MDL-65400 block: Support getting block settings via WS

blocks/classes/external.php

@@ -67,6 +67,16 @@ class core_block_external extends external_api {
                     ),
                     'Block contents (if required).', VALUE_OPTIONAL
                 ),
+                'configs' => new external_multiple_structure(
+                    new external_single_structure(
+                        array(
+                            'name' => new external_value(PARAM_RAW, 'Name.'),
+                            'value' => new external_value(PARAM_RAW, 'Value.'),
+                            'type' => new external_value(PARAM_ALPHA, 'Type (instance or plugin).'),
+                        )
+                    ),
+                    'Block instance and plugin configuration settings.', VALUE_OPTIONAL
+                ),
             ), 'Block information.'
         );
     }
@@ -110,6 +120,17 @@ class core_block_external extends external_api {
                 if ($returncontents) {
                     $block['contents'] = (array) $blockinstances[$bc->blockinstanceid]->get_content_for_external($OUTPUT);
                 }
+                $configs = (array) $blockinstances[$bc->blockinstanceid]->get_config_for_external();
+                foreach ($configs as $type => $data) {
+                    foreach ((array) $data as $name => $value) {
+                        $block['configs'][] = [
+                            'name' => $name,
+                            'value' => $value,
+                            'type' => $type,
+                        ];
+                    }
+                }
+
                 $allblocks[] = $block;
             }
         }

blocks/moodleblock.class.php

@@ -305,6 +305,21 @@ class block_base {
         return $bc;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Return the plugin config settings for external functions.
+     *
+     * In some cases the configs will need formatting or be returned only if the current user has some capabilities enabled.
+     *
+     * @return stdClass the configs for both the block instance and plugin (as object with name -> value)
+     * @since Moodle 3.8
+     */
+    public function get_config_for_external() {
+        return (object) [
+            'instance' => new stdClass(),
+            'plugin' => new stdClass(),
+        ];
+    }
+
     /**
      * Convert the contents of the block to HTML.
      *

blocks/tests/externallib_test.php

@@ -213,6 +213,19 @@ class core_block_externallib_testcase extends externallib_advanced_testcase {
         $this->assertEquals('', $result['blocks'][0]['contents']['footer']);
         $this->assertCount(1, $result['blocks'][0]['contents']['files']);
         $this->assertEquals($newblock, $result['blocks'][0]['name']);
+        $configcounts = 0;
+        foreach ($result['blocks'][0]['configs'] as $config) {
+            if ($config['type'] = 'plugin' && $config['name'] == 'allowcssclasses' && $config['value'] == 0) {
+                $configcounts++;
+            } else if ($config['type'] = 'instance' && $config['name'] == 'text' && $config['value'] == $body) {
+                $configcounts++;
+            } else if ($config['type'] = 'instance' && $config['name'] == 'title' && $config['value'] == $title) {
+                $configcounts++;
+            } else if ($config['type'] = 'instance' && $config['name'] == 'format' && $config['value'] == 0) {
+                $configcounts++;
+            }
+        }
+        $this->assertEquals(4, $configcounts);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -225,6 +238,9 @@ class core_block_externallib_testcase extends externallib_advanced_testcase {
         $user = $this->getDataGenerator()->create_user();
         $PAGE->set_url('/my/index.php');    // Need this because some internal API calls require the $PAGE url to be set.
 
+        // Force a setting change to check the returned blocks settings.
+        set_config('displaycategories', 0, 'block_recentlyaccessedcourses');
+
         // Get the expected default blocks.
         $alldefaultblocksordered = $DB->get_records_menu('block_instances',
             array('pagetypepattern' => 'my-index'), 'defaultregion, defaultweight ASC', 'id, blockname');
@@ -242,6 +258,12 @@ class core_block_externallib_testcase extends externallib_advanced_testcase {
             // Check all the returned blocks are in the expected blocks array.
             $this->assertContains($block['name'], $alldefaultblocksordered);
             $returnedblocks[] = $block['name'];
+            // Check the configuration returned for this default block.
+            if ($block['name'] == 'recentlyaccessedcourses') {
+                $this->assertEquals('displaycategories', $block['configs'][0]['name']);
+                $this->assertEquals(0, $block['configs'][0]['value']);
+                $this->assertEquals('plugin', $block['configs'][0]['type']);
+            }
         }
         // Remove lp block.
         array_shift($alldefaultblocksordered);

blocks/upgrade.txt

@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@ information provided here is intended especially for developers.
 === 3.8 ===
 * Block block_community is no longer a part of core.
 * Block block_participants is no longer a part of core.
+* Block plugins should overwrite get_config_for_external function to return the blocks settings viewable by the current user.
+  If the block plugin does not have any setting that could be considerated private (like a private/access key/token),
+  is ok to return all the settings via the get_config_for_external function.
 
 === 3.7 ===
 * The block:addinstance capability is no longer required if the block can only be added to a dashboard.