What this plugin does
LernHive profile fields exchanges the values of Moodle's custom user profile fields as a CSV file. You can download all values, edit them in a spreadsheet and upload them again. Every upload is checked first and shown as a preview; nothing is written until you confirm it explicitly.
Who this is for
| Role | What they do |
|---|---|
| Site administrator | Opens the tool from Site administration, exports and imports profile-field values |
| Platform administration | Holds the import/export permission by default and can use the same pages (see Limitations) |
Learners, managers (reporting line) and trainers do not interact with this plugin.
Core concepts
- Profile field: a custom user profile field defined in Moodle under Site administration → Users → User profile fields. This plugin does not create or change these definitions.
- Identifier columns: each row identifies a user by
usernameoridnumber. At least one of the two columns must be present. - Shortname columns: every further column is named after the shortname of a profile field. Keep the header names unchanged when you edit the file.
- Preview: the checked result of an upload. It never changes data.
Journeys by role
Site administrator: export profile-field values
- Go to Site administration → Users → Profile field import and export.
- Choose the Export profile fields action in the page header.
- Select Download CSV. The file contains
username,idnumberand one column per profile field for every user. - Store the file securely: it contains personal data.
Site administrator: import profile-field values
- Go to Site administration → Users → Profile field import and export.
- Choose the Import profile fields action in the page header.
- Choose a UTF-8 CSV file (at most 2 MiB) in the file picker CSV file and choose Preview import.
- Read the Import preview: the summary shows valid rows, errors and the number of values to write. Every error is listed separately.
- Fix the file and upload it again until the preview shows no errors.
- Tick the confirmation I understand that the previewed profile values will be written to Moodle core profile fields. and choose Apply import.
- A success message reports for how many users values were applied.
Platform administration: export or import profile-field values
Platform administration holds the permission by default but does not see the entry in Site administration. Open /local/lernhive_profile/index.php directly and follow the steps of the site administrator journeys from step 2.
Settings that matter
None. The plugin has no settings. Access is controlled by the permission local/lernhive_profile:manageimportexport, which Moodle's Manager role holds by default.
Limitations
- The plugin does not create profile fields. Fields such as LANR, BSNR or EFN can only be imported when they already exist in Moodle.
- Uploads are limited to 2 MiB per file.
- Values that start with
=,+,-or@cannot be imported; for example a phone number written as+49 …is rejected. On export such values get a leading apostrophe (') so spreadsheet programs do not run them as formulas. If you import the file unchanged, that apostrophe is stored as part of the value. Remove the columns you did not change before importing, and edit such values in the user's profile instead. - An empty cell clears the stored value of that field for the user.
- If several users share the same ID number, the import does not detect it and updates only one of them. Identify such users by
username. - The entry in Site administration is only visible to site administrators.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Check | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| The CSV must contain a username or idnumber column. | Header row | Add a username or idnumber column |
| Unknown profile-field column: … | Column name against the field shortnames | Use the shortname exactly as in Moodle, or remove the column |
| Duplicate CSV column: … | Header row | Keep each column only once |
| Invalid value for profile field "…". | Menu option, checkbox value (0/1), maximum length, leading =, +, - or @ | Correct the value |
| No user matches username "…". | Spelling of the username or ID number (the message names the identifier in both cases) | Correct the identifier or remove the row |
| The file picker refuses the file as too large | File size above 2 MiB | Split the file into several uploads |
| Apply import is not offered | Preview errors | Fix all errors; the button appears only for an error-free preview |
Screenshots
No screenshots yet.