NOTICE: Javascript Hacks for Blackboard Version 1

This is the repository for the incomplete version 2 of JS Hack. If you wish to download the production ready version one, see the version 1 repository.

Javascript Hacks for Blackboard (Incomplete Version 2)

JS Hack is a Building Block for the Blackboard Learn LMS, which allows the injection of arbitrary HTML and Javascript into the Blackboard UI.

Download

You can find the latest binary version of JS Hack at the JS Hack Version 1 repository

If you come across an issue in JSHack V1, please add an issue to the v1 repository.

Before you Begin

The project is split into four parts

• api - the non-bb non-web parts of jshack.
• common-web - which contains the web resources for the final Building block, and also for performing development work without a Bb instance.
• test-web - the server-side resources for doing UI and non-bb specific development
• b2 - all the Bb specific code required for deploying the B2 to a Bb instance.

The following frameworks and tools are being used in JSHack

• Google Closure - for developing the Javascript UI.
  Closure is Big, so don't freak out if you have trouble understanding it all at first. It does get easier.
• Plovr - for making it easier to develop in Closure
• Glovr - a gradle wrapper around Plovr
• Gradle - a build tool
• Stripes - an MVC web framework
• Jersey - a Web Services framework

Building the Project to Deploy to Blackboard

Please Note. This version of JSHack is still under heavy development, and won't work if you deploy it to Blackboard. However, if you'd like to build it anyway, do as follows.

1. Clone this git repository.
2. Execute

   gradlew jshack-b2:war

Building and Developing without Blackboard

Most of the JSHack building block can be developed without using Blackboard. To do this, you'll need to execute two gradle tasks (in different cmd prompts), which will run an instance of plovr, and an instance of Jetty.

gradlew jshack-test-web:jettyRunWar

will compile and build the web app, and deploy it an instance of Jetty.

gradlew jshack-common-web:plovrServe

will run an instance of Plovr, which allows changes to the javascript to be viewed without rebuilding and deploying the entire web application.

Once these components are running, you can view the JS Hack editor by visiting this url: http://localhost:8080/jshack-test-web/Editor.action?dev=true

Committing Code

Please adhere to the coding conventions as used in the project. Most importantly, make sure you run the Closure Linter and Compiler before comitting any code.

You can do this by building the test-war:

gradlew jshack-test-web:war

or

gradlew jshack-common-web:gjslint gradlew jshack-common-web:plovrBuild