Talk:API:EPrints

I'm going to use this page to get my thoughts in order. Cjg 16:58, 2 September 2009 (BST)

Current 3.1 System

Unsessioned Classes

These classes don't store a session internally resulting in methods like $foo->render( $session, ARGS ).

• Repository
• DataSet
• MetaField
• Language

Sessioned Classes

These classes store a session internally resulting in methods like $foo->render( ARGS ).

• Session
• DataObj
• Plugin
• List
• Search
• Database
• Workflow
• ScreenProcessor

API

Plan:

• RepositoryHandle (was Session)
• MetaFieldHandle
• DataSetHandle
• Repository, MetaField and DataSet still exist but are not part of the API.

OK. The problems:

• what to name the new modules
• if we should rename the old modules? s/DataSet/DataSetConfig/
• What methods to use
• What $foo variable name to conventially use to refer to this item.

repo

$repo = EPrints->repository( "devel", noise=>1 );
$repo = EPrints->repository_from_request( noise=>3 );
EPrints->abort( $message );
$xml = $repo->xml();
$dataset = $repo->dataset( "user" );
$repository->log( $message ); 
$config_element = $repository->config( $key, [@subkeys] );
$user = $repo->current_user;
$query = $repo->query;
$string = $repo->query->param( "X" );
$repo->redirect( $url );
$current_page_url = $repo->current_url; 

MAYBE:

$eprint = $repo->eprint( 23 );
$user = $repo->user( 23 );
$user = $repo->user_by_username( "cjg" );
$user = $repo->user_by_email( 'cjg@ecs.soton.ac.uk' );

dataset

$user = $dataset->dataobj( 23 );
$search = $dataset->prepare_search( %options );
# $list = $dataset->( @ids ); # tdb: Unnecessary I think
$list = $dataset->list();
$dataset->list->map( sub {}, $ctx );

list

$list->map( sub {}, $ctx );
$list->item( offset );
$list->slice( offset, length ); # nee get_records()

search

$search->add_field( %opts ); # better name needed?
$list = $search->execute();

XML

$dom_node = $xml->parse_string( $string );
$dom_node = $xml->parse_file( $filename );
$dom_node = $xml->parse_url( $url );

$utf8_string = $xml->to_string( $dom_node, %opts ); # tdb: pretty-print?
$utf8_string = $xml->to_xhtml( $dom_node, %opts ); # tdb: XHTML version?

$dom_node = $xml->clone( $dom_node );
$dom_node = $xml->deep_clone( $dom_node );

$dom_node = $xml->make_element( $element_name, %attributes );
$dom_node = $xml->make_text( $utf8string );
$dom_node = $xml->make_comment( $utf8string )
$dom_node = $xml->make_doc_fragment;

$page = $xml->build_page( %opts );

$xhtml_dom_node = $xml->html_phrase( $phrase_id );
$utf8string = $xml->text_phrase( $phrase_id );

$xhtml_dom_node = $xml->render_ruler;
$xhtml_dom_node = $xml->render_nbsp;
$xhtml_dom_node = $xml->render_link( $url, %opts ); #nb will require clever hack if scalar @opts = 1;
$xhtml_dom_node = $xml->render_name( $namehash, $familylast ); # I'd like to get away from boolean params -- too confusing!
$xhtml_dom_node = $xml->render_input_field( %opts ); # nb. noenter & hidden are now options.
$xhtml_dom_node = $xml->render_form( $method, $url );

Could we shorten this to $xml->ruler $xml->text etc...? tdb: not for ruler. Consistency vs. verbosity. Consistent (think create_dataobj!):

$dom_node = $xml->create_element()
$dom_node = $xml->create_text_node()
$dom_node = $xml->create_comment_node()
$dom_node = $xml->create_document_fragment()

Verbosity (without overloading the terms 'text' and 'comment'):

$dom_node = $xml->element()
$dom_node = $xml->text_node()
$dom_node = $xml->comment_node()
$dom_node = $xml->document_fragment()

(doc_fragment has caught me out countless times - inconsistent abbreviation!)

