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$method

Functionality​

Definition​

The $method parameter allows you to define the operation to execute on the returned entity or entity selection. This includes actions such as deleting entities, creating entity sets, releasing entity sets, creating sub-entity sets, and updating entities.

Available Syntaxes​

SyntaxExampleDescription
$method=deletePOST /Employee(11)?$method=deleteDeletes the current entity, entity collection, or entity selection.
$method=entitysetGET /Employee(11)?$method=entityset&$timeout=600Creates an entity set in the server's cache based on the collection of entities defined in the REST request
$method=releaseGET /Employee/$entityset/<entitySetID>?$method=releaseReleases an existing entity set stored in the server's cache
$method=subentitysetGET /Employee(11)/staff?$expand=staff&$method=subentityset&$subOrderby=lastName ASCCreates an entity set based on the collection of related entities defined in the REST request
$method=updatePOST /Employee?$method=updateUpdates and/or creates one or more entities

$method=delete​

Description​

The $method=delete parameter allows you to delete an entity or an entire entity collection.

tip

You can define the collection of entities using $filter or specify one directly using {dataClass}({key}) (e.g., /Employee(22)).

You can also delete entities in an entity set by calling $entityset/{entitySetID}.

Examples​

  • Delete a specific entity:

    POST /rest/Employee(22)?$method=delete

  • Delete entities using a filter:

    POST /rest/Employee?$filter="ID=11"&$method=delete

  • Delete an entity set:

    POST /rest/Employee/$entityset/<entitySetID>?$method=delete

Response​

{
    "ok": true
}

$method=entityset​

Description​

When you create a collection of entities in REST, you can save this collection as an entity set in the server's cache.

tip

The entity set will have a reference number that you can use to access it later. By default, it is valid for two hours, but you can modify this duration by setting the $timeout parameter.

Examples​

  • Create an entity set with the default timeout:

    GET /rest/Employee?$filter="ID>320"&$method=entityset

  • Create an entity set with a custom timeout:

    GET /rest/Employee?$filter="ID>320"&$method=entityset&$timeout=600

Response​

After creating an entity set, the first element, __ENTITYSET, is added to the object returned and indicates the URI to use to access the entity set:

{
    "__ENTITYSET": "/rest/Employee/$entityset/207BE8235EC24623B98082CAA84CCB7C",
    ...
}

$method=release​

Description​

You can release an entity set, which you created using $method=entityset, from the server's cache.

Example​

Release an existing entity set:

GET /rest/Employee/$entityset/4C51204DD8184B65AC7D79F09A077F24?$method=release

Response​

If the request was successful:

{
    "ok": true
}

If the entity set wasn't found:

{
    "__ERROR": [
        {
            "message": "The \"207BE8235EC24623B982CAA84CCB7C\" entity set cannot be found",
            "componentSignature": "dbmg",
            "errCode": 1802
        }
    ]
}

$method=subentityset​

Creates an entity set in the server's cache based on the collection of related entities defined in the REST request.

Description​

The $method=subentityset parameter allows you to sort the data returned by the relation attribute defined in the REST request.

tip

You can sort the data using the $subOrderby property. By default, the data is sorted in ascending order.

Example​

Retrieve only the related entities for a specific entity:

GET /rest/Users(4)/Orders?$expand=Orders&$method=subentityset

Response​

{
    "__ENTITYSET": "/rest/Orders/$entityset/6F245BB22D294281B9D394B876D4A6EE",
    "__DATACLASS": "Orders",
    "__entityModel": "Orders",
    "__GlobalStamp": 0,
    "__COUNT": 1,
    "__FIRST": 0,
    "__ENTITIES": [
        {
            "__KEY": "10",
            "__TIMESTAMP": "2024-05-09T17:01:36.990Z",
            "__STAMP": 1,
            "ID": 10,
            "Quantity": 2,
            "Purchaser": {
                "__deferred": {
                    "uri": "/rest/Users[4]",
                    "__KEY": "4"
                }
            },
            "OrderedProduct": {
                "__deferred": {
                    "uri": "/rest/Products[1]",
                    "__KEY": "1"
                }
            },
            "paymentsSelection": {
                "__deferred": {
                    "uri": "/rest/Orders[10]/paymentsSelection?$expand=paymentsSelection"
                }
            }
        }
    ],
    "__SENT": 1
}

$method=update​

Description​

The $method=update parameter allows you to update and/or create one or more entities in a single POST request.

danger

If updating an entity, you must include the __KEY and __STAMP parameters. If these parameters are missing, a new entity will be created.

Examples​

  • Update a specific entity:

    Request URL:

    POST /rest/Person?$method=update

    POST Data:

    {
        "__KEY": "340",
        "firstName": "Pete",
        "lastName": "Miller"
    }

  • Create a new entity:

    Request URL:

    POST /rest/Person?$method=update

    POST Data:

    {
        "firstName": "John",
        "lastName": "Smith"
    }

  • Update and create multiple entities at the same time:

    Request URL:

    POST /rest/Person?$method=update

    POST Data:

    [
        {
            "__KEY": "309",
            "firstName": "Penelope",
            "lastName": "Miller"
        },
        {
            "firstName": "Ann",
            "lastName": "Jones"
        }
    ]

Response​

When adding or modifying an entity, the server returns the updated entity with the attributes that were modified:

{
    "__STATUS": {
        "success": true
    },
    "__KEY": "622", 
    "__STAMP": 1, 
    "uri": "/rest/Employee(622)", 
    "__TIMESTAMP": "!!2024-05-23!!",
    "ID": 622, 
    "firstName": "John", 
    "lastName": "Smith"
}

If there is an error, such as an incorrect key:

{
    "__ERROR": [
        {
            "message": "Error code: 1542 (dbmg)\nCannot find entity with \"98712764\" key in the \"Employee\" dataclass\nDatabase Engine\nDatabase Engine\ntask 87, name: 'REST Handler: '\n",
            "componentSignature": "dbmg",
            "errCode": 1542
        }
    ]
}

Combining with Other Parameters​

The $method parameter can be combined with other parameters to perform various operations on entities or entity sets effectively:

  • $filter: Apply filters to select specific entities before performing the method operation.

  • $orderby: Sort the entities before performing the method operation.

  • $top/$limit and $skip: Limit the number of entities and skip a certain number of entities before performing the method operation.

  • $expand: Include related data in the operation.

  • $attributes: Specify which attributes to include in the response after performing the method operation.

  • $lock: Lock entities before performing the method operation to ensure data integrity.

  • $compute: Perform calculations on related data before executing the method operation.

  • $entityset: Create, modify, or release entity sets as part of the method operation.

  • $savedfilter: Save filter criteria for recreating entity sets.

  • $savedorderby: Save order by criteria for recreating entity sets.

Best Practices​

  • Use the Appropriate Method: Choose the correct method (delete, entityset, release, subentityset, update) based on the operation you need to perform.

  • Check Responses: Always check the response to ensure that the operation was successful and handle any errors gracefully.

  • Manage Timeouts: When creating entity sets, manage timeouts appropriately to avoid unintended data retention or loss.