Deleting, moving, linking, and sorting content

You have several options to place an object that already exists in ILIAS at a specific location.

  • Move: An object is removed from one place and moved to another. No new object or access to the object is created. You can move all objects if you have the appropriate rights.
  • Link: equal access to an object is created, but no new object is created. You can change the object from a linked place, and the changes will be visible on all links. Only simple objects can be linked. Objects containing other objects (so-called container objects like courses or folders) cannot be linked. Moreover, you can only link objects for which you have the appropriate rights.
  • Copying: A new object is created if an existing object is copied. Changes you make to the copy do not affect the original. The contents of simple objects are copied completely. For objects containing other objects (so-called container objects such as courses or folders), you can select whether you want to copy contained objects or omit some or only link some. However, data resulting from the use of the object such as learning states, members, and settings, will not be copied.
  • Sort: Existing objects in a container are sorted by their type (all groups together, all forums together), sorted alphabetically or you can define the order manually.

Note: You can perform the first three listed actions if you have the appropriate rights, each via the Actions link - next to an object's title. If you want to perform the same action for several objects, you should call the Manage link in the Contents tab of the encompassing container object.

See also: Linking courses and Linking categories.

Delete single object

You want to delete content from ILIAS.

Always proceed carefully when deleting: By default, the deletion action is not final because there is an ILIAS recycle bin from which administrators can restore objects. If the recycle bin is turned off, the administrator cannot restore the object.

  1. Navigate to the object you want to delete.
  2. Click the Actions link to the right of the title of the object you want to delete.
  3. ILIAS opens a selection menu that contains various administrative actions.
  4. Select the entry Delete.
  5. ILIAS asks if you are sure the object in question should be deleted.
  6. Click on the Confirm button.
  7. ILIAS deletes the object and returns to where you started the delete action.

Note: Which objects you can delete depends on your permissions: If you are not authorized to delete an object, you will not see a Delete option in the Actions menu.
If you are not authorized to delete an object, please get in touch with your administrator to see if it is possible to delete the object for you.

If you want to delete an object that has several links, you will be offered directly to delete some or all of the other links. Then you have to select the further links to be deleted before confirming the deletion action.

Deleting several objects

You want to delete several objects from ILIAS at once.

Always proceed carefully when deleting: By default, the delete action is not final because there is an ILIAS recycle bin from which administrators can restore objects. If the recycle bin is turned off, the administrator cannot restore the object.

  1. Open the container object within which you want to delete multiple objects.
  2. Click the Manage link in the Contents tab.
  3. ILIAS presents the contents of the container object in question.
  4. Select the checkboxes in front of all objects you want to delete.
  5. Click the Delete button above or below the list of objects.
  6. ILIAS asks if you are sure that you want to delete these objects.
  7. Click on the Confirm button.
  8. ILIAS takes you back to the Manage page of the container from which you deleted the objects. The objects are now deleted.
  9. In the Contents tab, click the Show sublink to return to your normal view.

Note: Which objects you can delete depends on your permissions. If you do not have the right to delete an object, you will not see a Delete button.
If you are not authorized to delete an object, please get in touch with your administrator to see if it is possible to delete the object for you.

Move single object

You want to place content in ILIAS in another place.

  1. Open the Repository. Navigate there to the object you want to move.
  2. Click on the Actions link to the right of the title of the object you want to move.
  3. ILIAS opens a selection menu that contains various administrative actions.
  4. Select the Move entry.
  5. ILIAS presents you with a display of all container objects of the Repository to which you have corresponding rights.
  6. Select the radio button in front of the desired target container. You can also open nested containers with the small plus sign.
  7. Click on the Insert button.
  8. ILIAS will move the object and take you back to the place where you started the move action.

Note: Which objects you can move depends on your permissions. If you are not authorized to move an object, please ask your administrator if it is possible to move the object for you.

Note: You can only move objects within one ILIAS installation or one client. To transfer objects between different installations or clients, use the Export and Import actions.

Move multiple objects

You want to move several objects at once. The selected objects are transferred to a clipboard, from which you can only paste them all at once at a specific position in the Repository.

  1. Open the Repository. Navigate to the container object within which you want to move several objects.
  2. Click on the Manage link in the Contents tab.
  3. ILIAS presents the contents of the container object in question.
  4. Select the checkboxes in front of all objects you want to move.
  5. Click the Move button above or below the list of objects.
  6. ILIAS presents you with a display of all container objects of the Repository to which you have corresponding rights.
  7. Select the radio button in front of the desired target container. You can also open nested containers with the small plus sign.
  8. Click on the Insert button.
  9. ILIAS will move the objects and bring you back to the place where you started the move action.

Note: Which objects you can move depends on your permissions: You are only allowed to move those objects that you are also allowed to delete. You will not see the Move button if you do not have the right to move an object.
Please ask your administrator if it is possible to move the object for you.

Note: You can only move objects within one ILIAS installation or one client. Please use the Export and Import actions to transfer objects between different installations or clients.