Page

$page->send( %options ); 
$page->write_to_file( $filename );

Search

$search = $dataset->prepare_search( order => "-date", satisfy_all=>1 );
# the below call needs replacing with something less sucky.
$search->add_field( $ds->get_field( "type" ), qw/ article book /, "EQ", "ANY" );
$list = $search->execute;

Still needing API working out: dataobj,eprint,user,subject,file,document,search,list,page

Current

These are CJG's notes, not part of the proposed API.

$new_list = $list->reorder( "-creation_date" ); # makes a new list ordered by reverse order creation_date

$new_list = $list->union( $list2, "creation_date" ) # makes a new list by adding the contents of $list to $list2. the resulting list is ordered by "creation_date"

$new_list = $list->remainder( $list2, "title" ); # makes a new list by removing the contents of $list2 from $list orders the resulting list by title

$n = $list->count() # returns the number of items in the list

@dataobjs = $list->get_records( 0, 20 );  #get the first 20 DataObjs from the list in an array

$list->map( $function, $info ) # performs a function on every item in the list. This is very useful go and look at the detailed description.

$plugin_output = $list->export( "BibTeX" ); #calls Plugin::Export::BibTeX on the list.

$dataset = $list->get_dataset(); #returns the dataset in which the containing objects belong

my $field = $dataset->get_field( $fieldname );

# you must clone a field to modify any properties
$newfield = $field->clone;
$newfield->set_property( $property, $value );

$name = $field->get_name;
$type = $field->get_type;
$value = $field->get_property( $property );
$boolean = $field->is_type( @typenames );
$results = $field->call_property( $property, @args ); 
# (results depend on what the property sub returns)

$xhtml = $field->render_name( $handle );
$xhtml = $field->render_help( $handle );
$xhtml = $field->render_value( $handle, $value, $show_all_langs, $dont_include_links, $object );
$xhtml = $field->render_single_value( $handle, $value );
$xhtml = $field->get_value_label( $handle, $value );

$values = $field->get_values( $handle, $dataset, %opts );

$sorted_list = $field->sort_values( $handle, $unsorted_list );

my $ds = $handle->get_dataset( "inbox" );
my $ds = $repository->get_dataset( "inbox" );

$confid = $ds->confid; # eprint
$id = $ds->id;         # inbox

$metafield = $ds->get_field( $fieldname );
$metafield = $ds->get_key_field;
$bool = $ds->has_field( $fieldname );
@metafields = $ds->get_fields;

$n = $ds->count( $handle );
$ds->map( $handle, $fn, $info );
@ids = $dataset->get_item_ids( $handle );

$obj = $ds->create_object( $handle, $data );

nherrits all methods from EPrints::DataObj.

# create a new document on $eprint 
my $doc_data = {
  _parent => $eprint,
  eprintid => $eprint->get_id,
};
my $doc_ds = $handle->get_dataset( 'document' );
my $document = $doc_ds->create_object( $handle, $doc_data );

# Add files to the document  
$success = $doc->add_file( $file, $filename, [$preserve_path] );
$success = $doc->upload( $filehandle, $filename [, $preserve_path [, $filesize ] ] );
$success = $doc->upload_archive( $filehandle, $filename, $archive_format );
$success = $doc->add_archive( $file, $archive_format );
$success = $doc->add_directory( $directory );
$success = $doc->upload_url( $url );

# get an existing document
$document = $handle->get_document( $doc_id );
# or
foreach my $doc ( $eprint->get_all_documents ) { ... }

# eprint to which this document belongs
$eprint = $doc->get_eprint;

# delete a document object *forever*:
$success = $doc->remove;

$url = $doc->get_url( [$file] );
$path = $doc->local_path;
%files = $doc->files;

# delete a file
$success = $doc->remove_file( $filename );
# delete all files
$success = $doc->remove_all_files;

# change the file which is used as the URL for the document.
$doc->set_main( $main_file );

# icons and previews
$xhtml = $doc->render_icon_link( %opts );
$xhtml = $doc->render_preview_link( %opts );