LMS Development on 1C-Bitrix: Building an Educational Platform

LMS Development on 1C-Bitrix: Building an Educational Platform

You already use 1C-Bitrix for your store or corporate portal, and now you need to launch partner training. A separate LMS means another admin panel, another login, and synchronization headaches. We solve it differently: we build the platform right inside your Bitrix. Single user database, shared orders, payment module—everything works out of the box. In 10+ years we have implemented 7 educational projects on Bitrix and know all the pitfalls.

A typical situation: a client already sells products through an online store on Bitrix and now wants to launch online courses. Implementing a separate LMS (e.g., Moodle) would require duplicating users, setting up SSO, and migrating data. All this can be solved with standard Bitrix tools—infoblocks, HL-blocks, and user groups. Time savings on integration—up to 40% compared to external solutions.

Why Bitrix Is Suitable for an LMS

Bitrix provides infoblocks for storing courses and lessons, user groups for access, agents for background tasks, and built-in payment systems. A ready-made LMS on Bitrix costs 2–3 times less than implementing a separate Moodle if the business already uses the 1C-Bitrix ecosystem. Everything is managed from a single admin panel, and for students—a unified personal account. Additionally, we use tagged caching for course pages: when content changes, only the cache of the specific lesson is cleared, not the entire section.

Data Storage Architecture

The LMS on Bitrix is built on a combination of infoblocks and HighLoad-blocks (HL-blocks, tables via ORM D7).

Infoblocks:

HL-blocks (via ORM):

// User progress
class UserProgressTable extends \Bitrix\Main\ORM\Data\DataManager
{
    public static function getTableName(): string { return 'b_hl_lms_user_progress'; }

    public static function getMap(): array
    {
        return [
            new IntegerField('ID', ['primary' => true, 'autocomplete' => true]),
            new IntegerField('USER_ID'),
            new IntegerField('COURSE_ID'),     // ID of course infoblock element
            new IntegerField('LESSON_ID'),     // ID of lesson infoblock element
            new EnumField('STATUS', ['values' => ['NOT_STARTED', 'IN_PROGRESS', 'COMPLETED']]),
            new IntegerField('PROGRESS_PERCENT'), // 0–100
            new DatetimeField('STARTED_AT'),
            new DatetimeField('COMPLETED_AT'),
            new IntegerField('TIME_SPENT_SEC'),   // Time spent on lesson
        ];
    }
}

// Course enrollments
class CourseEnrollmentTable extends \Bitrix\Main\ORM\Data\DataManager
{
    public static function getTableName(): string { return 'b_hl_lms_enrollment'; }

    public static function getMap(): array
    {
        return [
            new IntegerField('ID', ['primary' => true, 'autocomplete' => true]),
            new IntegerField('USER_ID'),
            new IntegerField('COURSE_ID'),
            new EnumField('STATUS', ['values' => ['ACTIVE', 'COMPLETED', 'EXPIRED', 'REFUNDED']]),
            new DatetimeField('ENROLLED_AT'),
            new DatetimeField('EXPIRES_AT'),  // NULL = unlimited
            new FloatField('PAID_AMOUNT'),
            new IntegerField('ORDER_ID'),     // Link to order from sale module
        ];
    }
}

Course and Lesson Structure

A course is an infoblock element lms_courses with properties:

A lesson is an infoblock element lms_lessons, linked to a course via property COURSE_ID. Lesson order via SORT. Lesson content type (LESSON_TYPE): Video / Text / Test / Webinar.

How Is Course Access Managed?

Access is controlled via Bitrix user groups. Each course has its own group (b_group). After payment or enrollment, the user is added to the group:

class EnrollmentService
{
    public function enroll(int $userId, int $courseId): void
    {
        $course = \CIBlockElement::GetByID($courseId)->GetNext();
        $groupId = (int)$course['PROPERTY_ACCESS_GROUP_ID_VALUE'];

        if ($groupId) {
            $currentGroups = \CUser::GetUserGroup($userId);
            if (!in_array($groupId, $currentGroups)) {
                $currentGroups[] = $groupId;
                \CUser::SetUserGroup($userId, $currentGroups);
            }
        }

        CourseEnrollmentTable::add([
            'USER_ID'     => $userId,
            'COURSE_ID'   => $courseId,
            'STATUS'      => 'ACTIVE',
            'ENROLLED_AT' => new \Bitrix\Main\Type\DateTime(),
        ]);
    }
}

Access to course pages is checked similarly: if no enrollment record exists or status is not ACTIVE—redirect to the purchase page.