You want to make content available in ILIAS at another place than the one where the content was created. For this purpose, you can link the object to this new additional place.
If an object is linked to a place, there are two equal accesses to the same object. So there is no original and its link, but one object and two equal links. The equality of the links has consequences:

  • If the object at one link is changed, the object changes for all other links. This can be very handy to keep content used in many places always up to date. You save a lot of work if you don't have to make the same changes to many copies. However, there is a danger that instructors will make unsolicited changes to the content or settings of the 'their' shortcut without understanding that the content or settings will change for all other shortcuts.
  • Suppose the object is deleted at one of the two shortcuts. In that case, it remains at the other location: The object is no longer available in the Repository until it is deleted from its last location.
  1. Open the Repository. Navigate there to the object you want to link.
  2. Click on the Actions link to the right of the title of the object you want to link.
  3. ILIAS opens a selection menu that contains various administrative actions.
  4. Select the entry Link.
  5. ILIAS presents you with a display of all container objects of the Repository to which you have corresponding rights.
  6. Select the checkboxes in front of the desired target container. You can also open nested containers with the small plus sign. You can also link an object to several places at once.
  7. Click on the Insert button. ILIAS will link the object and take you back to where you started the action.

Linking individual objects is impossible with all objects: objects that contain other objects (so-called container objects), such as courses, categories, or folders can only be moved but not linked. Also cannot be linked: Question pools, media pools, and chats.

Note: Which objects you can link depends on your permissions. If you are not authorized to link an object, please get in touch with your administrator to see if it is possible to link the object for you.

Note: You can only link objects within one ILIAS installation or one client. Please use the Export and Import actions to transfer objects between different installations or clients.

You want to link several objects at once. The selected objects can also be linked to several places. This way, you can distribute an object very fast and still keep it centrally maintainable.

You want to make content available in ILIAS at another place than the one where the content was created. For this purpose, you can link the object to this new additional place.
If an object is linked to a place, there are two equal accesses to the same object. So there is no original and its link, but one object and two equal links. The equality of the links has consequences:

  • If the object at one link is changed, the object changes for all other links. This can be very handy to keep content used in many places always up to date. You save a lot of work if you don't have to make the same changes to many copies. However, there is a danger that instructors will make unsolicited changes to the content or settings of 'their' shortcut without understanding that the content or settings will change for all other shortcuts.
  • Suppose the object is deleted at one of the two shortcuts. In that case, it remains at the other location: The object is no longer available in the Repository until it is deleted from its last location.

Linking multiple objects is impossible with all objects: Objects containing other objects (so-called container objects), such as courses, categories, or folders, can only be moved but not linked. Also cannot be linked: Question pools, media pools, and chats.

  1. Open the Repository. Navigate to the encompassing object within which you want to link several objects.
  2. Click on the Manage link in the Content tab.
  3. ILIAS presents the contents of the container object in question.
  4. Select the checkboxes in front of all objects you want to link.
  5. Click the Link button above or below the list of objects.
  6. ILIAS presents you with a display of all container objects of the Repository to which you have corresponding rights.
  7. Select the checkbox in front of the desired target container. You can also open nested containers with the small plus sign. You can activate several checkboxes to link to all selected places.
  8. Click the Insert button.
  9. ILIAS links the objects and returns to where you started the link action.

Note: Which objects you can link depends on your permissions: If you are not authorized to link an object, you will not see a Link button.
Please ask your administrator if it is possible to link the object.

Note: You can only link objects within one ILIAS installation or one client. Please use the Export and Import actions to transfer objects between different installations or clients.

Change sorting of objects

You want to manually arrange the displayed objects in a certain order. By default, the objects are grouped by their types, and the object groupings are sorted alphabetically by the title of each object.
The prerequisite is that you have selected the Manual sorting option in the Settings tab.
The sorting of the individual objects is done by ascending numerical values.

  1. Open the Contents tab of the object in which you want to change the sort order.
  2. Click the Sort link.
  3. ILIAS presents numerical values in the input fields in front of all objects.
  4. Change the numerical values so that they result in the new order. For example, give an object the value 09 to arrange it above an object with the value 10.
  5. Click the Save Sort button to put the objects in the new order.
  6. ILIAS will change the order accordingly.

Ways to change the order of the objects

You want to arrange the displayed objects in a specific order yourself manually. By default, the objects are grouped by their types, and the object groupings are each sorted alphabetically by the title of each object.

You can change the order of objects in several ways:

  1. Set order of alphabetically sorted object groupings: Add the object grouping to the desired location by working with Materials Lists in the Contents tab in the Design Page link.
  2. Set order of objects within an object grouping: Activate the Manual sorting option in the Settings tab and set any order of objects of a type (within an object grouping) in the Contents tab in the Sorting link.
  3. Group objects of different types into one block/list. To do this, you must create blocks of objects using the "Add new object" selection menu and design them according to your wishes.