Hi,

I have created a new filter to embed an MIT SIMILE Timeline Javascript interactive widget. It can be used to visualize temporal/ historical data - see attached screen shots. The data source can be a static XML file, or a dynamic Moodle Database activity.

The syntax to embed a timeline, using a static XML is:

[Timeline]
title = Important inventions
dataUrl=

/file.php/

/

.xml
date = 1870
intervalUnit = CENTURY
intervalPixels= 75
[/Timeline]

Links:

• "Why square brackets?", http://bitbucket.org/nfreear/moodle-timelinewidget/src/tip/filter.php#cl-36
• Code and Readme: http://bitbucket.org/nfreear/moodle-timelinewidget/src
• Zip - contains Timeline libraries, v2.30 (BSD license), and example XML: http://bitbucket.org/nfreear/moodle-timelinewidget/get/tip.zip
• Screenshot & question on forum, http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=58038

Notes:

• It's a filter for the present, though I may look at turning it into a full module.
• I've started off with the code at Bitbucket - I'm happy to import into Moodle CVS.
• I've named it 'Timelinewidget' to differentiate it from the Timeline course format.
• It needs some internationalization work - I'll do that shortly.
• AFAIK, the previous attempt to integrate SIMILE Timeline in 2006, came to nothing - http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=58038 .

I hope this proves useful. Let me know if you have questions or feedback.

Thanks for your time,

Nick