Files
edx-platform/xmodule/assets
Kyle McCormick 265701c01d feat!: remove library_sourced block (#33257)
Originally, we planned to add support for V2 libraries and for static
(hand-selected) library block reference via new block type: library_sourced.

We have since decided that it would be better to add those capabilities
in-place to the existing library_content block. This will ease V1->V2
library migration and make adoption of the new features easier for current
library users. It will also avoid duplication of logic between two block types,
we we fear would be error-prone. For details, see this ADR:
 https://github.com/openedx/edx-platform/pull/33231

So, we are removing the library_sourced block.
This block has existed in edx-platform for a few years now, but was not
enabled by default and never officially supported. It was only usable via the
experimental V2 content library feature. Operators who added library_sourced
blocks to their course will now see them render as `HiddenBlock` instances, i.e.:

> ERROR: "library_sourced" is an unknown component type...

This should not impact other component types in such courses and should not
impact import/export.
2023-09-15 10:04:38 -04:00
..

xmodule/assets: edx-platform XBlock resources
#############################################

This folder exists to contain resources (i.e., static assets) for the XBlocks
defined in edx-platform.

Concepts
********

We would like edx-platform XBlock resources to match the standard XBlock
resource strategy as much as possible, because:

* it'll make it easier to extract the XBlocks into their own packages
  eventually, and
* it makes it easier to reason about the system as a whole when
  internally-defined and externally-defined blocks play by the same rules.

Due to the legacy of the XModule system, we're not quite there yet.
However, we are proactively working towards a system where:

* Python is not involved in the generation of static assets.
* We minimze conditionals that differentiate between "older" (aka "XModule-style")
  XBlocks and newer (aka "pure") XBlocks.
* Each XBlock's assets are contained within their own folder as much as
  possible. See ``./vertical`` as an example.

Themable Sass (.scss)
*********************

XBlock CSS for ``student_view``, ``author_view``, and ``public_view`` is compiled from the various ``./<ClassName>BlockDisplay.scss`` modules, such as `AnnotatableBlockDisplay.scss`_.

XBlock CSS for ``studio_view`` is compiled from the various ``./<ClassName>BlockEditor.scss`` modules, such as `AnnotatableBlockEditor.scss`_.

Those Sass modules are mostly thin wrappers around the underscore-prefixed Sass
modules within block-type-subdirectories, such as `annotatable/_display.css`. In the
future, we may `simplify things`_ by collapsing the top-level Sass modules and
just directly compiling the block-type-subdirectories' Sass.

The CSS is compiled into the static folders of both LMS and CMS, as well as into
the corresponding folders in any enabled themes, as part of the edx-platform build.
It is collected into the static root, and then linked to from XBlock fragments by the
``add_sass_to_fragment`` function in `builtin_assets.py`_.

.. _AnnotatableBlockDisplay.scss: https://github.com/openedx/edx-platform/tree/master/xmodule/assets/AnnotatableBlockDisplay.scss
.. _AnnotatableBlockEditor.scss: https://github.com/openedx/edx-platform/tree/master/xmodule/assets/AnnotatableBlockEditor.scss
.. _annotatable/_display.scss: https://github.com/openedx/edx-platform/tree/master/xmodule/assets/annotatable/_display.scss
.. _simplify things: https://github.com/openedx/edx-platform/issues/32621


JavaScript (.js)
****************

Currently, edx-platform XBlock JS is defined both here in `xmodule/assets`_ and outside in `xmodule/js`_. Different JS resources are processed differently:

* For many older blocks, their JS is:

  * bundled using a `webpack.builtinblocks.config.js`_,
  * which is included into `webpack.common.config.js`_,
  * allowing it to be included into XBlock fragments using ``add_webpack_js_to_fragment`` from `builtin_assets.py`_.

  Example blocks using this setup:

  * `ProblemBlock`_
  * `HtmlBlock`_
  * `AnnotatableBlock`_

* For other "purer" blocks, the JS is used as a standard XBlock fragment. Example blocks:

  * `VerticalBlock`_
  * `LibraryContentBlock`_

As part of an `active build refactoring`_, we will soon consolidate all edx-platform XBlock JS here in `xmodule/assets`_.

.. _xmodule/assets: https://github.com/openedx/edx-platform/tree/master/xmodule/assets
.. _xmodule/js: https://github.com/openedx/edx-platform/tree/master/xmodule/js
.. _ProblemBlock: https://github.com/openedx/edx-platform/blob/master/xmodule/capa_block.py
.. _HtmlBlock: https://github.com/openedx/edx-platform/blob/master/xmodule/html_block.py
.. _AnnotatableBlock: https://github.com/openedx/edx-platform/blob/master/xmodule/annotatable_block.py
.. _VerticalBlock: https://github.com/openedx/edx-platform/blob/master/xmodule/vertical_block.py
.. _LibraryContentBlock: https://github.com/openedx/edx-platform/blob/master/xmodule/library_content_block.py
.. _active build refactoring: https://github.com/openedx/edx-platform/issues/31624
.. _builtin_assets.py: https://github.com/openedx/edx-platform/tree/master/xmodule/util/builtin_assets.py
.. _static_content.py: https://github.com/openedx/edx-platform/blob/master/xmodule/static_content.py
.. _library_source_block/style.css: https://github.com/openedx/edx-platform/blob/master/xmodule/assets/library_source_block/style.css
.. _webpack.builtinblocks.config.js: https://github.com/openedx/edx-platform/blob/master/webpack.builtinblocks.config.js
.. _webpack.common.config.js: https://github.com/openedx/edx-platform/blob/master/webpack.common.config.js