete, we prefer to use the iFrame approach for managing the contents. So we load MIG:the generated HTML pages into one folder created in Resources, and MIG:these pages link to the files uploaded into Resources too. After this, we use the iFrame tool to show the pages as an extra option. Sakai allows to edit those HTML pages with a WYSIWYG editor, and you have an absolute control over the format.

-Sakai has a Resources folder in every course which can be mapped with WebDAV, with an URL with the course name in it, so you can load bulk resources easily.


So the migration is something like these steps:

-Export the WebCT course with the cp_api.pl program, something like this: "./cp_api.pl -action=export -compress=no -course=curso13"

-It will be exported in a folder called something like CURSO13_COURSE_20080428144703

-Unrar MIG:the java program in a folder, i. e. /Test/ . The sources are included, if you want to modify them.

-Unrar the file Complementos.rar in any folder (which must be configured in Config.properties) if you want the generated pages to have some graphic format (very simple).

-Configure the properties file (Config.properties) with the paths and other things. Later I will explain this.

-Launch the java program (/Test/java webct2sakai.WebCT2Sakai <PARAMETERS>) with the parameters you like. They will be explained later too.

-Now you have the exported contents, in the chosen format, in another folder called <destiny_path>/CURSO13:
    *If you want to import them into Melete, in that folder you have a imsmanifest.xml and a resources folder. Zip them and import them into Melete.
    *If you want to import them into Resources, in that folder you have a "resources" folder with several folders inside. Keep on reading.

-WebCT places all the resources of the File Manager in a folder. Usually is like this: /webct/webct-4.1.0.20/webct/user/curso13/* . Copy all the resources of this folder in <destiny_path>/CURSO13, so you get there ALL the resources, not only the ones linked by the web content.

-Move <destiny_path>/CURSO13 into the proper Sakai's course via WebDAV.

-Create an iFrame tool which links to <Resources>/<Properties_folder>/<Properties_indexName>

-It's done!


The properties file has the next options:

-raiz (root): The root path where the exported courses are.

-destino (destiny): Path where the transformed courses must be placed.

-ficheroCursos (coursesFile): Text file with a list of names of courses to import, separated by carry returns, when you are using the massive load option.

-rutaExecWebCT: This isn't used, in the beginning I was thinking about including in the program the export command line calling.

-css: Name of the stylesheet to apply to the generated HTML.

-carpeta (folder): Name of the folder where you want to create the generated HTML.

-nombreIndice (indexName): Name of the index web page, from which you can navigate the other generated pages.

-complementos (complements): Path to a folder where we can put all the complementary files (help pages, css stylesheets, images, etc) commons to all the courses.


And the java program has the next parameters:

--modo=XXX (mode): Can be "html" or "xml". The way the contents are transformed.

--course=XXX: Name of the course if you are processing only one.

--cargaMasiva: If you want to make a bulk process. The "ficheroCursos" property must be available in the Config.properties.

--borrado: Be careful with this. Instead of copying the resources from the exported course, it moves them. Useful if you don't have much space.


Examples:

java webct2sakai.WebCT2Sakai -course=curso13 --modo=html  -> Transforms the course Curso13 in HTML.

java webct2sakai.WebCT2Sakai -modo=xml --cargaMasiva --borrado -> Transforms a list of courses to IMS format and deletes the files from the source course.

CONTACTS

*Centre for Innovation in Higher Education (http://csie.unavarra.es), Public University of Navarra, Spain

*Daniel Merino Echeverría (daniel.merino@unavarra.es) - Programmer of the application.
E-Learning Manager, Centre for Innovation in Higher Education

*Pablo San Román Bengoetxea (pablo.sanroman@unavarra.es)
E-Learning Technician, Centre for Innovation in Higher Education

*David Benito Pertusa (david.benito@unavarra.es)
Centre's Director, Centre for Innovation in Higher Education