Cannot update cm:title/description on a node with cm:versionable via REST API

[sboesch]

I'm using the following endpoint to update a node:

https://api-explorer.alfresco.com/api-explorer/#!/nodes/updateNode

{
  "properties": [
    "cm:title": "New Title",
    "cm:description": "New Description",
    "cm:author": "New Author",
  ]
}

This works fine on nodes without versions. However, if a node has cm:versionable, it only updates cm:author but title and description remain the same. Tagging (which is done in a separate step) also works fine.

I also tried sending cm:versionLabel/versionType along but this also didn't help.
Neither by setting the same or higher version label.

Any help is highly appreciated!

[EddieMay]

Hi,

Have you had a look at the Rest API series - part 5 discusses locking & versioning? I believe the correct PUTT call is http://localhost:8080/alfresco/api/-default-/public/alfresco/versions/1/nodes/{id}  - more info here.

HTH,

[sboesch]

Thanks a lot for your reply.

This is actually what I'm currently doing.
The request itself works fine on unversioned nodes and I don't really want to create a new version or anything like that. I just want to update properties of the current version. I also don't get an error back from the API. It just didn't apply some of the properties I sent.

This is the node I PUT to:

{
    "isFile": true,
    "createdByUser": {
        "id": "U1627",
        "displayName": "John Doe"
    },
    "modifiedAt": "2020-04-22T11:33:02.817+0000",
    "nodeType": "cm:content",
    "content": {
        "mimeType": "application\/pdf",
        "mimeTypeName": "Adobe PDF Document",
        "sizeInBytes": 115669,
        "encoding": "UTF-8"
    },
    "parentId": "95b9880d-6869-47e2-9353-c878ee7ced60",
    "aspectNames": [
        "rn:renditioned",
        "cm:versionable",
        "cm:titled",
        "cm:auditable",
        "cm:taggable",
        "cm:author",
        "cm:thumbnailModification"
    ],
    "createdAt": "2020-01-07T09:37:26.247+0000",
    "isFolder": false,
    "modifiedByUser": {
        "id": "U1627",
        "displayName": "John Doe"
    },
    "name": "Test.pdf",
    "id": "c30f7faf-2b5b-454d-aaac-a1e940c7330e",
    "properties": {
        "cm:title": "Old Title",
        "cm:versionType": "MINOR",
        "cm:versionLabel": "1.3",
        "cm:author": "New Author",
        "cm:lastThumbnailModification": [
            "doclib:1587546256239",
            "imgpreview:1587546256672"
        ],
        "cm:description": "Old Description",
        "cm:taggable": [
            "db4fccfe-b850-4eff-a5dd-5fcdfb8e15d9"
        ]
    }
}

This is my payload:

{
  "properties": [
    "cm:title": "New Title",
    "cm:description": "New Description",
    "cm:author": "New Author",
  ]
}

 As you can see, cm:author got updated, but title and description are still "old".

[EddieMay]

Hi @sboesch,

I actually experienced the same result as you did with that call.

However, I've just updated a versioned document's cm:title & cm:description using the following API call:

http://localhost/alfresco/s/api/metadata/node/workspace/SpacesStore/3f43567d-a3ae-4b79-b56c-d52157defe9d?alf_ticket=TICKET_007669d537dd0bff8507331d9da1362ed5dcdec4

The node I PUT to is:

