1. Service Paths & Query By Example (QBE): Query Mechanism
SIF 3 Service Paths & QBE
Service Paths & Query By Example (QBE):
Query Mechanism
Joerg Huber

2. Service Paths What is a Service Path? Base URL Format & Components
Other URL Components
Limitations
How do the Frameworks work with Service Paths?
Consumer
Provider
Training Course SIF3: Service Paths
September 18

3. What is a Service Path It is a Query Mechanism!
Allows retrieval of ‘Associated’ Objects (i.e. All Students at a School)
Standard REST paradigm
Optimises data retrieval
One query vs. many queries
Standard notation, easy to read
Query condition is part of the URL.
Training Course SIF3: Service Paths
September 18

4. Base URL Format & Components
Example:
Get Students at School
<baseURL>/xSchools/<refId>/xStudents
Association Object
RefId of the School
Object to be returned
Query Condition: ‘where SchoolRefId = <refid>’
Training Course SIF3: Service Paths
September 18

5. Other URL Components etc.
Service Paths support all standard URL components of any Object Service:
Can be ‘nested’
…/xSchools/<refId>/xStudents/<refId>/xDailyAttendances
Above will return daily attendances for a given student at a given school.
Matrix Parameters (zoneId, contexId)
Query Parameters (navigationPage, navigationPageSize)
HTTP Headers (requestId)
Exception: serviceType = SERVICEPATH
No Payload
Not valid for HTTP GET!
Training Course SIF3: Service Paths
September 18

6. Limitations: Query Only
Can only Query Data (HTTP GET). No create, update or delete
No Events are sent to a Service Path
Only available right in ACL will be “QUERY”
HTTP Header ‘serviceType’ must be set to ‘SERVICEPATH’
Not to worry about if frameworks are used.
Training Course SIF3: Service Paths
September 18

7. Frameworks & Service Paths
Available in Java & .Net version
Consumer: Part of Abstract Consumer
consumer.retrieveByServicePath(…)
Provider: Implement QueryProvider Interface
Direct Environment Template Entry
<service name=“xSchools/{}/xStudents"
type="SERVICEPATH">
<rights>
<right type="QUERY">APPROVED</right>
</rights>
</service>
Implemented by class of “Object to be Returned”
Training Course SIF3: Service Paths
September 18

8. What is Query By Example
It is a Query Mechanism!
Allows retrieval of Objects based on a ‘Sample Object’.
Service of “Sample Object” serves the query.
Query Condition is given by a standard SIF Object:
<xStudent>
<name>
<type>LegalName</type>
<familyName>Jones</familyName>
</xStudent>
=> Give me all students with legal family name of
Jones.
Training Course SIF3: Service Paths
September 18

9. What is Query By Example cont.
Payload and Query Condition Interpretation:
Each element in the payload forms a specific query condition.
The conjunction between the conditions is 'AND‘.
Comparator for all types except strings is EQUAL.
Strings have a LIKE with the only supported wildcard of '%':
'ABC': No wildcards in the value is equivalent to an 'EQUAL'.
'%ABC': Wildcard at the start of the value means 'ENDS IN'. In this case anything that ENDS IN 'ABC'.
'ABC%': Wildcard at the end of the value means 'STARTS WITH'. In this case anything that STARTS WITH 'ABC'.
'%ABC%': Wildcard at the start and end of the value means 'CONTAINS'. In this case anything that CONTAINS 'ABC'.
'AB%C': Wildcard anywhere in the value means 'STARTS WITH' and 'ENDS IN'. In this case anything that STARTS WITH 'AB' followed by any number of characters and ENDS IN 'C'
Training Course SIF3: Service Paths
September 18

10. URL Components, GET vs. POST.
QBE supports all standard URL components of any Object Service:
Matrix Parameters (zoneId, contexId)
Query Parameters (navigationPage, navigationPageSize)
HTTP Headers (requestId, generatorID etc.)
BUT it has a Payload!!
Not valid for HTTP GET!
It uses a HTTP POST with HTTP Header of methodOverride=GET
=> Abstracted with SIF3 Frameworks.
Training Course SIF3: Service Paths
September 18

11. Frameworks & Service Paths
Available in Java & .Net version
Consumer: Part of Abstract Consumer
consumer.retrieveByQBE(…)
Provider: Implement QueryProvider Interface
If not supported then throw UnsupportedQueryException.
ACL: Direct Environment Template Entry
Part of standard Object Service (no changes)
“QUERY” right must be “APPROVED”.
<rights>
<right type="QUERY">APPROVED</right>
</rights>
Training Course SIF3: Service Paths
September 18

12. Exercise 6: Service Path
Question Time…
Questions?
Exercise 6: Service Path
(Consumer & Provider)
Training Course SIF3: Service Paths
September 18