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Code Representation of a DSpace Object

DSpace API Object (hibernate): org.dspace.content.DSpaceObject

This is the representation of an object from the DSpace database. Since DSpace 6, this object is populated with hibernate.

Rest Object: org.dspace.app.rest.model.DSpaceObject

This is a plain old java object (pojo) representation of a DSpace object.

Coding the REST object

• Add private properties
• https://github.com/DSpace/DSpace/blob/rest7/dspace-spring-rest/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/rest/model/DSpaceObjectRest.java#L24-L30
• Add a get/set bean methods
  • https://github.com/DSpace/DSpace/blob/rest7/dspace-spring-rest/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/rest/model/DSpaceObjectRest.java#L34-L68
• To exclude a property from JSON representation, add @JsonIgnore to the get method or to the property
  • https://github.com/DSpace/DSpace/blob/rest7/dspace-spring-rest/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/rest/model/DSpaceObjectRest.java#L23
  • https://github.com/DSpace/DSpace/blob/rest7/dspace-spring-rest/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/rest/model/DSpaceObjectRest.java#L33

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The base class in this package uses reflection to identify embedded and linked properties.attributes that are actual links to other REST resources. On a such attribute is discovered the code

1. wrap the linked REST resource inside a DSpaceResource (so to have the identifier, self link, and links to other resources)
2. put the wrapper in the embedde

• https://github.com/DSpace/DSpace/blob/rest7/dspace-spring-rest/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/rest/model/hateoas/DSpaceResource.java#L45-L74
• TODO: summarize in plain language the decisions that this code is making 

Converter Object: org.dspace.app.rest.converter.DSpaceObjectConverter

Convert between the REST representation of an object and the hibernate representation of an object

Coding a converter object

• In the fromModel() function, map all object attributes from the persistence/hibernate model to the rest model
  • https://github.com/DSpace/DSpace/blob/rest7/dspace-spring-rest/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/rest/converter/DSpaceObjectConverter.java#L33-L50