{
    "nodeRef": "workspace://SpacesStore/3f43567d-a3ae-4b79-b56c-d52157defe9d",
    "aspects": [
        "rn:renditioned",
        "cm:versionable",
        "cm:titled",
        "sys:cascadeUpdate",
        "cm:auditable",
        "sys:referenceable",
        "sys:localized",
        "cm:taggable",
        "cm:author",
        "cm:thumbnailModification"
    ],
    "mimetype": "application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document",
    "type": "cm:content",
    "properties": {
        "cm:created": "2020-04-03T13:46:54.555Z",
        "cm:lastThumbnailModification": [
            "pdf:1587563780477",
            "doclib:1587563785658"
        ],
        "cm:description": "test desc using ws",
        "cm:creator": "admin",
        "sys:node-uuid": "3f43567d-a3ae-4b79-b56c-d52157defe9d",
        "cm:name": "rename file",
        "cm:content": "contentUrl=store://2020/4/22/13/56/1189b2f1-23c6-4520-a3eb-4098079935e1.bin|mimetype=application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document|size=3560|encoding=UTF-8|locale=en_US_|id=325",
        "sys:store-identifier": "SpacesStore",
        "cm:versionLabel": "2.0",
        "sys:cascadeCRC": 2463522156,
        "cm:autoVersion": true,
        "cm:initialVersion": true,
        "cm:versionType": "MAJOR",
        "cm:autoVersionOnUpdateProps": false,
        "cm:title": "a title updated by API call",
        "sys:cascadeTx": 101,
        "cm:taggable": null,
        "sys:store-protocol": "workspace",
        "sys:node-dbid": 949,
        "sys:locale": "en_US",
        "cm:modifier": "admin",
        "cm:modified": "2020-04-22T16:26:09.217Z",
        "cm:author": "Eddie May"
    }
}

My payload was:

{
	"properties":{
		"cm:name": "rename file",
		"cm:title": "a title updated by API call",
		"cm:description": "test desc using ws"
	}
}

I'm not sure if this means you have to use this particular API call to update versioned documents? I'll take a further look around and update if I discover more.

Cheers,

[sboesch]

Thank you very much for looking into this.

I tried your alternative API call and noticed it only supports POST instead of PUT.
However, I still get the same results - cm:author gets updated, but cm:title and description not.

I'll check it again, to see if I missed something.

[EddieMay · Accepted solution]

Hi,

I've just tried again using the api-explorer - http://localhost/api-explorer/#!/nodes/updateNode.

Using the PUT cmd I've been able to update cm:title & cm:description of a versioned document.

curl -X PUT --header 'Content-Type: application/json' --header 'Accept: application/json' --header 'Authorization: Basic YWRtaW46YWRtaW4=' -d '{
  
  "properties":
  {
    "cm:title":"My NEW title",
    "cm:description":"This is an important doc"
  }
}' 'http://localhost/alfresco/api/-default-/public/alfresco/versions/1/nodes/3f43567d-a3ae-4b79-b56c-d52157defe9d'

Request URL:

http://localhost/alfresco/api/-default-/public/alfresco/versions/1/nodes/3f43567d-a3ae-4b79-b56c-d52157defe9d

Response body:

{
  "entry": {
    "isFile": true,
    "createdByUser": {
      "id": "admin",
      "displayName": "Administrator"
    },
    "modifiedAt": "2020-04-23T13:26:54.465+0000",
    "nodeType": "cm:content",
    "content": {
      "mimeType": "application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document",
      "mimeTypeName": "Microsoft Word 2007",
      "sizeInBytes": 48,
      "encoding": "UTF-8"
    },
    "parentId": "479ec2bc-fb73-4e93-9c44-b36d08ba0446",
    "aspectNames": [
      "rn:renditioned",
      "cm:versionable",
      "cm:titled",
      "cm:auditable",
      "cm:taggable",
      "cm:rateable",
      "cm:likesRatingSchemeRollups",
      "cm:author",
      "cm:thumbnailModification"
    ],
    "createdAt": "2020-04-03T13:46:54.555+0000",
    "isFolder": false,
    "modifiedByUser": {
      "id": "admin",
      "displayName": "Administrator"
    },
    "name": "rename file",
    "id": "3f43567d-a3ae-4b79-b56c-d52157defe9d",
    "properties": {
      "cm:title": "My NEW title",
      "cm:versionType": "MINOR",
      "cm:versionLabel": "2.1",
      "cm:author": "BoPeep 3",
      "cm:likesRatingSchemeTotal": 1,
      "cm:likesRatingSchemeCount": 1,
      "cm:lastThumbnailModification": [
        "pdf:1587645057519",
        "doclib:1587645059840"
      ],
      "cm:description": "This is an important doc"
    }
  }
}

Payload body

{
  "properties":
  {
    "cm:title":"My NEW title",
    "cm:description":"This is an important doc"
  }
}

What version of Alfresco are you running? I'm running 6.2 GA201911.

[sboesch]

Alright, apparently we are still on Version 5.2.e/f. We'll try to update.
Thanks for your effort.