SCORM Developers Blog

The SCORM Developer blog contains information pertaining to SCORM development, including experiences of SCORM developers, tips-and-tricks, and best-practices.

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

SCORM Run-Time API

SCORM's Run-Time API (application programming interface) is the communication mechanism used by a SCO (shareable content object) and an LMS (learning management system). The run-time API communicates state between a content object and the LMS (e.g., inititlized, terminated, and/or in an error condition) and is used for retrieving and storing data (e.g., score, time limits, etc.).

RTE/LMS implementations are responsible for providing an API instance that SCOs can use when launched for a learner. The API instance is exposed as an object in the Document Object Model (DOM), typically as a JavaScript variable.

Only launched SCOs (not Assets) make use of the RTE API. The LMS must launch the SCO in a browser window that is a dependent window (i.e. "popup" window) or child frame of the browser window that exposes the API instance.

There are eight run-time API functions provided by the SCORM run-time environment:

  • Initialize("")
  • Terminate("")
  • GetValue(parameter)
  • SetValue(parameter1, parameter2)
  • Commit("")
  • GetLastError()
  • GetErrorString(parameter)
  • GetDiagnostic(parameter)

Learn more about SCORM's Run-Time API at Redbird DevNet, the SCORM Developer Network, by clicking here...

2 comments:

vishnu said...

Hi,
i have a LMS and i want to make it SCORM compatible. i also have SCORM compatile content.
can u please tell me how to go ahead and which SCORM RTE should be used.
are there any opensource available, if not even paid once willl also work.

Thankx
VP

Brian Caudill said...

There are several options
Paid
1) JCA Solutions has a solution http://www.jcasolutions.com/ssla.php
2) Icodeon software has a solution
3) Rustici Software scorm.com has a solution.
Open Source Ideas
You can download the ILIAS open source LMS and use the SCORM Player from that LMS to build your own SCORM runtime adapter.