Testing Moodle Plugins That Transmit Data to a Remote Endpoint

Testing that Moodle plugins correctly post data to remote endpoints requires a local test server to capture requests. This guide shows how to set up a simple PHP endpoint, configure the plugin, and inspect the actual HTTP payloads being sent.

SOP: Testing Moodle Plugins That Transmit Data to a Remote Endpoint

Purpose

To verify that a Moodle plugin correctly sends data (e.g., grades) to a remote web service (typically via HTTP POST) when specific events are triggered, such as grading an assignment.

Prerequisites

• Moodle instance with the plugin installed and enabled
• Access to Moodle server (for grading & logs)
• PHP CLI available (7.4+)
• A terminal:
• Linux/macOS: Bash or Zsh
• Windows: PowerShell or CMD
• Optional: curl or Postman for manual POSTs
• Step-by-Step Procedure
• Step 1: Set Up a Fake Local Endpoint
• UNIX-like systems (Linux/macOS)
• Create a test directory:mkdir -p ~/php/wstest
• cd ~/php/wstest
• Create a file called index.php:<?php
• ob_start();
• echo "=== REQUEST METHOD: " . $_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] . " ===\n";
• foreach (getallheaders() as $name => $value) {
• echo "$name: $value\n";
• }
• echo "\n";
• $input = file_get_contents('php://input');
• echo "=== BODY ===\n";
• echo $input . "\n";
• $json = json_decode($input, true);
• if ($json !== null) {
• echo "\n=== PARSED JSON ===\n";
• print_r($json);
• }
• file_put_contents('php://stdout', "=== LOG FROM index.php ===\n" . ob_get_contents() . "\n");
• ob_end_flush();
• Start the PHP test server:php -S localhost:8000
• Keep this terminal open — you'll see incoming requests printed here.
• 🪟 Windows (for testers)
• Install PHP
• Download from https://windows.php.net/
• Extract to C:\php
• Add C:\php to your PATH
• Create a test script
• Create folder: C:\php\wstest
• Create file: index.php (same contents as above)
• Start server in CMD or PowerShell:cd C:\php\wstest
• php -S localhost:8000
• Step 2: Point Moodle to the Local Endpoint
• In the plugin settings, set the endpoint to your local test server:http://localhost:8000
• Ensure your plugin's event observer is correctly registered. Example (your plugin may differ):'callback' => '\local_yourplugin\observer::graded'
• Confirm that your observer method exists and is properly namespaced. Example method signature:public static function graded($eventdata) {
• // your handling code
• }
• Step 3: Trigger the Event
• Grade an assignment or perform any action that triggers the event
• Watch your terminal window

Example terminal output:

• === LOG FROM index.php ===
• === REQUEST METHOD: POST ===
• Content-Type: application/json
• === BODY ===
• {"Cijfer":"77.00000","Cijfertype":"point","OpdrachtID":"15030","GebruikerID":"145404"}
• === PARSED JSON ===
• Array
• (
• [Cijfer] => 77.00000
• [Cijfertype] => point
• [OpdrachtID] => 15030
• [GebruikerID] => 145404
• )
• Step 4: Debug If Nothing Appears
• Check that:
• The plugin is enabled
• The correct Moodle event is triggered
• The callback matches your observer class and method
• Add debug logging with: Example:error_log("Triggered observer::graded()");
• Check web server logs
• Ensure your curl call includes: Example:CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true
• Success Criteria
• Endpoint receives a POST request
• Data includes expected keys and values
• No errors are logged in Moodle or PHP logs
• Cleanup
• Press Ctrl+C to stop the test server
• Revert endpoint configuration if needed