Create Course with SOAP in ILIAS

In the ever-evolving landscape of e-learning and online education, Learning Management Systems (LMS) play a crucial role in facilitating course creation, management, and delivery. ILIAS LMS stands out as a robust platform that offers extensive functionality for educators and instructional designers. One powerful way to interact with ILIAS programmatically is through its SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) web services, which allow for seamless integration and automation.

In this blog post, we'll dive into the process of creating courses using SOAP in ILIAS LMS. We'll cover essential concepts, provide code examples, and guide you through the steps necessary to leverage SOAP for course creation within the ILIAS environment.

Understanding SOAP in ILIAS

SOAP is a protocol used for exchanging structured information in the implementation of web services. ILIAS exposes a comprehensive set of SOAP web services that enable developers to interact with its features programmatically. This includes creating and managing courses, users, content, and more.

To begin, ensure that your ILIAS instance has SOAP services enabled and that you have the necessary permissions to access these services. ILIAS typically provides a WSDL (Web Services Description Language) file that describes the available SOAP methods and data structures.

Connecting to ILIAS SOAP Services

To interact with ILIAS via SOAP, you'll need to establish a SOAP client in your preferred programming language. Most modern programming languages have built-in or third-party libraries for consuming SOAP web services.

Here's a simplified example using PHP's built-in SOAP client:

<?php

require_once('/var/www/html/ilias8/webservice/soap/lib/nusoap.php');

$username = 'soap'; // Admin user for SOAP
$password = '12345'; // Password for soap user
$clientId = 'ilias8'; // ilias client id
$domain = 'http://localhost';

$soapUserId = 316; // Soap admin user id
$iliasInstallation = 'il_0_';

$client = new nusoap_client($domain . '/webservice/soap/server.php?wsdl&client_id=' . $clientId, true);
$client->soap_defencoding = 'UTF-8';
$error = null;

// Authenticate
$sessionId = $client->call('login', [
    'client' => $clientId,
    'username' => $username,
    'password' => $password
]);

// Check if login was successful
if (!empty($client->getError())) {
    echo $client->getError();
} else {

    $courseParameters = array(
        'title' => 'Mathematics',
        'subtitle' => 'Unlocking the Language of Numbers: A Journey into Mathematics',
        'start' => 1718006400, // 10.07.2024 10:00
        'end' => 1720537200, // 09.07.2024 17:00
        'targetId' => 86, // Target category
        'subjects' => 'Maths',
        'date' => 'Montag 10. June 2024 10:00',
        'duration' => '4 hours',
        'shortDescription' => 'Dive into the fundamentals of mathematics, exploring its universal language through numbers, equations, and problem-solving techniques.',
        'description' => 'Embark on an enriching exploration of mathematics, delving into its foundational principles and practical applications. This course will immerse you in the universal language of numbers, equations, and problem-solving techniques. Gain a comprehensive understanding of mathematical concepts such as algebra, geometry, calculus, and statistics, and discover their significance in various real-world scenarios. Through engaging lessons and interactive activities, you\'ll develop analytical skills, logical reasoning, and a deeper appreciation for the elegance and utility of mathematics. Whether you\'re a student seeking to strengthen your mathematical prowess or an enthusiast eager to unravel the mysteries of numbers, this course offers a stimulating journey into the captivating realm of mathematics.',
        'location' => 'Alexandeplatz 3 <br>Room 3<br/> 10321 Berlin',
        'url' => 'https://iliaspedia.com',
        'contentStyle' => 325  // Obj id of our content style
    );

    $courseXML = '<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>' .
        '<Course>' .
        '<Admin id="' . $iliasInstallation . 'usr_' . $soapUserId . '"></Admin>' .
        '<MetaData>' .
        '<General>' .
        '<Title><![CDATA[' . $courseParameters['title'] . ']]></Title>' .
        '<Description Language="en"><![CDATA[' . $courseParameters['shortDescription'] . ']]></Description>' .
        '<Language Language="en"/>' .
        '</General>' .
        '</MetaData>' .
        '<Settings>' .
        '<Availability><Unlimited/></Availability>' .
        '<Period withTime="1">' .
        '<Start><![CDATA[' . $courseParameters['start'] . ']]></Start>' .
        '<End><![CDATA[' . $courseParameters['end'] . ']]></End>' .
        '</Period>' .
        '</Settings>' .
        '</Course>';

    $courseId = $client->call('addCourse', array($sessionId, $courseParameters['targetId'], $courseXML));

    if (!empty($client->getError())) {
        echo 'Something went wrong. Course was not created';
    } else {
        echo 'Course was created: ' . $courseId;
    }
}

In our example:

1. We instantiate a SoapClient object using the ILIAS SOAP endpoint URL.
2. We authenticate with ILIAS by calling the login method with the provided username and password.
3. We use the obtained session ID to invoke ILIAS methods, such as addCourse, to create a new course.
4. Finally, we log out from ILIAS using the logout method.

Creating Courses Programmatically

With the SOAP client configured and connected to ILIAS, you can programmatically create courses by invoking the appropriate SOAP methods. The addCourse method, as demonstrated above, is used to create a new course within ILIAS. You can specify the course name, description, and other parameters as needed.

Best Practices and Considerations

When working with SOAP in ILIAS or any LMS:

1. Always handle authentication securely. Use encrypted connections (HTTPS) and avoid hardcoding credentials in your scripts.
2. Familiarize yourself with ILIAS SOAP API documentation to understand available methods, parameters, and data structures.
3. Implement error handling to gracefully manage exceptions and failures during SOAP interactions.

Conclusion

Integrating with ILIAS LMS via SOAP web services opens up a world of possibilities for automating course management tasks and integrating your e-learning platform with external systems. By leveraging SOAP, you can streamline course creation workflows, enhance administrative capabilities, and deliver a more dynamic and personalized learning experience for your students.

If you're interested in exploring more about ILIAS SOAP web services, consult the official documentation and experiment with different methods to harness the full potential of ILIAS LMS in your educational endeavors.