Using Relationship REST APIs

Liferay 7.4 U70+/GA70+

When you add relationships to custom or system objects, Liferay generates REST endpoints for accessing those relationships. You can relate and disassociate entries, as well as return an entry’s related entries. These endpoints are added to the parent object in one-to-many relationships and to both objects in many-to-many relationships.

To proceed, set up a new Liferay 7.4 instance and prepare the provided tutorial code. Then, run the scripts to create object entries and manage their relationships with one another.

Setting Up a Liferay Instance

Start a new Liferay instance by running

docker run -it -m 8g -p 8080:8080 liferay/portal:7.4.3.120-ga120

Sign in to Liferay at http://localhost:8080. Use the email address test@liferay.com and the password test. When prompted, change the password to learn.

Next, create three related custom objects:

Open the Global Menu (), go to the Control Panel tab, and click Objects.
Create three object drafts.

First Object:

Field Value

Label Able

Plural Label Ables

Name Able

Second Object:

Field Value

Label Baker

Plural Label Bakers

Name Baker

Third Object:

Field Value

Label Charlie

Plural Label Charlies

Name Charlie
Add the name field to each object draft.

Label Field Name Type Required

Name name Text ✔
Add these relationships to the able object:

Label Relationship Name Type Object

Able to Baker ableToBaker One to Many Baker

Able to Charlie ableToCharlie One to Many Charlie
Publish each object.

Field	Value
Label	`Able`
Plural Label	`Ables`
Name	`Able`

Field	Value
Label	`Baker`
Plural Label	`Bakers`
Name	`Baker`

Field	Value
Label	`Charlie`
Plural Label	`Charlies`
Name	`Charlie`

Label	Field Name	Type	Required
`Name`	`name`	Text	✔

Label	Relationship Name	Type	Object
`Able to Baker`	`ableToBaker`	One to Many	Baker
`Able to Charlie`	`ableToCharlie`	One to Many	Charlie

Once published, you can access their REST APIs, including the following relationship APIs:

Object	HTTP Method	HTTP Endpoint	Java Method
Able	GET	`/{ableId}/ableToBaker`	`getAbleAbleToBakerBakerPage`
Able	GET	`/{ableId}/ableToCharlie`	`getAbleAbleToCharlieCharliePage`
Able	DELETE	`/{ableId}/ableToBaker/{bakerId}`	`deleteAbleAbleToBakerBaker`
Able	PUT	`/{ableId}/ableToBaker/{bakerId}`	`putAbleAbleToBakerBaker`
Able	DELETE	`/{ableId}/ableToCharlie/{charlieId}`	`deleteAbleAbleToCharlieCharlie`
Able	PUT	`/{ableId}/ableToCharlie/{charlieId}`	`putAbleAbleToCharlieCharlie`
Able	PUT	`/by-external-reference-code/{ableERC}/ableToBaker/{bakerERC}`	`putAbleAbleToBakerBaker`
Able	PUT	`/by-external-reference-code/{ableERC}/ableToCharlie/{charlieERC}`	`putAbleAbleToCharlieCharlie`
Charlie	GET	`/{charlieId}/ableToCharlie`	`getCharlieAbleToCharlieAblePage`
Charlie	DELETE	`/{charlieId}/ableToCharlie/{ableId}`	`deleteCharlieAbleToCharlieAble`
Charlie	PUT	`/{charlieId}/ableToCharlie/{ableId}`	`putCharlieAbleToCharlieAble`
Charlie	PUT	`/by-external-reference-code/{ableERC}/ableToCharlie/{charlieERC}`	`putCharlieAbleToCharlieAble`

tip

For a complete list of APIs generated for site and company objects, see Objects Headless Framework Integration. You can view and test custom Object APIs via the Liferay API Explorer at [server]:[port]/o/api (e.g., localhost:8080/o/api). Click REST Applications and select an API.

Preparing the Sample Code

Run these commands to download and unzip the provided sample code:

curl https://resources.learn.liferay.com/dxp/latest/en/building-applications/objects/understanding-object-integrations/using-custom-object-apis/liferay-f9m2.zip -O

unzip liferay-f9m2.zip

The sample code includes commands for creating entries for each object and using their relationship APIs.

Using the Sample Code

Use the REST APIs to add object entries and manage their relationships:

Navigate to the curl folder in the liferay-f9m2 project.
```
cd liferay-f9m2/curl
```
Run POST commands to create three entries for each object. These entries have predefined external reference codes (ERCs) following the [objectname]-[number] naming pattern (e.g., able-one).
```
./Able_POST_Batch.sh
```
```
./Baker_POST_Batch.sh
```
```
./Charlie_POST_Batch.sh
```

Run Able_PUT_AbleToBaker_ByExternalReferenceCode with the able-one ERC and all three baker ERCs.

./Able_PUT_AbleToBaker_ByExternalReferenceCode.sh able-one baker-one baker-two baker-three

This relates the able entry with the baker entries and prints the response.

{
  ...
  "externalReferenceCode" : "baker-one",
  "id" : 42427,
  ...
  "name" : "Baker 1",
  "r_ableToBaker_c_ableId" : 42421,
  "r_ableToBaker_c_ableERC" : "able-one"
}

{
  ...
  "externalReferenceCode" : "baker-two",
  "id" : 42429,
  ...
  "name" : "Baker 2",
  "r_ableToBaker_c_ableId" : 42421,
  "r_ableToBaker_c_ableERC" : "able-one"
}

{
  ...
  "externalReferenceCode" : "baker-three",
  "id" : 42431,
  ...
  "name" : "Baker 3",
  "r_ableToBaker_c_ableId" : 42421,
  "r_ableToBaker_c_ableERC" : "able-one"
}

Run Able_DELETE_AbleToBaker_ById with two IDs: the ID for able-one and the ID for baker-three.
```
./Able_DELETE_AbleToBaker_ById.sh {able-entry-id} {baker-entry-id}
```
This disassociates the entries.

