adrian-sarmas · Oct 12, 2026 · Oct 11, 2026
diff --git a/.github/workflows/main.yml b/.github/workflows/main.yml
@@ -8,15 +8,15 @@ jobs:
 
     services:
       postgres:
-        image: postgres:16
+        image: postgres:${{ matrix.moodle-branch == 'MOODLE_503_STABLE' && '17' || '16' }}
         env:
           POSTGRES_USER: 'postgres'
           POSTGRES_HOST_AUTH_METHOD: 'trust'
         ports:
           - 5432:5432
         options: --health-cmd pg_isready --health-interval 10s --health-timeout 5s --health-retries 3
       mariadb:
-        image: mariadb:10.11
+        image: mariadb:${{ matrix.moodle-branch == 'MOODLE_503_STABLE' && '11.4' || '10.11' }}
         env:
           MYSQL_USER: 'root'
           MYSQL_ALLOW_EMPTY_PASSWORD: "true"
@@ -25,12 +25,24 @@ jobs:
 
         ports:
           - 3306:3306
-        options: --health-cmd="mysqladmin ping" --health-interval 10s --health-timeout 5s --health-retries 3
+        options: --health-cmd="mariadb-admin ping" --health-interval 10s --health-timeout 5s --health-retries 3
 
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
         include:
+          - php: 8.4
+            moodle-branch: MOODLE_503_STABLE
+            database: pgsql
+          - php: 8.4
+            moodle-branch: MOODLE_503_STABLE
+            database: mariadb
+          - php: 8.3
+            moodle-branch: MOODLE_503_STABLE
+            database: pgsql
+          - php: 8.3
+            moodle-branch: MOODLE_503_STABLE
+            database: mariadb
           - php: 8.4
             moodle-branch: MOODLE_502_STABLE
             database: pgsql

diff --git a/classes/external/get_entry.php b/classes/external/get_entry.php
@@ -16,42 +16,12 @@
 
 namespace mod_journal\external;
 
-defined('MOODLE_INTERNAL') || die();
-
 use context_module;
-use external_function_parameters;
-use external_single_structure;
-use external_value;
+use core_external\external_function_parameters;
+use core_external\external_single_structure;
+use core_external\external_value;
 use invalid_parameter_exception;
 
-global $CFG;
-
-// Dynamic Class Logic.
-// Ensures compatibility between Moodle 3.9 (global classes) and 4.0+ (core_external namespace).
-if (!class_exists('mod_journal\external\journal_external_api_base')) {
-    if (class_exists('core_external\external_api')) {
-        // Moodle 4.0 and higher.
-        class_alias('core_external\external_api', 'mod_journal\external\journal_external_api_base');
-
-        // Ensure global class aliases exist for the helper types used in this file.
-        // This is necessary because "use external_function_parameters;" expects the global class,
-        // which might not be aliased automatically in strict PHPUnit isolation.
-        if (!class_exists('external_function_parameters')) {
-            class_alias('core_external\external_function_parameters', 'external_function_parameters');
-        }
-        if (!class_exists('external_value')) {
-            class_alias('core_external\external_value', 'external_value');
-        }
-        if (!class_exists('external_single_structure')) {
-            class_alias('core_external\external_single_structure', 'external_single_structure');
-        }
-    } else {
-        // Moodle 3.9 - 3.11.
-        require_once($CFG->libdir . '/externallib.php');
-        class_alias('external_api', 'mod_journal\external\journal_external_api_base');
-    }
-}
-
 /**
  * External function to get a journal entry.
  *

diff --git a/classes/external/journal_external_api_base.php b/classes/external/journal_external_api_base.php
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+<?php
+// This file is part of Moodle - http://moodle.org/
+//
+// Moodle is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+// it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+// the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+// (at your option) any later version.
+//
+// Moodle is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+// but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+// MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+// GNU General Public License for more details.
+//
+// You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+// along with Moodle.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+/**
+ * Base class of the mod_journal external functions.
+ *
+ * The external API lives in the core_external namespace since Moodle 4.2 and the global class names
+ * are deprecated since Moodle 5.3. Moodle 4.0 and 4.1 only have the global classes, so they are
+ * aliased into core_external there, letting the external functions use the namespaced names everywhere.
+ *
+ * @package   mod_journal
+ * @copyright 2026 Adrian Sarmas adrian.emanuel.sarmas@gmail.com
+ * @license   http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html GNU GPL v3 or later
+ */
+
+namespace mod_journal\external;
+
+defined('MOODLE_INTERNAL') || die();
+
+global $CFG;
+
+if (!class_exists('core_external\external_api')) {
+    // Moodle 4.0 and 4.1.
+    require_once($CFG->libdir . '/externallib.php');
+    class_alias('external_api', 'core_external\external_api');
+    class_alias('external_function_parameters', 'core_external\external_function_parameters');
+    class_alias('external_single_structure', 'core_external\external_single_structure');
+    class_alias('external_value', 'core_external\external_value');
+}
+
+class_alias('core_external\external_api', 'mod_journal\external\journal_external_api_base');
diff --git a/classes/external/save_feedback.php b/classes/external/save_feedback.php
@@ -16,35 +16,12 @@
 
 namespace mod_journal\external;
 
