Required?: YES (Within a content-handler block)
Max Length: 255 characters
Legal Characters: us-ascii only
Authenticated Request?: YES
Request Arguments: Generic Proxy Tool Request Arguments, course_id, content_id
Sample Implementation: ContentHandlerAction.java, content/create.jsp, CreateContentAction.java
Legal Roles: COURSE:INSTRUCTOR, COURSE:COURSE_BUILDER

This link is called when a course builder chooses the proxy tool from the Other Items drop-down list in a content area. The specific arguments for this request are:

• course_id: This is the id of the course in which the content item is being created.
• content_id: This is the id of the folder in which the piece of content is being created.

In response to this request, login a ticket-based Web Service session and keep it on the Proxy Server (ContentHandlerAction.java). Then take whatever steps are required to ask the user your custom information about your piece of content (create.jsp).

After gathering the required information (including payment information if you are selling a pay-per-use service where you expect each course to pay separately), then create a ContentVO and call ContentWS.saveContent(...) (CreateContentAction.java). This call returns the internal ID of the content as created in Blackboard Learn. Save this id along with the custom information so this content can be loaded later (see OurContentVO.java).

Keep track of a number of pieces of information to identify a content item (All of these are fields in OurContentVO): externalId: You generate this before creating the content - this is your unique identifier for this piece of content, separate from Academic Suites. courseId: This is the id of the course the content was created in. contentId: This is the academic suite's id of the content item it created. ourguid: This is the guide of the academic suite server as returned to the proxy tool server during the registertool operation. These are all required so that you can properly support Blackboard Learn operations for content-copy, course copy (both simple and exact), course export, and course archive. Refer to Content Exchange and Proxy Tools for more information.

To associate a Grade Center column with a content item, create a ColumnVO after creating the content item and call GradebookWS.saveColumn(...) (also shown in CreateContentAction.java). Then persist the Grade Center column id in your local data (see OurContentVO.gradebookColumnId).

Refer to Grade Center Integration Caveat.