Moodle APIDocs Course Module Plugin

Native rendering of technical documentation (AsyncAPI, OpenAPI, Markdown) within Moodle.

📖 The Story & Motivation

This plugin was born out of a specific need in Computer Science Campuses and Technical Training Environments.

In typical LMS environments, sharing API specifications usually means uploading a raw YAML file for students to download, or embedding an external URL (SwaggerHub, etc.) via iframe. Neither solution provides a seamless learning experience.

We wanted to bring the developer experience (DX) directly into the course. Students should be able to read, explore, and implement APIs without leaving the Moodle interface and without depending on external tools that might be blocked by campus firewalls.

💡 The Inspiration

Our main inspiration was the GitLab default OpenAPI viewer.

We loved how GitLab detects a swagger.yaml or openapi.json file in a repository and simply renders it. It's clean, native, and immediate. We wanted to replicate that "zero-friction" experience inside Moodle activities: you upload the spec, Moodle renders the documentation. Simple.

🚀 Key Features

• Offline First / Privacy Focused: Unlike other plugins that rely on CDNs (unpkg/jsdelivr), this plugin injects the rendering engines (React, AsyncAPI Standalone, Swagger UI) directly from the server's local storage. It works perfectly in Intranets or air-gapped environments.
• AsyncAPI v3 Support: Native support for the latest Event-Driven Architecture specifications (Kafka, MQTT, WebSockets) using the official React Standalone component.
• GitLab-Style Toolbar: Switch instantly between the Rendered View (Visual) and Raw Code (YAML/JSON) with a single click.
• Clean UI: Removes Moodle's standard clutter (navigation blocks, footers, completion buttons) to provide a "Full Focus" reading mode, similar to professional documentation sites.

📄 Supported Formats

1. AsyncAPI (v2.0 - v3.0):
   • Renders utilizing the AsyncAPI React Component.
   • Supports complex schemas and event-driven definitions.

Example

2. OpenAPI (Swagger v3):
   • Renders using Swagger UI.
   • Interactive "Try it out" functionality (if the API endpoint is accessible).

Example:

3. Markdown (.md):
   • Renders GitHub-Flavored Markdown.
   • Perfect for Readmes, changelogs, and general technical guides.

🛠 Installation

1. Clone this repository into your Moodle mod/ directory:

   git clone [https://github.com/x-name15/moodle-apidocs-course-module.git](https://github.com/x-name15/moodle-apidocs-course-module.git) mod/apidocs

2. Log in to Moodle as Administrator.
3. Run the database upgrade/installation process.

🤝 Contributing

Pull requests are welcome, always :D

📝 License

Licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.