Accessing objects via URLs

The URL addressability feature gives users direct access to objects without having to navigate throughout the IBM FileNet P8 client user interface. After signing on to a FileNet P8 client, such as Workplace , a user simply enters the object's URL in a browser's address bar. (An administrator can create bookmarks or favorites to retrieve a folder or a versionable object.)

With URL addressability, you can:

Retrieve documents, folders, stored searches, search templates, workflow definitions, and publish templates.
Download the following object types and save them on the local PC: document, stored search, search template, publish template, and workflow definition.
Enter either a path-based or ID-based URL as shown below.

A path-based URL uses the containment path to specify an object's location in an object store. For example, to retrieve the document named Current Works, which resides in the Projects folder in the Transportation object store, the user would enter a URL similar to the following example:

http://P8_client_server_name/application_name:port/getContent/Transportation/Projects/Current+Works

To retrieve objects using path-based URLs, you must set the Use path-based URLs site preference.

An ID-based URL uses GUIDs to specify an object's location in an object store. The document's location is specified by the GUID of the object store in which the document resides, as well as by the GUID of the document. For example, to retrieve a document, a user enters a URL similar to the following example:

http://P8_client_server_name/application_name:port/getContent?objectStoreName={84A4A727-37E2-4994-B060-8531FAF75612}&objectType=document&id={559946a8-2007-4096-AC67-773A8540AE6}

An ID-based address is generally faster than path-based address; however, only a path-based URL resolves relative references within a document. For example, if you request the file "example.html" with a path-based URL, the file is retrieved and the browser resolves any additional URLs needed within example.html (such as the <script>, <img>, and <link> tags). Any links (<a href=...>) are resolved by the browser when the user clicks on the links.

The following table lists the default responses to the different object types that you can specify in a URL.

Object Type	Response
Folder	Returns a page displaying the folder name.
Document	If the document has content, the content is returned. If the document has an external reference, the P8 client redirects the client as needed. If the document has no content, the P8 client reports an error.
Workflow Definition	Opens the Process Designer applet.
Stored Search	Returns a page displaying the name of the stored search.
Search Template	Returns a page displaying the search template.
Publish Template	Returns the content of the publish template as XML.

Path-based URL syntax rules

A path-based URL requires an object store ID and a containment path name. The mode=download parameter is optional. An example:

http://server/web_application/getContent/objectStoreID/pathName?mode=download

where:

server is the name of the Application Engine server on which the FileNet P8 client application resides.
web_application is the name of the P8 client application; for example, Workplace.
objectStoreID is the object store ID, which can be either the GUID or the name of the object store. The object store name is unique within a single domain, but not necessarily within the Active Directory. When the name is used to reference the object store, the first matching object store within the Active Directory is returned. If there might be object stores of the same name within the Active Directory, then you should qualify the object store name with the domain name using the "@" character; for example, objectStoreName@domainName.
pathName is the containment path name.
the mode=download parameter (optional) allows you to save the content locally.
NOTE Path-based URLs for document, stored search, search template, and publish template objects always reference the most recent version.

Example path-based URLs

With this URL, the Workplace page with the specified search template is displayed. The object store is identified by its GUID:

http://server1/Workplace/getContent/{38A6DB4E-BC7E-4E4B-B3E9-6C50102DAD4C}/searches/template_1

With this URL, the object store, Forms, is qualified by its domain name, Midwest:

http://server1/Workplace/getContent/Forms@midwest/Claims/Home?mode=download

ID-based URL syntax rules

An ID-based URL takes three required query string parameters for the folder object: objectStoreName, objectType, and id. For example:

http://server/web application/getContent?objectStoreName={objectStoreGUID}&objectType=type&id={objectGUID}

For the document, stored search, search template, publish template, and workflow definition objects, the URL takes objectStoreName, objectType, id, and fsld parameters. The mode=download parameter is optional. Here is an example:

http://server/web_application/getContent?objectStoreName={objectStoreGUID}&objectType=type&id={objectGUID}&mode=download

or,

http://server/web_application/getContent?objectStoreName={objectStoreGUID}&objectType=type&vsId={versionSeriesGUID}

or,

http://server/web_application/getContent?objectStoreName={objectStoreGUID}&objectType=type&id={objectGUID}&vsId={versionSeriesGUID}&mode=download

where:

server is the name of the Application Engine server on which the FileNet P8 client application is running.
web_application is the name of the FileNet P8 client application.
objectStoreName=objectStoreGUID is the GUID of the object store where the object resides. Include the braces.

objectType=type is the type of object to be retrieved. Enter the applicable objectType value:

For a:	objectType=
Document	document
Folder	folder
Stored search	storedsearch
Search template	searchtemplate
Workflow definition	document
Publish template	publishtemplate

id=objectGUID is the GUID identifying the object in the object store. This is a required parameter for the folder object. For document, stored search, search template, workflow definition, and publish template objects, id is optional, and is used to retrieve a specific version. Include the braces.
vsId=versionSeriesGUID is the GUID for retrieving the most recent version within the version series for the following objects: document, stored search, search template, workflow definition, and publish template.
NOTE When both the ID and the vsld are present in the URL, the P8 client application uses the ID to retrieve the specified version. If the specified version cannot be found, the P8 client application reports an error and gives the user the option to retrieve the most recent version as specified by the vsld parameter.
The mode=download parameter is optional, and allows you to save the content locally.
NOTE You can configure the P8 client application to use path-based URLs for document requests. Therefore, if you enter an ID-based URL, the P8 client application converts the ID-based URL to a path-based URL if possible, in order to maintain the integrity of any relative URL references embedded within the document content.