Progress Tracking

Progress is recorded under several conditions depending on lesson type:

• Video: tracking via player timeupdate event, marked as watched at 80% video.
• Text: marked when scrolled to the end (IntersectionObserver on last paragraph).
• Test: on successful passing (score ≥ pass threshold).

// AJAX endpoint for progress saving
// POST /local/ajax/lms_progress.php
$lessonId = (int)$_POST['lesson_id'];
$courseId = (int)$_POST['course_id'];
$userId   = $USER->GetID();
$percent  = min(100, (int)$_POST['percent']);

$existing = UserProgressTable::getList([
    'filter' => ['USER_ID' => $userId, 'LESSON_ID' => $lessonId],
])->fetch();

if ($existing) {
    if ($percent > $existing['PROGRESS_PERCENT']) {
        UserProgressTable::update($existing['ID'], [
            'PROGRESS_PERCENT' => $percent,
            'STATUS'           => $percent >= 100 ? 'COMPLETED' : 'IN_PROGRESS',
            'COMPLETED_AT'     => $percent >= 100 ? new \Bitrix\Main\Type\DateTime() : null,
        ]);
    }
} else {
    UserProgressTable::add([
        'USER_ID'          => $userId,
        'COURSE_ID'        => $courseId,
        'LESSON_ID'        => $lessonId,
        'STATUS'           => $percent >= 100 ? 'COMPLETED' : 'IN_PROGRESS',
        'PROGRESS_PERCENT' => $percent,
        'STARTED_AT'       => new \Bitrix\Main\Type\DateTime(),
        'COMPLETED_AT'     => $percent >= 100 ? new \Bitrix\Main\Type\DateTime() : null,
    ]);
}

Testing and Quizzes

Test questions are infoblock elements lms_quizzes with properties: question type (single choice, multiple choice, text answer), answer options (JSON in string property), correct answer, question weight.

Test results—HL-block b_hl_lms_quiz_attempt:

CREATE TABLE b_hl_lms_quiz_attempt (
    ID           SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
    USER_ID      INTEGER,
    QUIZ_ID      INTEGER,
    SCORE        INTEGER,       -- points earned
    MAX_SCORE    INTEGER,       -- maximum
    PASSED       BOOLEAN,
    ANSWERS_JSON TEXT,          -- JSON with user answers
    CREATED_AT   TIMESTAMP
);

Certificates

Upon course completion (all lessons COMPLETED)—generate a PDF certificate using the FPDF or TCPDF library:

class CertificateGenerator
{
    public function generate(int $userId, int $courseId): string
    {
        $user   = \CUser::GetByID($userId)->Fetch();
        $course = \CIBlockElement::GetByID($courseId)->GetNext();

        $pdf = new \TCPDF();
        $pdf->AddPage('L'); // Landscape
        $pdf->setImageScale(1.25);

        // Certificate background image
        $pdf->Image('/local/templates/lms/img/certificate_bg.jpg', 0, 0, 297, 210);

        // Full name
        $pdf->SetFont('dejavusans', 'B', 32);
        $pdf->SetXY(50, 90);
        $pdf->Cell(200, 20, $user['LAST_NAME'] . ' ' . $user['NAME'], 0, 0, 'C');

        // Course name
        $pdf->SetFont('dejavusans', '', 18);
        $pdf->SetXY(50, 120);
        $pdf->Cell(200, 10, $course['NAME'], 0, 0, 'C');

        $filename = 'certificate_' . $userId . '_' . $courseId . '.pdf';
        $path     = '/upload/certificates/' . $filename;
        $pdf->Output($_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'] . $path, 'F');

        return $path;
    }
}

Process of Work

1. Analytics and design — agree on course structure, content types, access scheme.
2. Component development — create 2.0 components for course list, detail page, progress.
3. Integration — connect payment systems (YooKassa, Sber) and exchange with 1C via CommerceML.
4. Testing — verify scenarios of purchase, enrollment, lesson completion, and certificate generation.
5. Deployment and training — roll out to production server, train administrators (2–3 hours).

