Application XML Permission changes in our tool

[tom12]

We have our Application / Tool that is installed at the Account or Sub-account or even course level. We altered the XML to allow us student role access (different permissions). We want to have the admin in Canvas REFRESH the call to us returning xml config. We do not want to install and reinstall our Tool so that the app is still displayed at the same courses etc without the School having to go back in to the course to do anything.

We do NOT have user or admin access to do this. We need to tell the school what to do. Does ANYONE Know how to handle this

[ColinMurtaugh · Accepted solution]

Hi Tom --

It is possible to change the settings of an installed LTI tool, but doing so requires admin or instructor privileges (depending on whether or not you're modifying an installation at the sub-account or course level). The relevant API calls are documented here: 

External Tools - Canvas LMS REST API Documentation 

It'll be a bit of work to find all of the existing installations, though; I expect that you'd need to loop through all of the courses and sub-accounts and call the list-external-tools call for each of them in order to find all of the places where your tool is installed. 

--Colin

[tom12]

Hi Colin -

yes I understand this but... is there anywhere in the Canvas application where I can tell our customers to REFRESH the Application to get the newest XML (permissions)??? This is where I am having a disconnect.

IF I have the customer uninstall and install our Application Tool... will this REMOVE the Application from all the accounts/subs/courses and make them have to reinstall it and pull back into the Navigation???

[ColinMurtaugh]

Hi Tom --

Unfortunately, no; the XML configuration is read once when the tool is installed, and it's not possible to refresh/reload it. As far as I know the only way to change the settings of an installed LTI tool is to use the REST API. 

--Colin

[tom12]

That is just crazy not to allow a refresh on the tools