Canvas LMS

Overview

This node interacts with the Canvas LMS API to retrieve multiple files associated with a specific course. The "Get Many" operation for the "File" resource fetches a list of files within a given course. This is useful for educators or administrators who want to programmatically access all files uploaded to a course, such as lecture notes, assignments, or supplementary materials.

Practical examples include:

• Automatically syncing all course files to an external storage system.
• Generating reports on all files used in a course.
• Integrating Canvas course files into other educational platforms or workflows.

Properties

Output

The output is a JSON object containing a data field, which is an array of file objects retrieved from the Canvas LMS API. Each file object includes metadata about a file in the specified course, such as its name, size, content type, upload date, and URL.

Example structure of the output JSON:

{
  "data": [
    {
      "id": 12345,
      "display_name": "Lecture1.pdf",
      "filename": "Lecture1.pdf",
      "content_type": "application/pdf",
      "size": 102400,
      "url": "https://canvas.example.com/files/12345/download",
      "created_at": "2023-01-01T12:00:00Z",
      ...
    },
    ...
  ]
}

No binary data output is produced by this operation; it only returns metadata about the files.

Dependencies

• Requires an API key credential for authenticating with the Canvas LMS API.
• The node uses the Canvas API base URL and an access token provided via credentials.
• No additional external dependencies are required beyond the Canvas API access.

Troubleshooting

• Common issues:

  • Invalid or missing Course ID will cause the API request to fail.
  • Insufficient permissions or invalid API token may result in authorization errors.
  • Network connectivity problems can prevent successful API calls.

• Error messages:

  • "Error in "file" operation "getAll": <message>": Indicates a failure during the retrieval of files. Check the Course ID and API credentials.
  • Authorization errors typically mean the API token lacks necessary scopes or is expired.
  • Rate limiting errors from Canvas API may require retrying after some time.

• Resolutions:

  • Verify that the Course ID is correct and the course exists.
  • Ensure the API key has sufficient permissions to read course files.
  • Confirm network connectivity and Canvas API availability.
  • Handle pagination properly if expecting many files (the node automatically handles pagination).

Links and References

• Canvas LMS API Documentation - Files
• Canvas LMS API Authentication