-defined('MOODLE_INTERNAL') || die();
-
-require_once($CFG->libdir . '/externallib.php');
-
-
 use context_module;
-use external_function_parameters;
-use external_single_structure;
-use external_value;
+use core_external\external_function_parameters;
+use core_external\external_single_structure;
+use core_external\external_value;
 use invalid_parameter_exception;
 
-global $CFG;
-
-// Dynamic Class Logic for compatibility.
-if (!class_exists('mod_journal\external\journal_external_api_base')) {
-    if (class_exists('core_external\external_api')) {
-        class_alias('core_external\external_api', 'mod_journal\external\journal_external_api_base');
-        if (!class_exists('external_function_parameters')) {
-            class_alias('core_external\external_function_parameters', 'external_function_parameters');
-        }
-        if (!class_exists('external_value')) {
-            class_alias('core_external\external_value', 'external_value');
-        }
-    } else {
-        require_once($CFG->libdir . '/externallib.php');
-        class_alias('external_api', 'mod_journal\external\journal_external_api_base');
-    }
-}
-
 /**
  * External function to save feedback and grade for a journal entry.
  *

diff --git a/classes/external/set_text.php b/classes/external/set_text.php
@@ -16,45 +16,18 @@
 
 namespace mod_journal\external;
 
-defined('MOODLE_INTERNAL') || die();
-
-require_once($CFG->libdir . '/externallib.php');
-
 use coding_exception;
 use context_module;
 use dml_exception;
-use external_function_parameters;
-use external_value;
-use external_single_structure;
+use core_external\external_function_parameters;
+use core_external\external_value;
+use core_external\external_single_structure;
 use invalid_parameter_exception;
 use mod_journal\event\entry_created;
 use mod_journal\event\entry_updated;
 use required_capability_exception;
 use stdClass;
 
-global $CFG;
-
-// Dynamic Class Logic.
-// Ensures compatibility between Moodle 3.9 (global classes) and 4.0+ (core_external namespace).
-if (!class_exists('mod_journal\external\journal_external_api_base')) {
-    if (class_exists('core_external\external_api')) {
-        // Moodle 4.0 and higher.
-        class_alias('core_external\external_api', 'mod_journal\external\journal_external_api_base');
-
-        // Ensure global class aliases exist for the helper types used in this file.
-        if (!class_exists('external_function_parameters')) {
-            class_alias('core_external\external_function_parameters', 'external_function_parameters');
-        }
-        if (!class_exists('external_value')) {
-            class_alias('core_external\external_value', 'external_value');
-        }
-    } else {
-        // Moodle 3.9 - 3.11.
-        require_once($CFG->libdir . '/externallib.php');
-        class_alias('external_api', 'mod_journal\external\journal_external_api_base');
-    }
-}
-
 /**
  * External function to set a journal's text
  *

diff --git a/classes/external/view_journal.php b/classes/external/view_journal.php
@@ -16,31 +16,11 @@
 
 namespace mod_journal\external;
 
-defined('MOODLE_INTERNAL') || die();
-
 use context_module;
-use external_function_parameters;
-use external_value;
+use core_external\external_function_parameters;
+use core_external\external_value;
 use invalid_parameter_exception;
 
-global $CFG;
-
-// Dynamic Class Logic.
-if (!class_exists('mod_journal\external\journal_external_api_base')) {
-    if (class_exists('core_external\external_api')) {
-        class_alias('core_external\external_api', 'mod_journal\external\journal_external_api_base');
-        if (!class_exists('external_function_parameters')) {
-            class_alias('core_external\external_function_parameters', 'external_function_parameters');
-        }
-        if (!class_exists('external_value')) {
-            class_alias('core_external\external_value', 'external_value');
-        }
-    } else {
-        require_once($CFG->libdir . '/externallib.php');
-        class_alias('external_api', 'mod_journal\external\journal_external_api_base');
-    }
-}
-
 /**
  * External function to trigger journal view event.
  *

diff --git a/lib.php b/lib.php
@@ -162,8 +162,6 @@ function journal_supports($feature) {
             return true;
         case FEATURE_GROUPINGS:
             return true;
-        case FEATURE_GROUPMEMBERSONLY:
-            return true;
         case FEATURE_COMPLETION_TRACKS_VIEWS:
             return true;
         case FEATURE_COMPLETION_HAS_RULES:

diff --git a/version.php b/version.php
@@ -25,8 +25,8 @@
 defined('MOODLE_INTERNAL') || die();
 
 $plugin->component = 'mod_journal';
-$plugin->version = 2026082101;
+$plugin->version = 2026101200;
 $plugin->requires = 2022041900;  /* Moodle 4.0 */
-$plugin->supported = [400, 502]; /* Moodle 4.0 - 5.2 */
-$plugin->release = '5.2.2 (Build: 2026082101)';
+$plugin->supported = [400, 503]; /* Moodle 4.0 - 5.3 */
+$plugin->release = '5.3.0 (Build: 2026101200)';
 $plugin->maturity = MATURITY_STABLE;