WeBWork Technical Requirements and Integration 3

Question 1

Which protocol should be configured on a production WeBWorK server to encrypt student data in transit?

Accepted Answer

HTTPS via TLS/SSL

Answer

HTTPS with a valid TLS certificate is required on production servers to protect student credentials and grades.

Question 2

In WeBWorK's Docker-based installation, which file is used to define environment variables such as the database password?

Accepted Answer

.env file

Answer

The .env file holds sensitive environment variables like DB_PASSWORD that docker-compose reads at startup.

Question 3

What is the purpose of the WeBWorK 'WW_THEME' configuration variable?

Accepted Answer

Controls which CSS theme is applied to the interface

Answer

WW_THEME specifies which CSS/HTML theme WeBWorK uses to render its student-facing and admin interfaces.

Question 4

Which tool is commonly used to test whether WeBWorK's SMTP email configuration is working correctly?

Accepted Answer

The 'Send Test Email' button in Site Administration

Answer

Site Administration includes a 'Send Test Email' feature that verifies SMTP settings without needing a real course.

Question 5

WeBWorK's 'Webwork RPCs' are used primarily for which integration purpose?

Accepted Answer

Allowing external systems to render WeBWorK problems in an iframe or API call

Answer

WeBWorK's XML-RPC interface lets external systems request problem rendering and answer checking outside the normal student UI.

WeBWork Practice Test