Writer View for Moodle
A local plugin that updates the Moodle assignment submission page into a focused writing experience with a Google Docs-ish layout that observes the contraints of Moodle core.
What it does
When enabled, Writer View replaces the default assignment submission page that centers focus on the writing canvas without hiding the important instructions or information from the student:
- Maximized text editor (816px, centered, Google Docs-style)
- Sidebar with assignment details: word count, due date, time limit, submission status, assignment description, activity instructions, and rubric
- No page scrolling — the editor fills the viewport, only the editor content scrolls
- Rubric slide-over panel — full-width rubric view without cramping the sidebar
Requirements
- Moodle 4.4 or later (requires the Hooks API)
- TinyMCE editor (default in Moodle 4.x)
- Boost theme (default) or Boost-based child themes
Installation
- Copy the
writerview folder to local/writerview in your Moodle installation
- Visit Site Administration > Notifications to install the plugin
- Purge caches: Site Administration > Development > Purge all caches
How to enable
Site-wide default
Site Administration > Plugins > Local plugins > Writer View
Toggle "Enable by default" to activate Writer View for all assignments. Teachers can override per-assignment.
Per-assignment toggle
- Navigate to any assignment as an editing teacher
- Open the assignment's settings gear menu (⚙)
- Click Enable Writer View or Disable Writer View
Students will see the enhanced layout on the submission page when enabled.
Features
| Feature | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| Word count | Live word count, updates as you type |
| Due date | Countdown timer (e.g., "1d 4h 30m"), hidden if not set |
| Time limit | Mirrors Moodle's assignment timer block, hidden if not set |
| Submission status | Color-coded badge (red = not submitted, yellow = draft, green = submitted) |
| Assignment description | Full description from assignment settings |
| Activity instructions | Shown when set by teacher (separate from description) |
| Rubric | Slide-over panel with full rubric table, triggered by Show button |
| Sidebar collapse | "Hide details" / "Show details" toggle |
| Save/Cancel | Buttons pinned in sidebar header, always visible |
| No double scroll | Page locked to viewport, only editor content scrolls |
| Fullscreen | TinyMCE fullscreen mode works, sidebar hides automatically |
Limitations
- TinyMCE only — Atto editor is not supported. If the site uses Atto, Writer View will not activate (the page remains functional).
- Boost theme — DOM manipulation targets Boost's HTML structure. Other themes may not work correctly.
- Online text submissions only — Writer View activates on the
mod-assign-editsubmission page type. It does not affect file-only submissions, grading views, or other activity types.
- DOM fragility — Layout manipulation depends on Moodle's HTML structure, which can change between major versions. Test after Moodle upgrades.
- No offline/mobile optimization — The sidebar collapses on small screens but is not optimized for mobile writing.
- Single editor — If an assignment has multiple submission types (e.g., online text + file upload), both remain in the editor area. Writer View does not separate them.
- Rubric caching — The rubric preview HTML is fetched on each page load. It is not cached separately (the MUC cache covers the enabled/disabled config only).
- Cursive plugin — Writer View and the Cursive plugin's full-screen mode are independent.
File structure
local/writerview/
"── version.php # Plugin version, requires Moodle 4.4
"── lib.php # Settings navigation toggle
"── toggle.php # Per-assignment enable/disable handler
"── settings.php # Admin settings page
"── styles.css # All CSS (scoped under body.writerview-active)
"── db/
│ "── access.php # Capabilities (local/writerview:manage)
│ "── hooks.php # Hook subscription
│ "── install.xml # Database table definition
│ └── caches.php # MUC cache definition
"── classes/
│ "── hook_callbacks.php # Conditional JS/CSS injection
│ └── privacy/
│ └── provider.php # Privacy API (null provider)
"── amd/
│ └── src/
│ └── writerview.js # AMD module for DOM manipulation
└── lang/
└── en/
└── local_writerview.php # Language strings
Reporting issues
Bugs and feature requests: https://github.com/joethibault/moodle-local_writerview/issues
License
GNU GPL v3 or later — https://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html
