Common Cartridge Validation

Validate IMS Common Cartridge 1.3 packages for specification compliance, structural integrity, and LMS compatibility before delivery.

When to Use

• Validate CC package before delivery to customer

• Check package after creation

• Verify package will import successfully

• Debug CC import failures

• Quality assurance for CC packages

• Pre-import validation

Required Inputs

• CC Package: .imscc file (ZIP format)

• Validation Level: quick, standard, thorough

• Target LMS (optional): Canvas, Moodle, Blackboard for platform-specific checks

Validation Checks

Level 1: Structure Validation (Quick, 1-2 minutes)

File Structure:

• ✓ Package is valid ZIP file

• ✓ imsmanifest.xml exists at root

• ✓ imsmanifest.xml is valid XML

• ✓ No OS-specific files (.DS_Store, Thumbs.db, __MACOSX)

• ✓ No hidden files or directories

File References:

• ✓ All files in manifest exist in package

• ✓ No orphaned files (files not referenced in manifest)

• ✓ File paths use forward slashes (not backslashes)

• ✓ File names don't contain special characters

Level 2: Schema Validation (Standard, 3-5 minutes)

Manifest Schema:

• ✓ Valid against IMS CC 1.3 XSD schema

• ✓ Required elements present (metadata, organizations, resources)

• ✓ Namespace declarations correct

• ✓ Schema version specified (1.3.0)

• ✓ Identifier attributes unique

Metadata:

• ✓ Schema type: "IMS Common Cartridge"

• ✓ Schema version: "1.3.0"

• ✓ LOM metadata structure valid

• ✓ Title, description present

• ✓ Copyright information included

Organizations:

• ✓ At least one organization defined

• ✓ Default organization specified

• ✓ Structure is "rooted-hierarchy"

• ✓ All item identifiers unique

• ✓ All identifierref values reference existing resources

Resources:

• ✓ All resource identifiers unique

• ✓ Resource types valid for CC 1.3

• ✓ href attributes point to existing files

• ✓ Dependencies reference existing resources

Level 3: Content Validation (Thorough, 5-10 minutes)

QTI Assessments:

• ✓ Assessment metadata valid (assessment_meta.xml)

• ✓ QTI 2.1 XML valid against schema

• ✓ Item types supported

• ✓ Response processing defined

• ✓ Scoring configured

• ✓ Feedback present (optional but recommended)

LTI Tools:

• ✓ LTI configuration XML valid

• ✓ Launch URL present and valid format

• ✓ Secure launch URL (HTTPS) present

• ✓ Vendor information included

• ✓ Privacy level specified

• ✓ Platform extensions valid

Discussion Topics:

• ✓ Discussion XML valid against schema

• ✓ Title and text present

• ✓ Discussion type valid (threaded, side_comment)

• ✓ Grading configuration valid (if graded)

Web Links:

• ✓ Web link XML valid

• ✓ URL present and valid format

• ✓ Target specified

Web Content:

• ✓ HTML files are valid HTML5

• ✓ No broken internal links

• ✓ Images referenced exist

• ✓ CSS files valid

• ✓ JavaScript files don't have syntax errors

Level 4: Accessibility Validation (Thorough)

WCAG 2.1 AA Compliance:

• ✓ All images have alt text

• ✓ Color contrast ratios meet AA standards

• ✓ Headings use semantic HTML (h1, h2, etc.)

• ✓ Links have descriptive text

• ✓ Forms have labels

• ✓ Tables have headers

• ✓ No keyboard traps

• ✓ ARIA labels where appropriate

Level 5: LMS-Specific Validation (Optional)

Canvas-Specific:

• ✓ course-settings.xml valid against Canvas schema

• ✓ Assignment groups configured

• ✓ Module requirements valid

• ✓ LTI tool placements valid

Moodle-Specific:

• ✓ Activity types supported

• ✓ Grading scales compatible

• ✓ Resource types recognized

Blackboard-Specific:

