Using IBM WCM 8.0 Query API - sample code

For our project we needed to make use of IBM Web Content Manager as a 'lightweight' document store, or Library, so users can search for their documents using search criteria. To allow us to do this we create a prof of concept using the Query API.

For the purpose of this blog I'm assuming you have a good understanding of how to create WCM ContentItems, Authoring Templates and the like, and that you're familiar with the terminology. You must also have a licensed Portal 8.0 with WCM 8.0 installation to play with.

Accessing WCM content

IBM Web Content Manager 8.0 has different means of accessing WCM Content:

• Via the WCM REST API (out-of-the-box): WCM comes with a REST API that gives you access to most of the concepts, including content items, site areas and the like. For WCM 8.0 though, no facility is available to access or search by Categories.
• Using the Java API: The Java API allows a lot more flexibility, including searching by categories. It is also a lot faster than the 'chatty' REST service. It includes Workspace 'findxxx' methods, or for more advanced cases, a Query API.
• Using a WCM Content Viewer Portlet with Presentation template: This solution works fine for 'normal' content on the site. We wanted a completely custom UI though, and also surface the items in other standalone applications.

Content (library) requirements for the POC

We created some sample content in WCM to showcase the following:

1. Search for content by keywords, or
2. Search for content by categories, or
3. Search for content by name(s), then
4. Search for or limit results based on custom elements (e.g. text element)

Demo portlet

To make it easy to play with, we created a JSR286 Portlet with a simple JSP, deployed as a WAR directly on a Portal 8.0 environment (same virtual portal/portal as the WCM Library).

The demo code listed at the end of the blog demonstrates the following usage of the WCM Query API and Workspace.

1. Use a WCM Workspace for a specific logged in user;
2. Limit search results to a given WCM Library;
3. Search for Content (Items) by category(ies), keyword(s) or name(s) - these are built-in fields or profile abilities of ContentItems;
4. Filter the results on a custom Element (a text element) value (the Query API doesn't seem to support searching on Element in Documents directly).

Getting the project to work in your environment

Content

Before creating the portlet, be sure to have some WCM ContentItems with keywords, categories and the like available in a WCM Library where the user has access.

WAR

You will need to create a WAR with a JSR286 Portlet, with the appropriate Portal WCM jar (ilwwcm-api.jar), which should come with your Portal installation and be available in RAD or eclipse with Portal 8 Development stubs. So, your project should either have the correct maven dependencies or the Portal 8 libraries attached.

Once set up, you can copy the code into your portlet java class and your own JSP, deploy it and test.

References

WCM Query API:

http://www-10.lotus.com/ldd/portalwiki.nsf/dx/WCM_Query_API

Using the more base Workspace find facilities (code recipes): 

http://saranshibmblog.blogspot.co.za/2012/12/wcm-api-document.html

Code listing

You can get the code as Gist here as well.