Is a file artifact in RAM given a URL?

Try something like this:

AssetAttribute ssd = serviceAsset.getAssetAttribute("Service Specification").setValues(new String[]{"<a>myLabel</a>"});

By using the code above, it works in that I could prove that the value of my attribute has been set (including its label). BUT... for some strange reasons, my attribute is not showing up on the General Details page.

Note: something seems to be wrong with this jazz forum -- the code isn't showing properly even if it is enclosed within the "code" and "/code".

OK, I figured out why my attribute value wasn't showing on the General Details page -- it is because I need to add code to get the session and use the session to commit my changes. Once I did that, then the code works.

Thanks!

Try something like this:

AssetAttribute ssd = serviceAsset.getAssetAttribute("Service Specification").setValues(new String[]{"<a>myLabel</a>"});

By using the code above, it works in that I could prove that the value of my attribute has been set (including its label). BUT... for some strange reasons, my attribute is not showing up on the General Details page.

Note: something seems to be wrong with this jazz forum -- the code isn't showing properly even if it is enclosed within the "code" and "/code".

Try something like this:

AssetAttribute ssd = serviceAsset.getAssetAttribute("Service Specification").setValues(new String[]{"<a href=\"myURL\">myLabel</a>"});

Ok, now that I know what you are trying to do.

First, downloadContents() would never give a URL. It would actually download the physical bits of the content, such as the .doc file itself. I wasn't sure what you wanted the URL for. I had assumed you were trying to get the contents of the document, not to give a URL to someone else.

Second, there is no API to give you or to create a URL to an artifact.

The artifact URL format hasn't changed since RAM was created. But it isn't an API link either. We have no intention of changing at this time.

Also from your last post, you are talking about someone that is accessing this through a Web browser. In that case my discussion about ram vs. ram.ws means you should be using ram. You would use ram.ws in the case that the accessor would be a program and not someone clicking on a link.

To create such a link you need to know the base URL (e.g. "https://server/ram") and then you would need to look through the RAMArtifacts to find the one(s) you are interested in and then create the URL using this pattern:

https://server/ram/artifact/guid/version/path/filename

path may be empty (i.e. the file is at the root of the asset) in which case you would not include the path/ in the url.

Hi (Rich),

Based on your reply, I wrote a custom policy to retrieve the URL of my artifact (which is actually a specification document). That little chunk of code seems ok. Then, I have the code below to actually set an attribute of Link datatype (the attribute is called "Service Specification"):

private void setServiceSpecLink(RAMAsset serviceAsset, String ssDocURL, Result status){
// look up the Service Spec attribute and set the link

String[] value = new String;
String[] afterValue = new String;
AssetAttribute ssd = serviceAsset.getAssetAttribute("Service Specification");
value = ssDocURL;
status.setMessage("Before calling ssd.setValues(), value = "+value);
ssd.setValues(value);
afterValue = ssd.getValues();
status.setMessage("After calling ssd.setValues(), afterValue = "+afterValue);
}

I added the 'afterValue' just so that I can display a message to see what value I set into the 'ssd' attribute.

I ran the policy and got no exception. However, the attribute 'Service Specification' is not displayed -- I can't see it, although my URL looks ok. In fact, if I cut and paste that URL directly (manually) into the Service Specification attribute, it is fine. Do you have any idea why my Service Specification attribute is not displaying?

Also, is there a way to set the Label for the Link attribute? I can't find a setLabel() method.

Thanks

Ok, now that I know what you are trying to do.

First, downloadContents() would never give a URL. It would actually download the physical bits of the content, such as the .doc file itself. I wasn't sure what you wanted the URL for. I had assumed you were trying to get the contents of the document, not to give a URL to someone else.

Second, there is no API to give you or to create a URL to an artifact.

The artifact URL format hasn't changed since RAM was created. But it isn't an API link either. We have no intention of changing at this time.

Also from your last post, you are talking about someone that is accessing this through a Web browser. In that case my discussion about ram vs. ram.ws means you should be using ram. You would use ram.ws in the case that the accessor would be a program and not someone clicking on a link.

To create such a link you need to know the base URL (e.g. "https://server/ram") and then you would need to look through the RAMArtifacts to find the one(s) you are interested in and then create the URL using this pattern:

https://server/ram/artifact/guid/version/path/filename

path may be empty (i.e. the file is at the root of the asset) in which case you would not include the path/ in the url.

Hi Janette, I'd like to recommend you disclose the full scenario you're trying to achieve, I think this will help Rich provide the best fitting solution.

Rich, she wants to create a custom policy (she already has done some basic policy writing).

This policy will be used to populate one or more asset attributes with a URL link to specific content within the asset. e.g.: An asset attribute might be called "SOA spec" and the value of the attribute would be a URL directly to a file within the asset.

The name of the file won't be known ahead of time, however, there will be a naming convention for such files so the Policy can search for content using a regular expression.

So the inputs for the asset might be things like:
1. name of attribute to populate
2. regular expression to use when searching content for the file

Anyway, the point is that she's struggling to figure out how to get a URL reference to the content within the asset.

I'm hoping it'll be easier since the policy will be running within the asset session already?

Hope this helps!