• ✓ Content types compatible

• ✓ Assessment types supported

Workflow

1. Extract Package

Extract .imscc to temporary directory

unzip course.imscc -d /tmp/cc-validate-XXXXX

Verify structure

ls -la /tmp/cc-validate-XXXXX/

Expected structure:

course/ ├── imsmanifest.xml # Required at root ├── course-settings.xml # Optional ├── lessons/ ├── assessments/ ├── discussions/ ├── lti-tools/ ├── resources/ └── web-links/

2. Validate Manifest Schema

Validate against IMS CC 1.3 XSD

xmllint --noout --schema imscc_v1p3_imscp_v1p2.xsd imsmanifest.xml

Check for well-formed XML

xmllint --noout imsmanifest.xml

Common Schema Errors:

• Missing namespace declarations

• Invalid element nesting

• Required attributes missing

• Invalid resource types

3. Validate File References

Pseudocode for reference validation

manifest = parse_xml("imsmanifest.xml")

Get all file references from manifest

referenced_files = [] for resource in manifest.resources: referenced_files.append(resource.href) for file in resource.files: referenced_files.append(file.href)

Check all references exist

for file_path in referenced_files: if not exists(file_path): error(f"Missing file: {file_path}")

Check for orphaned files

package_files = list_all_files() for file in package_files: if file not in referenced_files and file != "imsmanifest.xml": warning(f"Orphaned file (not in manifest): {file}")

4. Validate QTI Assessments

For each QTI assessment

for assessment in assessments/*; do # Validate assessment metadata xmllint --noout --schema assessment_meta.xsd $assessment/assessment_meta.xml

# Validate QTI 2.1 XML
xmllint --noout --schema qtiasiv2p1.xsd $assessment/assessment.xml

# Check item types
check_qti_item_types $assessment/assessment.xml

done

QTI Validation Checks:

• Item types: choice, text_entry, matching, ordering

• Response processing exists

• Correct response defined

• Point values specified

• Feedback present

5. Validate LTI Tools

For each LTI tool

for tool in lti-tools/*; do # Validate LTI XML xmllint --noout --schema blti_v1p0.xsd $tool

# Check required fields
check_lti_fields $tool

done

LTI Validation Checks:

• Launch URL present

• Launch URL uses HTTPS (recommended)

• Title present

• Vendor information complete

• Privacy level specified

• Platform extensions valid

6. Generate Validation Report

Common Cartridge Validation Report

Package: bio-101-2025.imscc Validation Date: 2025-11-06T13:30:00Z Validation Level: Thorough

SUMMARY

Overall Status: PASS ✓ Total Checks: 87 Passed: 85 Warnings: 2 Errors: 0

DETAILED RESULTS

[✓] Structure Validation (12 checks) ✓ Package is valid ZIP ✓ imsmanifest.xml exists at root ✓ imsmanifest.xml is valid XML ✓ No OS-specific files ✓ All referenced files exist ✓ No orphaned files ... (6 more)

[✓] Schema Validation (25 checks) ✓ Valid against IMS CC 1.3 XSD ✓ Required elements present ✓ Namespace declarations correct ✓ All identifiers unique ... (21 more)

[✓] QTI Assessment Validation (18 checks) ✓ 3 assessments found ✓ All assessment metadata valid ✓ All QTI 2.1 XML valid ✓ Response processing defined ✓ Scoring configured ... (13 more)

[⚠] Accessibility Validation (15 checks) ✓ All images have alt text ✓ Color contrast ratios meet AA ⚠ 2 links have non-descriptive text ("click here") ⚠ 1 video missing captions ... (11 more)

[✓] LTI Tool Validation (8 checks) ✓ 2 LTI tools configured ✓ All launch URLs valid ✓ All use HTTPS ✓ Vendor information complete ... (4 more)

WARNINGS (2)

1. lessons/lesson-1-2.html: Link text "click here" is not descriptive (line 42)
2. resources/videos/cell-division.mp4: Video missing caption track

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Update link text to be descriptive ("View cell diagram" instead of "click here")
2. Add WebVTT caption file for video: resources/videos/cell-division.vtt
3. Consider adding more feedback to QTI questions (optional)