What Is Included in the Work

When ordering a turnkey LMS development, we deliver:

• analytics and data schema design (infoblocks, HL-blocks);
• development of 2.0 components (course list, detail, progress);
• integration with payment systems and 1C;
• testing and bug fixing;
• delivery of source code, documentation, and accesses;
• administrator training.

Development Timeline

Want to discuss your project? Contact us—we'll evaluate your task and propose an optimal solution. Order an LMS development—and get a ready-made solution within agreed deadlines.

1C-Bitrix Module Development and Setup

The main trap of Bitrix is init.php. You add an OnBeforeIBlockElementUpdate handler there, then another one — a year later the file is 2000 lines, and on every hit all that code executes. We move business logic into full-fledged modules with D7 ORM, custom tables, and administrative interface. The module can be disabled, transferred to another project, covered with tests — none of that is possible with init.php. Our team has 10+ years of Bitrix experience, certified specialists, and a 6-month code guarantee. Request a consultation — we'll explain how to migrate legacy code to a modular architecture.

Why is init.php the worst place for business logic?

Init.php does not support class autoloading, lacks an isolated namespace, cannot be unit tested, and cannot be disabled without editing the file itself. Every handler written there runs on every request, even if not needed. In a module, you register handlers through EventManager, and they only execute when the event occurs. Performance difference: up to 3x with 10+ handlers.

Standard Modules: Typical Problems and Solutions

Information blocks. IBlock architecture is the first thing we review on any project. A classic mistake: one catalog infoblock with 80 properties, 30 of which are multiple. The b_iblock_element_property table swells to millions of rows, and CIBlockElement::GetList with filtering on three properties does a full scan. We move reference data to Highload-blocks, eliminate multiple properties where possible, and design the structure for 5x growth.

e-Store (sale). Cart business rules are a separate story. We set discount priorities to prevent two campaigns from giving 60% instead of 30%, connect payment handlers, and write custom validation via OnSaleOrderBeforeSaved.

Search. The built-in search module with morphology works up to 10–15 thousand elements. Beyond that — Elasticsearch. We configure it via the Bitrix search module API, indexing through CSearchFullText or custom indexers.

Highload-blocks for dictionaries, logs, user data — instead of bloated IBlocks. Direct queries via Bitrix\Highloadblock\HighloadBlockTable, custom tables instead of the EAV structure of standard infoblocks. A million records — no degradation.

Mail events. Configuration is not just templates in b_event_message. The key is SPF, DKIM, DMARC on the DNS, otherwise transactional emails go to spam. We check deliverability and set up bounce handling.

How to Design Infoblocks for Performance?

We use Highload-blocks for reference data (colors, sizes, manufacturers) that are not involved in complex queries. For SKUs — a separate infoblock with linking via IBLOCK_ELEMENT_PROPERTY. Enable INDEX_PROPERTY for frequently filtered properties. Tagged caching: when an element changes, only the related cache is cleared. Highload-blocks process up to 10x faster than infoblocks with multiple properties on volumes of 100,000 records.

Custom Module Development

Each module follows the structure /local/modules/vendor.modulename/:

• install/index.php — setup class, create tables via $DB->RunSQLBatch()
• lib/ — D7 ORM classes, extending Bitrix\Main\ORM\Data\DataManager
• admin/ — administrative pages using CAdminList, CAdminForm
• include.php — autoloading, event handler registration via EventManager::getInstance()->registerEventHandler()
• REST API endpoints via \Bitrix\Rest\RestManager

The module registers in the system, appears in the "Installed Solutions" list, and has its own settings at /bitrix/admin/settings.php?mid=vendor.modulename. It can be enabled, disabled, and updated through UpdateSystem or custom migration mechanics.

