Query

This document defines the Query resource.

Queries represent the results of a process on the server to create a collection of resources that share characteristics. For example, a query can represent the result of a SQL targeting operation. Queries have results which represent the individual resources that are part of the query’s resulting collection.

A query must fit a set of criteria:

  • Query results are nonarbitrary – a resource’s inclusion in the collection is based on attributes intrinsic to that resource, as opposed to having been put there by hand. For hand-created lists of resources, use the List resource instead.
  • Queries may only be dynamic – a query will return the resources which match its criteria at the moment the Query resource is retrieved. To implement a static query, which contains the resources which matched its criteria at the time the query was created or saved, the List resource should be used instead.
  • Query targeting criteria may only be created, deleted and edited on the content provider’s native system – OSDI does not currently support an API-driven query, targeting, or SQL language.
  • Consequently, OSDI does not support CRUD operations on queries beyond updating metadata. Queries may only be created or deleted via the API provider’s system.
  • Queries are unique collections of resources – a resource may match a query only once.

Sections

Endpoints and URL structures

OSDI does not specify specific endpoints and link structures for compliant systems to use. Rather, because OSDI is a HAL+JSON API, endpoints and structures are defined in the links section of each returned resource, starting with the API Entry Point link.

HAL’s link structure lets an API consumer move through API levels, resources, and collections by parsing and following links. While most systems will not change the value of their links often and obey RESTful design principles, the value of each link when that resource is retrieved is the only canonical value, and it can change at any time.

The link relation label for a Query resource is osdi:query for a single Query resource or osdi:queries for a collection of Query resources.

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Fields

The field names for this resource, with standard names, punctuation and capitalization, and values where appropriate.

Note: As with the entire OSDI specification, the specific fields a compliant system implements will vary between each system, as will the fields each system requires when creating or updating resources, which fields are writeable, and the operations you are allowed to perform on each resource.

Common Fields

A set of common fields that appear on all resources is included first, for reference.

Name Type Description
identifiers strings[] A unique string array of identifiers in the format [system name]:[id]. See the general concepts document for more information about identifiers.
created_date datetime A read-only property representing the date and time the resource was created on the local system.
modified_date datetime A read-only property representing the date and time the resource was last modified on the local system.

Control Headers

An “osdi:control” JSON object may contain common OSDI control headers which can be used on an OSDI POST, PUT, PATCH, Helper or other function calls to modify server behavior. Read More

Name Type Description
return_response boolean Defaults to true, if specified as false, the operation does not need to return the resource representation in the response

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Query Fields

A list of fields specific to the Query resource.

Name Type Description
origin_system string A human readable identifier of the system where this query was created. (ex: “OSDI System”)
name string The name of the query. Intended for administrative display rather than a public title, though may be shown to a user.
title string The title of the query. Intended for public display rather than administrative purposes.
description string A description of the query, usually displayed publicly. May contain text and/or HTML.
summary string A text-only single paragraph summarizing the query. Shown on listing pages that have more than titles, but not enough room for full description.
browser_url string A URL string pointing to the publicly available query page on the web.
administrative_url string A URL string pointing to the query’s administrative page on the web.
total_results integer A read-only computed property representing the current count of the total number of results for the query.

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The links associated with this resource, available in the links section of the resource. Links that are part of the OSDI spec are typically prefixed with the osdi: namespace to aid in curie matching and readability.

Note: As with the entire OSDI specification, the specific links a compliant system supplies will vary between each system. In addition, systems may choose to embed a linked resource directly in the response in addition to linking to it in the links section, using the standard _embedded syntax described in the general overview documentation.

Name Type Description
self Query* A self-referential link to the query.
creator Person* A link to a single Person resource representing the creator of the query.
modified_by Person* A link to a Person resource representing the last editor of this query.
taggings Taggings[]* A link to the collection of Tagging resources for this query.
results Results[]* A link to the collection of Results resources for this query.

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Scenarios

The scenarios below show some common Create, Read, Update, Delete (CRUD) operations that can be performed on this resource, as well as any resource-specific behaviors worth highlighting. The following examples are for informational purposes. The authoritative resource definitions are above in the Fields tables and should be followed in the event of a conflict with the examples.

Scenario: Retrieving a collection of Query resources (GET)

Query resources are sometimes presented as collections of queries. For example, calling the queries endpoint will return a collection of all the queries stored in the system’s database associated with your api key.