PACKAGE DETAILS

Course ID: bio-101-2025 Course Title: Introduction to Biology Lessons: 8 Assessments: 3 (QTI 2.1) Discussion Topics: 2 LTI Tools: 2 Resources: 47 files (images, videos, PDFs)

Package Size: 14.2 MB Extracted Size: 15.8 MB

IMPORT COMPATIBILITY

Canvas: ✓ Compatible Moodle: ✓ Compatible Blackboard: ✓ Compatible D2L Brightspace: ✓ Compatible Schoology: ✓ Compatible

NEXT STEPS

1. ✓ Package is ready for delivery
2. Address 2 accessibility warnings (optional but recommended)
3. Test import in target LMS before final delivery
4. Generate import instructions for customer

Report generated by: curriculum.validate-cc v1.0.0

CLI Interface

Quick validation (structure only)

/curriculum.validate-cc --package course.imscc --level quick

Standard validation (structure + schema)

/curriculum.validate-cc --package course.imscc --level standard

Thorough validation (all checks)

/curriculum.validate-cc --package course.imscc --level thorough

With target LMS checks

/curriculum.validate-cc --package course.imscc --level thorough --target-lms canvas

Generate detailed report

/curriculum.validate-cc --package course.imscc --level thorough --report-file validation-report.txt

JSON output for automation

/curriculum.validate-cc --package course.imscc --level thorough --format json --output validation.json

Validate multiple packages

/curriculum.validate-cc --packages "*.imscc" --level standard

Help

/curriculum.validate-cc --help

Output Formats

Text Report (Default)

Human-readable validation report with:

• Summary section (pass/fail, counts)

• Detailed results by validation category

• Warnings and errors with line numbers

• Recommendations for fixes

• Import compatibility matrix

JSON Output

{ "package": "bio-101-2025.imscc", "validation_date": "2025-11-06T13:30:00Z", "level": "thorough", "summary": { "status": "pass", "total_checks": 87, "passed": 85, "warnings": 2, "errors": 0 }, "structure_validation": { "status": "pass", "checks": 12, "passed": 12 }, "schema_validation": { "status": "pass", "checks": 25, "passed": 25 }, "qti_validation": { "status": "pass", "checks": 18, "passed": 18, "assessments": 3 }, "accessibility_validation": { "status": "warning", "checks": 15, "passed": 13, "warnings": 2, "issues": [ { "type": "warning", "file": "lessons/lesson-1-2.html", "line": 42, "message": "Link text 'click here' is not descriptive", "recommendation": "Use descriptive text like 'View cell diagram'" }, { "type": "warning", "file": "resources/videos/cell-division.mp4", "message": "Video missing caption track", "recommendation": "Add WebVTT caption file" } ] }, "lti_validation": { "status": "pass", "checks": 8, "passed": 8, "tools": 2 }, "compatibility": { "canvas": true, "moodle": true, "blackboard": true, "d2l_brightspace": true, "schoology": true } }

XML Output

<validation-report> <package>bio-101-2025.imscc</package> <summary status="pass"> <total-checks>87</total-checks> <passed>85</passed> <warnings>2</warnings> <errors>0</errors> </summary> <structure-validation status="pass"/> <schema-validation status="pass"/> <qti-validation status="pass"/> <accessibility-validation status="warning"> <issue type="warning" file="lessons/lesson-1-2.html" line="42"> Link text 'click here' is not descriptive </issue> </accessibility-validation> <lti-validation status="pass"/> </validation-report>

Common Issues and Fixes

Issue 1: Invalid Manifest Schema

Error:

Element '{http://www.imsglobal.org/xsd/imsccv1p3/imscp_v1p1}manifest': Missing child element(s). Expected is ( {http://www.imsglobal.org/xsd/imsccv1p3/imscp_v1p1}organizations ).

