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Developer FAQ

Help for new coders​

Where can I download Moodle?​

There are various ways you can download and install Moodle on your system.

Where can I start?​

This very website is a great place to find out more how you can be a Moodle developer. Navigate the various sections to find out more.

  • Guides for Developer Documentation
  • Community for more information on how you can contribute
  • Coding for Moodle coding standards
  • Process to learn how the development cycle works

Extend your learning​

Who can I ask for help?​

The Moodle community is an active group of teachers and developers that have most likely encountered many of the same questions you might have. We encourage you to reach out and get involved in the available ways provided on our Support channels page.

How do I create a patch?​

If you have made some changes to the code that you would like to share with the community, learn how to create a patch.

How do I create a module or plugin?​

Use the following resources to help get you started with modules and plugins.

Is there any information on backup and restore?​

Learn how to use Moodle's backup and restore APIs.

How can I customise Moodle with my own plugin?​

Local plugins are a great way to customise Moodle when no standard plugin fits.

Moodle's database​

Where can I see a schema for the structure of the Moodle database?​

Database schema introduction gives a high level overview of the database schema.

Because of Moodle's modular nature, there is no single, detailed representation of the full database schema. Instead, the tables for each part of Moodle are defined in a database-neutral XML format in each part of Moodle (see XMLDB). Look for files called install.xml located in folders called db throughout your Moodle installation.

Alternatively, log in as an administrator on your Moodle site and go to Site administration -> Development -> XMLDB editor. Use the Doc link to see automatically generated documentation built from install.xml files.

See also XMLDB documentation.

How do I find out the currently-logged-on user?​

The global object $USER contains various properties pertaining to the currently logged in user. Here are just a few examples.

  • First name $USER->firstname
  • Last name $USER->lastname
  • User ID $USER->id

How do I find out the current course?​

Just like the global object $USER, there is a global object called $COURSE which contains details about a course.

  • Course ID $COURSE->id
  • Course name $COURSE->fullname

How do I insert/retrieve records in the database?​

Use the global $DB object, as described in the Data manipulation API documentation, to insert and retrieve data without having to create your own database connection.

How do I get/set configuration settings?​

config table​

To get config values you would typically access the global $CFG object directly, which is automatically created by the core Moodle scripts. To set these main config values use set_config($name, $value). The values are stored in the Moodle config database table, but these functions take care of cacheing on your behalf, so you should always use these rather than fetching the records directly.

config_plugin table​

There is also a second table of config settings specifically for plugins called config_plugin. These are not automatically loaded into the $CFG object. To get these you would use get_config($plugin, $name). To set them use set_config($name, $value, $plugin).

On top of those global configuration values, individual blocks may also have a configuration object associated with it (the data is serialised and stored in the block_instance table). Within blocks, this data is automatically loaded into the config attribute of the block.

How do I migrate my Moodle site?​

There may be times when you need to move your Moodle site from one server to another. Find out all about migrating your Moodle site.

Learn more​

For a comprehensive introduction to developing with Moodle, complete the Developer pathway course over at Moodle Academy where you will learn:

  • How to set up your Moodle development environment
  • Understand Moodle's modular architecture
  • How to update Moodle plugins
  • Moodle security essentials
  • Implement accessibility features
  • How to unit test your Moodle site