Request

GET https://osdi-sample-system.org/api/v1/queries/

Header:
OSDI-API-Token:[your api key here]

Response

200 OK

Content-Type: application/hal+json
Cache-Control: max-age=0, private, must-revalidate

{
    "total_pages": 10,
    "per_page": 25,
    "page": 1,
    "total_records": 250,
    "_links": {
        "next": {
            "href": "https://osdi-sample-system.org/api/v1/queries?page=2"
        },
        "osdi:queries": [
            {
                "href": "https://osdi-sample-system.org/api/v1/queries/d91b4b2e-ae0e-4cd3-9ed7-d0ec501b0bc3"
            },
            {
                "href": "https://osdi-sample-system.org/api/v1/queries/1efc3644-af25-4253-90b8-a0baf12dbd1e"
            },
            //(truncated for brevity)
        ],
        "curies": [
            {
                "name": "osdi",
                "href": "https://osdi-sample-system.org/docs/v1/{rel}",
                "templated": true
            }
        ],
        "self": {
            "href": "https://osdi-sample-system.org/api/v1/queries"
        }
    },
    "_embedded": {
        "osdi:queries": [
            {
                "identifiers": [
                    "osdi_sample_system:d91b4b2e-ae0e-4cd3-9ed7-d0ec501b0bc3",
                    "foreign_system:1"
                ],
                "origin_system": "OSDI Sample System",
                "created_date": "2014-03-20T21:04:31Z",
                "modified_date": "2014-03-20T21:04:31Z",
                "name": "Justice Petition Signers",
                "summary": "Petition signers on the December justice petition.",
                "browser_url": "http://osdi-sample-system.org/queries/justice-petition-signers",
                "administrative_url": "http://osdi-sample-system.org/queries/justice-petition-signers/manage",
                "total_results": 26497,
                "_links": {
                    "self": {
                        "href": "https://osdi-sample-system.org/api/v1/queries/d91b4b2e-ae0e-4cd3-9ed7-d0ec501b0bc3"
                    },
                    "osdi:results": {
                        "href": "https://osdi-sample-system.org/api/v1/queries/d91b4b2e-ae0e-4cd3-9ed7-d0ec501b0bc3/results"
                    },
                    "osdi:taggings": {
                        "href": "https://osdi-sample-system.org/api/v1/queries/1efc3644-af25-4253-90b8-a0baf12dbd1e/taggings"
                    },
                    "osdi:creator": {
                        "href": "https://osdi-sample-system.org/api/v1/people/65345d7d-cd24-466a-a698-4a7686ef684f"
                    },
                    "osdi:modified_by": {
                        "href": "https://osdi-sample-system.org/api/v1/people/c945d6fe-929e-11e3-a2e9-12313d316c29"
                    }
                }
            },
            {
                "identifiers": [
                    "osdi_sample_system:1efc3644-af25-4253-90b8-a0baf12dbd1e"
                ],
                "origin_system": "OSDI Sample System",
                "created_date": "2014-03-20T20:44:13Z",
                "modified_date": "2014-03-20T20:44:13Z",
                "title": "1/2/15 email",
                "browser_url": "http://osdi-sample-system.org/queries/1215-email",
                "administrative_url": "http://osdi-sample-system.org/queries/1215-email/manage",
                "total_results": 108273,
                "_links": {
                    "self": {
                        "href": "https://osdi-sample-system.org/api/v1/queries/1efc3644-af25-4253-90b8-a0baf12dbd1e"
                    },
                    "osdi:results": {
                        "href": "https://osdi-sample-system.org/api/v1/queries/1efc3644-af25-4253-90b8-a0baf12dbd1e/results"
                    },
                    "osdi:taggings": {
                        "href": "https://osdi-sample-system.org/api/v1/queries/1efc3644-af25-4253-90b8-a0baf12dbd1e/taggings"
                    },
                    "osdi:creator": {
                        "href": "https://osdi-sample-system.org/api/v1/people/65345d7d-cd24-466a-a698-4a7686ef684f"
                    },
                    "osdi:modified_by": {
                        "href": "https://osdi-sample-system.org/api/v1/people/65345d7d-cd24-466a-a698-4a7686ef684f"
                    }
                }
            },
            //(truncated for brevity)
        ]
    }
}

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Scenario: Scenario: Retrieving an individual Query resource (GET)

Calling an individual Query resource will return the resource directly, along with all associated fields and appropriate links to additional information about the query.