Cause: Missing required <organizations> element

Fix:

<manifest> <metadata>...</metadata> <organizations> <organization identifier="org-1" structure="rooted-hierarchy"> <item identifier="root"> <title>Course Title</title> </item> </organization> </organizations> <resources>...</resources> </manifest>

Issue 2: Orphaned Files

Warning:

Orphaned file (not in manifest): resources/images/unused-diagram.png

Cause: File exists in package but not referenced in manifest

Fix Options:

• Add file to manifest if needed

• Remove file from package if unused

• Add to resource dependencies

Issue 3: Broken File References

Error:

Missing file: lessons/lesson-5.html (referenced in manifest)

Cause: Manifest references file that doesn't exist

Fix:

• Add the missing file to package

• Or remove reference from manifest

• Check file path spelling (case-sensitive)

Issue 4: Invalid QTI

Error:

QTI validation failed: assessments/quiz-1/assessment.xml Element 'correctResponse': This element is not expected.

Cause: QTI XML doesn't conform to QTI 2.1 schema

Fix:

• Validate QTI against schema

• Use curriculum.export-qti skill to generate valid QTI

• Check IMS QTI 2.1 specification

Issue 5: LTI Launch URL Issues

Error:

LTI tool 'Virtual Lab' has HTTP launch URL (HTTPS recommended)

Cause: LTI tool uses insecure HTTP URL

Fix:

<blti:launch_url>http://example.com/launch&#x3C;/blti:launch_url> <!-- Change to: --> <blti:secure_launch_url>https://example.com/launch&#x3C;/blti:secure_launch_url>

Integration with Other Tools

Before Validation:

• Package created with curriculum.package-common-cartridge

After Validation: 2. If validation passes → deliver to customer 3. If validation fails → fix issues and re-validate 4. For LMS testing → use cc-validator agent

Workflow:

1. Create package

/curriculum.package-common-cartridge --materials "curriculum/" --output "course.imscc"

2. Validate package

/curriculum.validate-cc --package "course.imscc" --level thorough

3. If pass, test in LMS

/agent.cc-validator --action "test" --package "course.imscc" --lms-targets "canvas,moodle"

4. If all tests pass, deliver

cp course.imscc published/bio-101-2025.imscc

Best Practices

When to Validate

✅ Always validate:

• Before delivering to customer

• After package creation

• After fixing validation errors

• Before testing in LMS

✅ Quick validation good for:

• During iterative development

• Quick sanity checks

• CI/CD pipelines

✅ Thorough validation good for:

• Final QA before delivery

• Customer-facing packages

• High-stakes courses

Validation Levels

Level Time Use Case

Quick 1-2 min Development, CI/CD

Standard 3-5 min Pre-testing validation

Thorough 5-10 min Final QA, delivery

Handling Warnings

Accessibility Warnings:

• High priority - impacts users with disabilities

• Fix before delivery when possible

• Document if cannot fix

Orphaned Files:

• Medium priority - wastes storage

• Remove unused files

• Low impact on functionality

Missing Feedback:

• Low priority - optional but helpful

• Add feedback when time permits

• Improves learning experience

Exit Codes

• 0: Validation passed (no errors)

• 1: Validation failed (errors found)

• 2: Validation passed with warnings

• 3: Invalid package format (not .imscc)

• 4: Cannot extract package (corrupted ZIP)

• 5: Missing imsmanifest.xml

Performance

Typical Validation Times:

Package Size Quick Standard Thorough

Small (<5 MB, 5-10 lessons) 30 sec 1-2 min 3-5 min

Medium (5-20 MB, 10-30 lessons) 1 min 3-5 min 5-10 min

Large (20-100 MB, 30+ lessons) 2-3 min 5-10 min 10-20 min

References

• IMS CC 1.3 Specification

• IMS QTI 2.1 Specification

• WCAG 2.1 Guidelines

• Canvas CC Extensions

See Also

• curriculum.package-common-cartridge - Create CC packages

• curriculum.export-qti - Generate QTI 2.1 assessments

• cc-validator agent - Automated LMS testing

• PRODUCTION_GUIDE.md - Complete CC workflows