.. _runtime_authoring:

Editing Activities In Place
===========================

.. contents:: On this page
   :local:
   :depth: 2

After an activity exists, instructors edit it directly from a normal launch — there is no need to
repeat :ref:`Deep Linking <deep_linking>`. This is called **runtime authoring**.

The instructor view
-------------------

When an **instructor** launches an activity, Blocks shows:

* the **student-facing activity** exactly as learners see it,
* **instructor-only context** (such as settings summaries or response statistics), and
* an **Edit** button.

Learners launching the same activity see only the student-facing experience.

Editing and publishing
----------------------

#. Click **Edit**. Blocks switches to the authoring form for the bound activity.
#. Make your changes. Updates are saved against the **existing tool instance**, so the LMS link
   keeps working.
#. Choose **Publish** to make your changes live. For localized tools, publishing copies the
   **draft** content into the **live** version learners see.
#. After publishing, Blocks returns you to the read-only instructor view.

.. note::

   Learners always see the **live** version. Drafts are private to authors until you publish.

Import and export
-----------------

From the runtime editor you can move activity content between courses or back it up:

* **Export** the current activity as a **JSON package**.
* **Import** a JSON package to load its content into the current activity form. The imported
  state is loaded into the form so you can review it before you **save** or **publish**.

Rich text and math
------------------

Text fields use a **TinyMCE** rich-text editor. Where mathematical notation is needed, Blocks
supports **MathJax** delimiters, and the shared math action lets you compose expressions with a
visual, MathLive-backed equation editor. Authored math renders in both the editor surface and the
learner-facing activity.

Localization
------------

For tools that support localized content, learner-facing text resolves by the **launch
language**, falling back to tenant or tool defaults when a translation is not configured. Author
each language's content in the editor; learners automatically receive the version matching their
launch.

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