Canvas LMS

Overview

This node interacts with the Canvas LMS API to perform operations related to files within a course. Specifically, the "Get" operation for the "File" resource retrieves detailed information about a specific file in a given course by its ID. This is useful when you need to fetch metadata or details about a file stored in Canvas, such as its name, size, content type, or URL.

Common scenarios:

• Automating retrieval of file details for reporting or processing.
• Integrating Canvas file data into other systems or workflows.
• Verifying file existence or properties before further actions.

Example:
You want to get information about a syllabus PDF uploaded to a course. By providing the course ID and the file ID, this node fetches the file's metadata from Canvas.

Properties

Output

The node outputs JSON data containing the file's details as returned by the Canvas LMS API. The output structure includes all metadata fields associated with the file, such as its name, size, content type, URL, creation date, and other relevant attributes.

The output JSON is wrapped inside a data field, for example:

{
  "data": {
    "id": 12345,
    "display_name": "syllabus.pdf",
    "content_type": "application/pdf",
    "size": 23456,
    "url": "https://canvas.example.com/files/12345/download",
    ...
  }
}

No binary data is output by this operation.

Dependencies

• Requires an API key credential for authenticating with the Canvas LMS API.
• The node expects the Canvas base URL and access token to be configured in the credentials.
• Uses HTTP GET requests to the Canvas API endpoints.

Troubleshooting

• Invalid File ID or Course ID: If the provided file or course ID does not exist or is incorrect, the API will return an error. Verify that the IDs are correct.
• Authentication errors: Ensure the API key credential is valid and has sufficient permissions to access the file.
• Network issues: Connectivity problems can cause request failures; check network access to the Canvas API.
• API rate limits: Excessive requests may be throttled by Canvas; consider adding delays or handling retries.

Error messages thrown by the node typically include the Canvas API error message, which helps identify issues like missing resources or permission problems.

Links and References

• Canvas LMS API Documentation - Files
• Canvas LMS Developer Key Setup