Content Entity Reference
A content structure is composed of a number content entities. This section provides an overview of the different content entity types of Visual Net Server. It explains each content entity type and the methods that are specific for the entity type.
A content entity encapsulates a set of instances, which are represented as XML elements. These instances can be manipulated and transformed trough a set of methods which are exposed as XML attributes.
Hierarchy of Content Entities. The Content Structure is an XML-file used to declare one or more Content Entity types.
There are a number of properties which are associated with a content entity:
- Type: A content entity has a type which corresponds to the type of information source from which it is created. For example, an sqlentity is defined on some database source and an SQL query, a xmlentity is defined with a url that might execute a script or access an XML-document.
- Source: A content entity always has a source specification, which depends on its type, for instance a url, a data source name or another content entity.
- Instance set: The content entity encapsulates a set of XML elements, called the instances of the content entity
- Parameters: A content entity can be parameterised, to allow different sets of instances to be created depending on the values of the parameters.
- Creation method: Each content entity type has its own creation method, such as an sql query, a stored procedure or an Xpath expression.
Once the content entity has been created there are a number of generic methods which can be applied to all content entity types.
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