Configuration of the oData DataAccessPlugin

The oData DataAccessPlugin can be configured to access several Open Data Protocol (OData) V4 web services at the same time. Configuration takes place server-wide via FirstSpirit ServerManager's server properties panel, and selection of which web service should be accessed by a specific FS_INDEX instance is done in the input component's template definition.

Configuring Access to a Web Service

1. Start FirstSpirit ServerManager from the FirstSpirit start page.
2. Open the server properties panel by selecting “Server” / “Properties” in the menu.
3. Navigate to the “Modules” page, expand the entry “FirstSpirit Sample: DataAccessPlugin - OData”, select the entry “Module Service”, and click “Configure”.
4. In the “Configuration” window, click “Add” to add a new OData service.
5. In the ODATA Service window, add information that specifies the OData service as well as information that determines snippet information for use in FS_INDEX:
   
   • Service Definition
     • Name The technical name of the OData service, used to configure an FS_INDEX component to use this service via the attribute serviceName in the SOURCE tag of the FS_INDEX component's template XML code.
     • Service URI The URI used to access the web service.
   • Entity Definition
     • Entity Namespace The namespace of the OData schema.
     • Entity Name The name of the entity type which should be handled by this OData service definition.
     • Entity SetSegment The name of the entity set from which entities should be sourced.
   • Snippet Definition
     You may use properties of the entity type referenced above to include their values in snippets that represent this service's entities in the FS_INDEX user interface.
     
     • Snippet Header A statement used to generate the header (first line) text of the snippet.
     • Snippet Extract A statement used to generate the extract (second line) text of the snippet.
     • Snippet Image URI A statement used to generate the thumbnail image of the snippet.
   • List Parameter Definition
     These list parameters may be specified so that when the web service is accessed via an FS_INDEX input component, the user may filter the results delivered by the web service.
     
     • Request Parameter Each request parameter specifies one filter in the FS_INDEX selection user interface. A parameter may be of type “Text” or “Boolean” and must be compatible with the data type of the entity property given in the field Name. The Label text is shown next to the filter in the FS_INDEX selection user interface, and the optional Default Value specifies the filter's value if none is given (e.g. when the selection user interface is first opened).