Share - filter out nodes based on custom property

[filip]

Hello everyone,

I am struggling with implementation of a filter which would display only specific nodes under a folder.

Let's be more specific: I have custom type with property called status. This property can have values such as Draft, In Review, Approved, ... It is set by constraints by the content model. Then I will go to folder ABC under a site and my goal is to create an action in Share that would display only Approved files under the folder ABC.

At first, I checked Options -> Hide/Show Folders functionality. If I understand that well, it works in following way:

• documentlist.js will build URL for Share webscript in _buildDocListParams and then it will send a request in _updateDocList
• surf-doclist.get.js (more accurately surf-doclist.lib.js) is called on Share side. Among other things, it will construct URL for Alfresco webscript "/slingshot/doclib2/doclist/" with help of DefaultDoclistDataUrlResolver
• Alfresco webscript "/slingshot/doclib2/doclist/" returns proper nodes in JSON format

So far, I created an extension module which adds my custom filter buttons under Options tab. Then I extended default Alfresco.DocumentList by a new one in my custom JS so I am able to react on clicked custom filter. And here I stopped because I did not find any easy way how to extend it for my custom property.

Maybe, I could create a new DataUrlResolver or totally a new logic which would requite changes in custom JS, similar Share webscript as "surf-doclist.get.js" and finally Alfresco webscript (similar to "slingshot/doclib2/doclist") to return only relevant nodes.

Another solution, which can be consider as "nasty hack" can be to extend surf-doclist.lib.js and do changes directly in model.json. So it would remove not needed nodes as a post processing method.

By the way, I tried to extend filters on left side (similar to All documents, I'm Editing, ...) but they will filter out everything for a whole site, not only for a specific folder.

Do you know what is a correct approach to create such filters?

PS: I am using 5.1.

Thank you for comments,

Filip

[afaust]

When you are using Alfresco 5.1 you may want to check out the "Smart Folders" feature. This allows you to define virtual folders that use search-based operations to determine which elements should be displayed. That could allow you to filter nodes in the Share view without having to customize any webscripts / UI components. It also allows you to provide different kinds of views with different filter logic instead of forcing all views to use the same logic from the backend.

[filip]

Hi Axel,

Thank you, that's definitely good idea.

Since I would need to use it in all sites and maybe even in some other folders under repository. Should I be afraid of any performance issues in case I use it in almost whole repository?

So far I set it by "smart.folders.config.type.templates.qname.filter=cm:folder" with smart folder template "cm_folder.json":

{
    "name": "Smart Folders Example",
    "nodes": [{
        "id": "1",
        "name": "Approved",
        "description": "Approved nodes",
        "search": {
            "language": "fts-alfresco",
            "query": "(PATH:'%ACTUAL_PATH%/*') AND (TYPE:'tieto:type') AND (=tieto:status:'Approved')"
        }
    }]
}

Maybe it will help someone how to set it.

Br,

Filip