Request

GET https://osdi-sample-system.org/api/v1/queries/d32fcdd6-7366-466d-a3b8-7e0d87c3cd8b

Header:
OSDI-API-Token:[your api key here]

Response

200 OK

Content-Type: application/hal+json
Cache-Control: max-age=0, private, must-revalidate

{
    "identifiers": [
        "osdi_sample_system:d91b4b2e-ae0e-4cd3-9ed7-d0ec501b0bc3",
        "foreign_system:1"
    ],
    "origin_system": "OSDI Sample System",
    "created_date": "2014-03-20T21:04:31Z",
    "modified_date": "2014-03-20T21:04:31Z",
    "name": "Justice Petition Signers",
    "summary": "Petition signers on the December justice petition.",
    "browser_url": "http://osdi-sample-system.org/queries/justice-petition-signers",
    "administrative_url": "http://osdi-sample-system.org/queries/justice-petition-signers/manage",
    "total_results": 26497,
    "_links": {
        "self": {
            "href": "https://osdi-sample-system.org/api/v1/queries/d91b4b2e-ae0e-4cd3-9ed7-d0ec501b0bc3"
        },
        "osdi:results": {
            "href": "https://osdi-sample-system.org/api/v1/queries/d91b4b2e-ae0e-4cd3-9ed7-d0ec501b0bc3/results"
        },
        "osdi:taggings": {
            "href": "https://osdi-sample-system.org/api/v1/queries/1efc3644-af25-4253-90b8-a0baf12dbd1e/taggings"
        },
        "osdi:creator": {
            "href": "https://osdi-sample-system.org/api/v1/people/65345d7d-cd24-466a-a698-4a7686ef684f"
        },
        "osdi:modified_by": {
            "href": "https://osdi-sample-system.org/api/v1/people/c945d6fe-929e-11e3-a2e9-12313d316c29"
        }
    }
}

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Scenario: Creating a new query (POST)

Because OSDI does not currently support an API-driven query, targeting, or SQL language, creating queries via the API is also not supported.

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Scenario: Modifying a query (PUT)

You can update a query by calling a PUT operation on that query’s endpoint. Your PUT should contain fields that you want to update. Missing fields will be ignored by the receiving system. Systems may also ignore PUT values, depending on whether fields you are trying to modify are read-only or not. You may set an attribute to nil by including the attribute using nil for value.

Note: Modifying members of an array separately is not supported. To change the contents of an array, first GET the current contents and then PUT back only those you wish to keep.

Request

PUT https://osdi-sample-system.org/api/v1/queries/d91b4b2e-ae0e-4cd3-9ed7-de9uemdse

Header:
OSDI-API-Token:[your api key here]

{
    "name": "December Justice Petition Signers"
}

Response

200 OK

Content-Type: application/hal+json
Cache-Control: max-age=0, private, must-revalidate

{
    "identifiers": [
        "osdi_sample_system:d91b4b2e-ae0e-4cd3-9ed7-de9uemdse",
        "foreign_system:1"
    ],
    "created_date": "2014-03-20T21:04:31Z",
    "modified_date": "2014-03-20T22:04:31Z",
    "name": "December Justice Petition Signers",
    "summary": "Petition signers on the December justice petition.",
    "browser_url": "http://osdi-sample-system.org/queries/justice-petition-signers",
    "administrative_url": "http://osdi-sample-system.org/queries/justice-petition-signers/manage",
    "total_results": 26497,
    "_links": {
        "self": {
            "href": "https://osdi-sample-system.org/api/v1/queries/d91b4b2e-ae0e-4cd3-9ed7-de9uemdse"
        },
        "osdi:results": {
            "href": "https://osdi-sample-system.org/api/v1/queries/d91b4b2e-ae0e-4cd3-9ed7-d0ec501b0bc3/results"
        },
        "osdi:taggings": {
            "href": "https://osdi-sample-system.org/api/v1/queries/1efc3644-af25-4253-90b8-a0baf12dbd1e/taggings"
        },
        "osdi:creator": {
            "href": "https://osdi-sample-system.org/api/v1/people/65345d7d-cd24-466a-a698-4a7686ef684f"
        }
    }
}

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Scenario: Deleting a query (DELETE)

Because OSDI does not currently support an API-driven query, targeting, or SQL language, deleting queries via the API is also not supported.

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