Install-B2 Building Block

This Building Block is for development servers only. It provides a mechanism for installing Building Blocks from a development environment (e.g. using Ant) via an HTTP connection to the Blackboard server.

The install-b2 Building Block is written for Blackboard Learn 9.0 (or higher). It includes the following dependent Java class libraries:

• b2context.jar
• blackboard.plugins.sb (from the Blackboard Starting Block)

A standalone Java application is also provided for use on the development machine; this includes the following dependent Java classes:

• com.meterware.httpunit
• org.mozilla.javascript
• org.w3c.tidy

This Building Block is installed by a Learn 9 system administrator in the same way as other Building Blocks. The following attribute privileges are required to be approved when making the Building Block active:

Click on the Settings button/option against the Building Block entry on the Installed Tools page from the System Admin tab.

The install-b2 Building Block module is configured from the System Admin tab. Enter a security key to prevent unauthorised use of this Building Block, or tick the Ignore key? checkbox to disable this security setting.

Place the InstallB2.jar on the machine used for Building Block development and add a target to the Ant build.xml file in your development environment similar to the following:

<target name="install" depends="[Name of target which generates the war file; e.g. dist]">
  <exec executable="java.exe">
    <arg value="-jar" />
    <arg value="[location of InstallB2.jar file]" />
    <arg value="[URL to Blackboard server; e.g. http://www.learn.edu]" />
    <arg value="[Location of war file to install; e.g. ${dist.war}]" />
    <arg value="[Schema name; e.g. bb_bb60 or BBLEARN]" />
    <arg value="false" />  <!-- remove old version before installing? -->
    <arg value="false" />  <!-- make block available by default? -->
    <arg value="[value of security key]" />
  </exec>
</target>

Run the install Ant target to install your war file and check the output for messages. (Note that the target name of install can be changed as desired.)

This work is written by Stephen Vickers and is released under a Creative Commons GNU General Public Licence. The install-b2 Building Block is available for download from OSCELOT where it is also possible to report bugs and submit feature requests.