Fedora API-A-Lite Interface Client User Documentation

Fedora Development Team

$Id: apialite.dbx,v 1.9 2003/05/17 01:41:34 rlw Exp $

Copyright © 2003 The Rector and Visitors of The University of Virginia and Cornell University

Table of Contents

Introduction
Client Syntax

Introduction

The Fedora API-A-Lite interface is implemented as an HTTP service that consists of the following methods:

  • GetDissemination - gets the specified dissemination request

  • Get ObjectProfile - gets the Object Profile of the specified object

For more information on the method definitions, refer to the API descriptions located at http://www.fedora.info/definitions/1/0/api/

Client Syntax

getDissemination syntax:

http://hostname:port/fedora/get/PID/bDefPID/methodName[/dateTime][?parmArray]

This syntax requests a dissemination of the specified object using the specified method of the associated behavior definition object. The result is returned as a MIME-typed stream.

  • hostname - required hostname of the Fedora server.

  • port - required port number on which the Fedora server is running. fedora - required name of the Fedora access service.

  • fedora - a required parameter specifying the Fedora servlet path.

  • get - a required parameter specifying the Fedora servlet path.

  • PID - required persistent identifier of the digital object.

  • bDefPID - required persistent identifier of the behavior definition object to which the digital object subscribes.

  • methodName - required name of the method to be executed. dateTime - optional.

  • dateTime - value indicating dissemination of a version of the digital object at the specified point in time. (NOT implemented in release 1.0.)

  • parmArray - optional array of method parameters consisting of name/value pairs in the form parm1=value1&parm2=value2...

GetObjectProfile syntax:

http://hostname:port/fedora/get/PID[/dateTime][?xml=BOOLEAN]

This syntax requests an object profile for the specified digital object. The xml parameter determines the type of output returned. If the parameter is omitted or has a value of "false", a MIME-typed stream consisting of an html table is returned providing a browser-savvy means of viewing the object profile. If the value specified is "true", then a MIME-typed stream consisting of XML is returned.

  • hostname - required hostname of the Fedora server.

  • port - required port number on which the Fedora server is running. fedora - required name of the Fedora access service.

  • fedora - a required parameter specifying the Fedora servlet path.

  • get - a required parameter specifying the Fedora servlet path.

  • PID - required persistent identifier of the digital object.

  • dateTime - value indicating dissemination of a version of the digital object at the specified point in time. (NOT implemented in release 1.0.)

  • xml - an optional parameter indicating the requested output format. A value of "true" indicates a return type of text/xml; the absence of the xml parameter or a value of "false" indicates format is to be text/html.

Examples

Get the Dissemination for a data object with a PID of demo:5 and associated behavior definition object with a PID of demo:1 and methodName of getThumbnail

http://localhost:8080/fedora/get/demo:5/demo:1/getThumbnail

Get the ObjectProfile for a data object with a PID of demo:5 as HTML:

http://localhost:8080/fedora/get/demo:5

Get the ObjectProfile for a data object with a PID of demo:5 as XML:

http://localhost:8080/fedora/get/demo:5?xml=true