Supporting batch operations, such as updating the metadata for multiple items simultaneously, is something we plan to support in the future. However it’s a little known fact that the API already has some basic batch capabilities when it comes to creating entities.
Most POST endpoints that create entities actually allow an array of objects to be passed in the body, which creates each one individually, but within the same transaction.
The http://localhost:8080/alfresco/api/-default-/public/alfresco/versions/1/nodes/-my-/children request shows how two folders can be created with the one request by passing the body shown below:
[
{
"name": "Folder One",
"nodeType": "cm:folder"
},
{
"name": "Folder Two",
"nodeType": "cm:folder"
}
]
The API returns a standard listing response providing the details on each entity that was created, in this case, the two folders:
{
"list": {
"pagination": {
"count": 2,
"hasMoreItems": false,
"totalItems": 2,
"skipCount": 0,
"maxItems": 100
},
"entries": [
{
"entry": {
"aspectNames": [
"cm:auditable"
],
"createdAt": "2017-04-12T10:31:12.477+0000",
"isFolder": true,
"isFile": false,
"createdByUser": {
"id": "test",
"displayName": "Test User"
},
"modifiedAt": "2017-04-12T10:31:12.477+0000",
"modifiedByUser": {
"id": "test",
"displayName": "Test User"
},
"name": "Folder One",
"id": "ecbec6fd-a273-4978-9b95-00a8e783948e",
"nodeType": "cm:folder",
"parentId": "062b8b2a-aa7e-4cdd-bfec-7fbcd16ecd85"
}
},
{
"entry": {
"aspectNames": [
"cm:auditable"
],
"createdAt": "2017-04-12T10:31:12.501+0000",
"isFolder": true,
"isFile": false,
"createdByUser": {
"id": "test",
"displayName": "Test User"
},
"modifiedAt": "2017-04-12T10:31:12.501+0000",
"modifiedByUser": {
"id": "test",
"displayName": "Test User"
},
"name": "Folder Two",
"id": "18c82e9b-5a2f-44bf-bc77-1aca7346a24a",
"nodeType": "cm:folder",
"parentId": "062b8b2a-aa7e-4cdd-bfec-7fbcd16ecd85"
}
}
]
}
}
If the endpoint does not support creating multiple entities an error is returned.