Run Able_GET_AbleToBaker_ById with the same able ID to confirm they are no longer related.

./Able_GET_AbleToBaker_ById.sh {able-entry-id}

{
  ...
  "externalReferenceCode" : "baker-two",
  "id" : 42429,
  ...
  "name" : "Baker 2",
  "r_ableToBaker_c_ableId" : 42421,
  "r_ableToBaker_c_ableERC" : "able-one"
},
{
  ...
  "externalReferenceCode" : "baker-one",
  "id" : 42427,
  ...
  "name" : "Baker 1",
  "r_ableToBaker_c_ableId" : 42421,
  "r_ableToBaker_c_ableERC" : "able-one"
}

Run Able_PUT_AbleToCharlie_ByExternalReferenceCode with the able-one ERC and all three charlie ERCs.

./Able_PUT_AbleToCharlie_ByExternalReferenceCode.sh able-one charlie-one charlie-two charlie-three

This relates the able entry with the charlie entries and prints the response.

{
  ...
  "externalReferenceCode" : "charlie-one",
  "id" : 42433,
  ...
  "name" : "Charlie 1"
}
{
  ...
  "externalReferenceCode" : "charlie-two",
  "id" : 42435,
  ...
  "name" : "Charlie 2"
}
{
  ...
  "externalReferenceCode" : "charlie-three",
  "id" : 42437,
  ...
  "name" : "Charlie 3"
}

Run Charlie_GET_AbleToCharlie_ById with the ID for charlie-one.

./Charlie_GET_AbleToCharlie_ById.sh {charlie-entry-id}

This returns a list of all able entries related to the specified charlie entry.

{
  ...
  "items" : [ {
    ...
    "externalReferenceCode" : "able-one",
    "id" : 42421,
    ...
    "name" : "Able 1"
  } ],
  "lastPage" : 1,
  "page" : 1,
  "pageSize" : 1,
  "totalCount" : 1
}

Run Charlie_PUT_AbleToCharlie_ByExternalReferenceCode with the charlie-one and able-two ERCs.

./Charlie_PUT_AbleToCharlie_ByExternalReferenceCode.sh charlie-one able-two

This relates the charlie entry to another able entry.

{
  ...
  "externalReferenceCode" : "able-two",
  "id" : 42423,
  ...
  "name" : "Able 2"
}

Run Charlie_GET_AbleToCharlie_ById with the ID for charlie-one and confirm there are now two related able entries.

./Charlie_GET_AbleToCharlie_ById.sh {charlie-entry-id}

{
  ...
  "items" : [ {
    ...
    "externalReferenceCode" : "able-two",
    "id" : 42423,
    ...
    "name" : "Able 2"
  }, {
    ...
    "externalReferenceCode" : "able-one",
    "id" : 42421,
    ...
    "name" : "Able 1"
  } ],
  "lastPage" : 1,
  "page" : 1,
  "pageSize" : 2,
  "totalCount" : 2
}

Run Able_GET_ById with the ID for able-one.

./Able_GET_ById.sh {able-entry-id}

This command uses the nestedFields parameter to return all related baker and charlie entries.

{
  "externalReferenceCode" : "able-one",
  "id" : 42421,
  ...
  "ableToCharlie" : [ {
    ...
    "externalReferenceCode" : "charlie-one",
    "id" : 42433,
    ...
    "name" : "Charlie 1"
  }, {
    ...
    "externalReferenceCode" : "charlie-two",
    "id" : 42435,
    ...
    "name" : "Charlie 2"
  }, {
    ...
    "externalReferenceCode" : "charlie-three",
    "id" : 42437,
    ...
    "name" : "Charlie 3"
  } ],
  "name" : "Able 1",
  "ableToBaker" : [ {
    ...
    "externalReferenceCode" : "baker-one",
    "id" : 42427,
    ...
    "name" : "Baker 1",
    "r_ableToBaker_c_ableId" : 42421,
    "r_ableToBaker_c_ableERC" : "able-one"
  }, {
    ...
    "externalReferenceCode" : "baker-two",
    "id" : 42429,
    ...
    "name" : "Baker 2",
    "r_ableToBaker_c_ableId" : 42421,
    "r_ableToBaker_c_ableERC" : "able-one"
  } ]
}

See Using nestedFields to Query Related Entries for more information on the nestedFields parameter.

Examining the Code

`Charlie_PUT_AbleToCharlie_ByExternalReferenceCode`

curl \
	"http://localhost:8080/o/c/charlies/by-external-reference-code/${1}/ableToCharlie/${2}" \
	--header "Content-Type: application/json" \
	--request "PUT" \
	--user "test@liferay.com:learn"

`Charlie_GET_AbleToCharlie_ById`

curl \
	"http://localhost:8080/o/c/charlies/${1}/ableToCharlie" \
	--header "Content-Type: application/json" \
	--user "test@liferay.com:learn"

`Able_DELETE_AbleToBaker_ById`

curl \
	"http://localhost:8080/o/c/ables/${1}/ableToBaker/${2}" \
	--header "Content-Type: application/json" \
	--request "DELETE" \
	--user "test@liferay.com:learn"

`Able_GET_ById.sh`

curl \
	"http://localhost:8080/o/c/ables/${1}/?nestedFields=ableToBaker,ableToCharlie" \
	--user "test@liferay.com:learn"

Capability:

Integration

Resource Type:

Official Documentation

Feature:

Objects

Deployment Approach:

Liferay PaaS

Liferay SaaS

Liferay Self-Hosted