SCORM Content Packaging Changes
I read from the documentation of Advanced Distributed Learning about SCORM 1.2 to SCORM 2004 Changes. Actually little bit trouble to understand the changes because sample of content packaging which have 2 different version (1.2 and 2004) still difficult to find moreover this subject (research of SCORM) is new. So, slow but sure.. i will try to share. Hopefully, the beginner read so i can share and the expert read so i can learn. Take your time.
The changes to SCORM 2004 dealing with content package were based on several sources:
• Maintenance updates by IMS on the Content Packaging Specification.
• Changes required by the introduction of Sequencing and Navigation (SN).
• Changes required by the IEEE standardization effort on the SCORM Run-Time Environment Data Model.
Package Interchange File (PIF) Format:
The IMS Content Packaging Specification was updated to reference an Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) Request For Comment (RFC) dealing with the format of the PIF. The IMS specification was updated to reference RFC 1951 DEFLATE Compressed Data Format Specification [9].
Filename, Namespacing and Versioning:
The IMS Content Packaging Specification and the XML Schema Definition (XSD) file were updated to align with IMS practices for schema development. The filename of the XSD was changed from imscp_rootv1p1p2.xsd to imscp_v1p1.xsd. Along with this change, IMS updated the namespace used to define the elements found in the XSD. The namespace changed from http://www.imsproject.org/xsd/imcp_rootv1p1p2 to http://www.imsglobal.org/xsd/imscp_v1p1. The updates also affected the version number found in the XSD file. The version number, which is held by the version attribute of the element, was changed to IMS CP 1.1.3 to reflect the version of the specification.
“xml:” Prefix Recommendation:
The IMS Content Packaging Specification XSD (imscp_v1p1.xsd) was updated to change the reference to the xml:base declaration. The IMS Content Packaging Specification Version 1.1.2 XSD used the prefix x: to reference the xml:base attribute.
Code Illustration 1
Code Illustration 2
This change was based on the recommendation of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).
Minimum and Maximum String Length Constraints:
The IMS Content Packaging Specification set and the IMS provided XSD files were not in sync with each other. The XSD was built to force maximum lengths for the following elements/attributes:
• href atribut dari dan elemen ditetapkan menjadi 2000 karakter.
• parameter atribut dari elemen ditetapkan menjadi 1000 karakter.
• identifierref attribute dari element dan element ditetapkan menjadi 2000 karakter.
• type attribute dari element ditetapkan menjadi 1000 karakter.
• structure attribute dari element ditetapkan menjadi 200 karakter
• version attribute dari element ditetapkan menjadi 20 karakter.
• element ditetapkan menjadi 100 karakter.
• element ditetapkan menjadi 20 karakter.
• element ditetapkan menjadi 200 karakter
If any of these elements or attributes contained values greater than their defined maximum lengths, then validating XML parsers would indicate that the XML values were invalid. These maximum lengths were not defined as maximum constraints in the IMS Content Packaging Specification set. The lengths were to be treated as a smallest permitted maximum (SPM), meaning that systems were responsible for supporting at least the number of characters. These systems could support more than the defined lengths or not (if they did not support more, the systems could do what they so desired with the characters past the length – e.g., truncate). The change was made to the XSD to remove these maximum lengths from the schema, which would permit values with more than the maximum lengths to pass XML validation.
Parameter Attribute Vocabulary:
The IMS Content Packaging Specification was updated to add more information on the handling and processing of the parameters attribute found on an element. The specification was updated to provide syntax for the parameters attribute that must be adhered to in manifests. An algorithm was also added for construction of the final href for the given resource (if the referencing the had a parameters attribute defined).
IsVisible Attribute Clarification:
The IMS Content Packaging Specification was updated to clarify the ambiguity on the application of the isvisible attribute for elements. The specification was updated to indicate that the value only affects the item for which the isvisible attribute is defined and not the children of the element (if the element has children).
Type Attribute Vocabulary:
The IMS Content Packaging Specification was updated to relax some of the constraints defined on the type attribute (attribute of the element). The following values are now defined in the IMS Content Packaging Specification as valid values for the type attribute:
• The term “webcontent,” defined as content that can be hosted in or launched by a Web browser (this includes HTML-based content, content that requires plug-in and executables that are launched by a Web browser).
• The labels defined in Section 7 of the document “Using IMS Content Packaging to Package Instances of LIP and Other IMS Specifications, Version 1.0 Implementation Handbook, August 2001.”
• The term “other” to be used when no other term is appropriate.
HREF File Name Format Recommendation:
The IMS Content Packaging Specification was updated to reference an IETF RFC dealing with the format and syntax of the Href values found in a content package manifest. The IMS specification was updated to reference RFC 2396.
(Sub)Manifest Usage Best Practice Clarification:
The IMS Content Packaging Best Practice and Implementation Guide were updated to provide additional guidance and requirements for the use of (sub)manifests. More clarification was added on scoping rules. These rules describe the scope of manifests and (sub)manifests explaining the rules of referencing elements across manifests. The specification was also updated to clarify what an identifierref was permitted to reference (with respect to the IMS Specification).
