Opening external tool in new window v3.9

[Alan O'Gorman]

The version of tiles for Moodle 3.9.15 does not allow external tools to open in a new window launch container. This causes our LTI tool to fail. I see this issue was marked as resolved in issue #67. In the External tool configuration settings, it is set to open in a new window and the activity itself on the course page was set to both ‘Default’ and ‘New window’, yet it still opens in the same window.

[David Watson]

Hi Alan which version of the Tiles plugin are you using (Site Admin > Plugins > Plugins Overview > Tiles format)?

I just tried it in my environment running tiles plugin 3.11.1.3 (2020080629) from moodle.org and it did work

[PJR]

Similar problem with Moodle 3.9.19 (Build: 20230116),
Tiles 3.11.1.3 (2020080629)

There is two external tools configured, which other uses LTI 1.0/1.1 and other is Linkedin (LTI 1.3).
Both tools have setting: “Default launch container: new window” in use. Both work well with e.g. Topics, Weeks or Collapset topics course formats (it opens new window as expected when activity is clicked), but when using Tiles problems arise.

With Tiles format the Linkedin tool opens a page with embedded version:

‌

Other tool opens up a page where you at least click “Open in new window” link which then opens the tool to new window successfully.

I think both of them try to open the tool to a new window when clicking the activity in course front page, but both fail (because with other course formats it opens a new window straight up when activity is clicked). But the non-Linkedin tool has the benefit that after user clicked the activity on course page, they are then forwarded to a page where there is new link they can click to open the tool (maybe there is difference how Moodles LTI 1.0/1.1 v. LTI 1.3 behaves?)

As soon as you change course format to some other than Tiles, tool activities work as expected (open to a new window based on setting). Also if you go and change Launch container setting from “New window” to “Existing window” it works with Tiles, but with obvious problem that it replaces the LMS session user was using.

When clicking the Tools activities with Tiles format, browser console gave these kind of warnings , not sure if all are related:

‌