Programs like TestGen v7 can export questions in "blackboard format." This is a zip file containing a .dat file (with the question text) and a directory of images. Moodle's blackboard import just reads the .dat file, leaving broken image links. The user must upload and relink the images manually.

I recently pitched Moodle to a group of math teachers who were heavily invested TestGen for creating tests and assignments from publishers' material. For them, the lack of interoperability with Moodle turned out to be a show-stopper.

The requested improvement is to combine the two steps into one so that by importing the zip file (rather than just the .dat file), both question text and images are imported.

Here is some information on zip file, based on a sample (screenshot attached). The images reside in folder ppg/mabradle0907061259. Within the .dat file, the image links are written in relative form, e.g., ppg/mabradle0907061259/foo.jpg. To import the images, the importer must (a) perform the equivalent of mkdir p ppg/mabradle0907061259 in the course files root dir (b) copy the images to the directory (c) convert the image links in the question text to absolute addresses by prepending $CFG>wwwroot/file.php?file=/coursenum/

One additional improvement is needed. The Moodle question name should be taken from the question id in the .dat file. Currently, the Moodle name is defaulting to the first 33? characters of the question text.