P.S. She is also aware of the "featured content" feature

Thanks Derek... Rick, indeed, the scenario is that I want to populate an attribute of type Link with the URL of a specification document which the user uploaded as part of an asset. i.e. When the user submits/creates the asset, she uploads an artifact (which is actually a specification document) with the asset. I want to be able to click on that Link attribute and open up the specification document.

Let's make the situation a bit simpler -- let's assume the specification document will always have the string 'ServiceSpec' as part of its file name. From all you've told me above, it seems:

1. There is no direct API to get at the URL of the artifact
2. I can use the downloadContent() method, but will have to parse the stream to retrieve a portion of the URL
3. Then I have to add in the remaining portion(s) of the URL to form the whole URL and populate the Link attribute with the URL which I formulated.

Correct?

Also, since there is no formal API to retrieve the URL, does it mean the URL of an artifact is really 'internal' and that it is subjected to change in the future? If I populate my Link attribute with the artifact's URL, will my link be broken in some future release of RAM?

Thanks.

Hi Janette, I'd like to recommend you disclose the full scenario you're trying to achieve, I think this will help Rich provide the best fitting solution.

Rich, she wants to create a custom policy (she already has done some basic policy writing).

This policy will be used to populate one or more asset attributes with a URL link to specific content within the asset. e.g.: An asset attribute might be called "SOA spec" and the value of the attribute would be a URL directly to a file within the asset.

The name of the file won't be known ahead of time, however, there will be a naming convention for such files so the Policy can search for content using a regular expression.

So the inputs for the asset might be things like:
1. name of attribute to populate
2. regular expression to use when searching content for the file

Anyway, the point is that she's struggling to figure out how to get a URL reference to the content within the asset.

I'm hoping it'll be easier since the policy will be running within the asset session already?

Hope this helps!

P.S. She is also aware of the "featured content" feature

(1)

If you are using RAM API, then you can an input stream from RAMArtifact using the downloadContents() method.

If you wanted to use only REST access (i.e. just HTTP get's) then you can use the OSLC REST calls. Before 7.5.1.1 there is only version one format of OSLC. With 7.5.1.1 there is a version 2 format, but version one will still be supported.

For more OSLC V1 detail see:
https://jazz.net/wiki/bin/view/Main/RamRestApiMain

But for artifact specific use:

https://host/ram.ws/oslc/assets/guid/version

And set into the header param: "Accept: application/xml". This will then return the asset in xml OSCL V1 format.

The artifact details are listed in here like this: Use the bold rdf:resource as the URL for the contents of the artifact. It is relative to the https://.../ that you used above.

<oslc_asset>
<dc>ratlc_values001.gif</dc>
<oslc_asset>6895</oslc_asset>
<ram>
<value>ratlc_values001.gif</value>
</ram>
<oslc_asset>image/gif</oslc_asset>
<oslc_asset>
<dc>2011-11-02T21:07:44.960-04:00</dc>
</oslc_asset>

Let's say I want to use the RAM API. Are you saying I should call downloadContents() and parse the results to get at the rdf:resource value and stick the "https://host/ram.ws" in front of it to form the URL?

Thanks

(1)

If you are using RAM API, then you can an input stream from RAMArtifact using the downloadContents() method.

If you wanted to use only REST access (i.e. just HTTP get's) then you can use the OSLC REST calls. Before 7.5.1.1 there is only version one format of OSLC. With 7.5.1.1 there is a version 2 format, but version one will still be supported.

For more OSLC V1 detail see:
https://jazz.net/wiki/bin/view/Main/RamRestApiMain

But for artifact specific use:

https://host/ram.ws/oslc/assets/guid/version

And set into the header param: "Accept: application/xml". This will then return the asset in xml OSCL V1 format.

The artifact details are listed in here like this: Use the bold rdf:resource as the URL for the contents of the artifact. It is relative to the https://.../ that you used above.

<oslc_asset:artifact oslc_asset:etag="1320282464960" rdf:about="oslc/assets/3E8783A1-A873-9710-2BBB-F520535B9ED2/1.0/artifacts/ratlc_values001.gif">
<dc:title>ratlc_values001.gif</dc:title>
<oslc_asset:size>6895</oslc_asset:size>
<ram:reference>
<value>ratlc_values001.gif</value>
</ram:reference>
<oslc_asset:mimeType>image/gif</oslc_asset:mimeType>
<oslc_asset:content rdf:resource="oslc/assets/3E8783A1-A873-9710-2BBB-F520535B9ED2/1.0/artifactContents/ratlc_values001.gif"/>
<dc:modified>2011-11-02T21:07:44.960-04:00</dc:modified>
</oslc_asset:artifact>

(2) first.

This is only if the asset is not visible to anonymous users (i.e. you are not logged in). In that case authentication would be required to see if you have access to the artifact.

If you are using a browser then don't worry about any of this. The browser would bring up the login screen and you as a user would just login from there. What I'm talking about here is when you are writing a program to get the data. In that case the program needs to handle the login.

If you were going to the ram (web) side then Form authentication is required. If you are writing a program to access the data (not using a browser) then you would need to write code to handle the Form authentication (returning the userid and password in just the correct format) to login and get access to the artifact.

If instead you went to the ram.ws side Basic authentication is used. Practically all of the standard HTTP clients can handle Basic authentication. All you do is before the Get transaction you supply to the HTTP client the userid and password. In that case the HTTP client will send that information along and do the login for you.