Collection Template

configureArcs()

Create, modify or delete a number of arcs

Syntax

number = rb.collection.configureArcs(type, leftType, leftID, links, changeTimestamp)

Parameters

The 'configureArcs' method takes 5 parameters:

Results

The 'configureArcs' method returns number:

Remarks

This method is the primary mechanism by which applications manage relationships between entities held within the system. The method can be used to create, modify and remove relationships. Each call can operate on a number of relationship arcs, all of which have a common left-hand entity.

The method takes a single left-hand point (eg contact:17723) and a set of arc definition records that share that left-hand point.

Each arc definition contains the corresponding right-hand entity for that relationship along with data to be stored on that arc and an operation (create, update or delete)

Example :

A single request could contain the following set of operations :

               ARC1
Xcontact123 ----+------------> Z1item : CREATE
               | ARC2
               +------------> Z2item : DELETE
               | ARC3
               +------------> Z3contact : CREATE
               | ARC4
               +------------> Z4cat node : UPDATE

The start point is {leftType:'C',leftID:'123'}

The links array contains four entries for the four arcs in the diagram.

Each arc definition comprises the following fields :

• rightType/rightID : The entity at the right-hand point of this arc
• relationshipData : Data to store on the identified arc. Note that this is not used for delete operations
• op : The operation to perform :
  • C : Create an arc if one doesn't exist. Do nothing if the arc already exists
  • U : Create an arc if one doesn't exist, otherwise update relationship data stored on an existing arc. No operation is performed if the arc exists and no relationship data is passed to the method
  • D : Delete an existing arc if one exists - otherwise do nothing

Each relationship to be modified in this method is explicitly defined as a combination of the common left-point and each right-point in the link structure provided in the call.

Bulk operations, for example deleting all links that meet a specific criteria, can be performed using the rb.collection.removeArcs method.