Examples of implemented tasks:

• Campaign management — visual condition builder via CAdminCalendar, timers via agents (CAgent::AddAgent), analytics linked to the sale module
• Cost calculator — React widget on the frontend, REST API in the module, formulas stored in a Highload-block
• Booking system — real-time calendar, locking via $DB->StartTransaction() / $DB->Commit() on concurrent requests, integration with channel manager via webhook

Components and Composite Cache

Component customization via result_modifier.php and component_epilog.php, not by editing template.php of the standard template. This way core updates are painless.

Composite cache ("Composite Site" technology) — the server sends ready HTML, bypassing PHP routing. Dynamic areas (cart, authorization) are loaded via CBitrixComponent::setFrameMode(true) and AJAX. TTFB drops to 30–50 ms. But there are caveats: not all components are compatible, $APPLICATION->ShowPanel() breaks composite, and careful markup of <div id="bx-composite-..."> is required.

What to Check Before Installing a Marketplace Module?

Before installing a module from the marketplace, an audit is mandatory. We check: SQL queries without prepared statements (hello SQL injection), direct use of $_REQUEST without filtering, use of outdated kernel API instead of D7, conflicts with the composite cache module. A module with no updates for over a year and a few dozen installations is likely a problem on the next PHP update. A typical case: a module calls CIBlockElement::GetList with no cache reset — the site crashes with 5000 elements.

Migration to D7

When upgrading PHP or switching to a new edition — refactor outdated calls:

• CIBlockElement::GetList() → Bitrix\Iblock\Elements\ElementTable::getList()
• CSaleOrder::GetList() → Bitrix\Sale\Order::getList()
• CModule::IncludeModule() → Bitrix\Main\Loader::includeModule() Testing on staging, rollback via git on issues.

According to official 1C-Bitrix documentation, D7 ORM is the recommended tool for working with data, providing type safety and automatic query generation.

Comparison: Init.php vs Module

Module Development Scope and Cost

What is included in module development?

• Technical specification and architectural plan
• Code following PSR-4 and Bitrix code style
• Unit tests (PHPUnit) for business logic
• Integration tests for events and REST API
• Installation, configuration, and API documentation
• Repository and documentation access
• Administrator training for module usage
• 6-month warranty support

Estimated timelines and complexity:

Cost is calculated individually — contact us for a project estimate.

Module Testing

Unit tests via PHPUnit cover business logic: discount calculation, validation, document generation. Mocks for Bitrix\Main\Application::getConnection() allow tests to be DB-independent. Integration tests verify event handlers on a real database — OnAfterIBlockElementAdd, OnSaleOrderSaved, etc. REST API endpoints are tested via curl or PHPUnit HTTP client. Critical for modules working with b_sale_order, b_catalog_price — where errors cost money.

Compatibility is checked on PHP 7.4, 8.0, 8.1, 8.2 and editions: Standard, Small Business, Business. We check conflicts with popular marketplace modules — they often intercept the same events. Load testing: measurements on 10K, 100K, 1M records, profiling via Xdebug for memory leaks and N+1 queries.

Practical Examples

Campaign module for an electronics chain. The built-in sale module discounts did not cover scenarios like "2+1", a gift with purchase over a certain amount, or combined conditions. We built a visual builder: marketers create rules via drag-and-drop without development tickets. Campaign calendar, auto-deactivation via agents, analytics linked to b_sale_order — conversion, average check, usage count. Time to launch a new campaign dropped from two days to half an hour.

Calculator for builders. Parameters (area, materials, number of floors) → formula → preliminary estimate → lead to CRM via CRest::call('crm.lead.add'). Regional coefficients and seasonal markups from a Highload-block, material prices from 1C exchange. The number of target leads increased by a third: clients see a breakdown before calling a manager.

Booking for a hotel chain. Real-time availability via AJAX requests to a custom table vendor_booking_slots, seasonal tariff calculation, synchronization with Booking.com via channel manager API. Room locking on concurrent booking via SELECT ... FOR UPDATE in transactions. Timezones handled via \DateTimeZone — a guest from Vladivostok and a manager from Moscow see the same picture.

We will evaluate your project within one day. Write to us — we'll tell you what is included in turnkey development. Contact us for a consultation on your project. Order a custom module development — get a ready solution with documentation and support.