JEST URI Syntax
JEST defines URI syntax to access persistent resources over HTTP.
As an example, to find a persistent Person instance with primary key 1234 and
receive the result in JSON format, an example URI would look like this (non functional URI):
http://www.example.com:8080/jest/find/format=json?type=Person&1234
The formal notation of a JEST URI is
URI := http://{host}[:port]/{context}/{action}[/qualifier]* [?argument] [&argument]*
The URI syntax rules, in the light of the above example, are as follows:
-
protocol is always http
-
host (www.example.com
) and optional port number locates the
JEST servlet
-
context (jest
) identifies the context path of the JEST servlet.
The context path is the servlet name
as specified in the web deployment descriptor for JEST servlet
-
action (find
) is the first segment of the servlet path.
Allowed actions are find
, query
, domain
, properties
etc.
-
zero or more qualifier
may constitute the servlet path. Each
qualifier is separated by /
character.
- A qualifier must have a key and an optional value.
- The qualifier key and value, if present, are separated by
=
sign.
- A qualifier key is a valid Java identifier. The exact key is
conditional on the action. For example,
find
action
accepts format qualifier, query
action accepts single
,
named
, maxResult
, firstResult
,
format
as qualifiers.
In the example above, format=json
qualifies that the response of
find
action be formatted as JSON.
-
A qualifier may or may not have a value. For example, maxResult
qualifier for query
action must have
an integer value while single
qualifier does not.
-
zero or more argument may follow after the path by ?
character.
- each argument is separated by
&
character
- An argument has an optional key and must have a value.
-
The argument key, if present, and value are separated by =
sign.
-
some actions may enforce mandatory argument(s). For example, a find
action must have type
argument
and at least one more argument for the primary key. A query
action
must have q
argument etc.
List of supported actions, qualifiers and arguments
The following sections tabulates the currently supported actions and
corresponding qualifiers and arguments.
A bold font denotes qualifier or argument as mandatory.
Action: find
Returns the result of a find() operation.
qualifier-key | qualifier-value | Comment |
format | xml or json | default is xml |
plan | | name of one or more fetch
plan(s). Each name separated by comma character. |
| | e.g.
find/plan=onlyBasicFields?type=Person&1234 |
| | where onlyBasicFields is
name of a pre-defined Fetch Group |
argument-key | argument-value | Comment |
type | entity name | Fully-qualified Java class name or
alias of the entity |
| primary key value | can be used for simple identity
without the id property name |
| | e.g. /find?type=Person&1234 |
id property | primary key value | Used for compound primary keys |
| | e.g.
/find?type=Person&firstName=John&lastName=Doe |
Action : query
Returns the result of a Query.getResultList()
or
Query.getSingleResult()
operation.
qualifier-key | qualifier-value | Comment |
format | xml or json | default is xml |
plan | | name of one or more fetch plan(s). Each
name separated by comma character. |
single | | enforces single instance as query result
|
| | e.g. {{/query/single?q=select p from
Person p where p.name=:x&x=John}} |
named | | interprets the q argument value as a
named query |
| | e.g.
/query/named?q=PersonByName&x=John |
| | where PersonByName is named query
with x its named parameter |
argument-key | argument-value | Comment |
q | JPQL or Named Query | e.g. /query/named?q=AllPerson |
| | or {{/query?q=select p from Person
p}} |
| | e.g. {{/query?q=select p from
Person p where p.firstName=:x&x=John}} |
bind parameter | parameter value | the values are converted to match
the target type |
| | e.g. {{/query?q=select p from
Person p where p.gender=:g&g=MALE}} |
Action : domain
Returns the domain model in XML format.
Accepts no qualifier.
Accepts no argument.
Action : properties
Returns the configuration properties in HTML format.
Accepts no qualifier.
Accepts no argument.
URI := http://{host}[:port]/{context}/{action}[/qualifier]* [?argument][&argument]*
context := JEST servlet context root
action := find|query|domain|properties
qualifier := qualifier-key[=qualifier-value]
argument := [argument-key=] argument-value
qualifier-key := any valid Java identifier
qualifier-value := string
argument-key := string
argument-value := string