Node Service API Design

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The official documentation is at: http://docs.alfresco.com

Core Repository ServicesNode Service

For up-to-date Node Service documentation, please refer to the NodeServiceImpl API.

Table of Contents

• 1 Design Considerations
• 2 Basic Node API Methods
  
  • 2.1 Lifecycle Methods
  • 2.2 Metadata Methods
  • 2.3 Navigation Methods

Design Considerations

Nodes are Unnamed

• Nodes are effectively named by path
  

API Considerations

• All operations on nodes are specified by reference objects.
  
• Nodes and stores are uniquely identified by their Node Handles and Store Protocols
  
• A node keeps the same uuid for life
  
• Core node types are effectively abstract with the exception of Reference
  

Basic Node API Methods

Lifecycle Methods

NodeRef createNode(NodeRef parentRef, String name, String nodeType, [Map properties])

Description:

Creates a new, non-abstract node as a primary child of the given parent node.

Parameters:

• parentRef - the parent node
  
• name - the name of the child association between the parent and the new child
  
• nodeType - a user defined node type
  
• properties - optional map of properties to assign to the node
  

Result:

• id of the new node
  

void deleteNode(NodeRef nodeRef)

Description:

Deletes the given node.

Parameters:

• nodeRef - reference to a node within a store
  

Result:

• 
  

void addChild(NodeRef parentRef, NodeRef childRef, String name)

Description:

Add an existing node as a non-primary child of the given parent.

Parameters:

• parentRef - the parent node
  
• childRef - the child node
  
• name - the name of the child association between the parent and the new child
  

Result:

• 
  

NodeRef addChildReference(NodeRef parentRef, String refIdOrPath, String name)

Description:

Creates a child reference node.

Parameters:

• parentRef -
  
• refIdOrPath - the reference is soft and must therefore always be a path.  The refId will be resolved to a path but a path may be passed in directly as well.
  
• name - the name of the child association between the parent and the new child
  

Result:

• reference to the new node
  

void removeChild(NodeRef parentRef, NodeRef childRef)

Description:

Sever the parent-child relationship.  The removal of the relationship may mandate a deletion of the child node.

Parameters:

• parentRef -
  
• childRef - the ID of the child node to remove
  

Result:

• 
  

void removeChildren(NodeRef parentRef, String name)

Description:

Sever the parent-child relationships of the given name and remove any child nodes where the association was primary.

Parameters:

• parentRef -
  
• name - the name of the child relationships to remove
  

Result:

• 
  

Metadata Methods

String getType(NodeRef nodeRef)

Description:

Get node type.

Parameters:

• nodeRef -
  

Result:

• The type of the node
  

Map getProperties(NodeRef nodeRef)

Description:

Get map of all available properties.

Parameters:

• nodeRef -
  

Result:

• Hashmap of all available properties
  

void setProperties(NodeRef nodeRef, Map properties)

Description:

Set all node properties.  Any properties present on the node but not in the map will be removed.

Parameters:

• nodeRef -
  
• properties - complete list of properties for the node
  

Result:

• 
  

Object getProperty(NodeRef nodeRef, String propertyName)

Description:

Get map of all available properties.

Parameters:

• nodeRef -
  
• propertyName -
  

Result:

• Raw property value or null if it doesn't exist
  

Navigation Methods

Collection getParents(NodeRef nodeRef)

Description:

Get list of all parent IDs.

Parameters:

• nodeRef -
  

Result:

• Collection of parent NodeRefs
  

NodeRef getParent(NodeRef nodeRef, String pathElement)

Description:

Get parent related by specific path element.

Parameters:

• nodeRef -
  
• pathElement - the path element name, i.e. the name by which the child is known to the parent
  

Result:

• Reference to the parent node or null if no such relationship exists
  

NodeRef getPrimaryParent(NodeRef nodeRef)

Description:

Get primary parent.

Parameters:

• nodeRef -
  

Result:

• Reference to the primary parent
  

String getPath(NodeRef nodeRef)

Description:

Get primary node path to the given node.

Parameters:

• nodeRef -
  

Result:

• full path along the primary node path
  

List getPaths(NodeRef nodeRef)

Description:

Get all node paths to the given node.

Parameters:

• nodeRef -
  

Result:

• all node paths to the node