Javascript to Dynamically Create Spaces/Folders in Alfresco Doesn't Work Correctly

Question

I am currently working with Alfresco 4.0.d community edition (I also tried this on Alfresco 4.0.c community edition) on a Oracle Linux 6 64bit virtual machine, using Firefox as my browser.

Most recently, I had been attempting to create a script which could be executed via a rule that would dynamically create sub-folders as new items entered a space/folder.

Essentially, say you have a newly created piece of content called fileOne. This file will sit in a space called mainFolder, and when a rule is run on the file to execute a script, the script will look to see if sub-folders exist based on the title and author values of the file. If not, it will create sub-folders within that mainFolder based on the title value --> sub-folder, and author value --> sub-sub-folder of that file. And then I want that content/file to be moved over to that either that existing or newly created sub-sub folder.

Ultimately I want something that looks like:

Space: mainFolder
|---> Content: fileOne --> Properties: Name, Title, Author
|---> Space: Title
      |---> Space: Author
            |---> Content: fileOne --> Properties: Name, Title, Author 

Below is the script...

function main()
{
    //mainFolder space/folder MUST exist under companyhome.
    var rootSpaceName = companyhome.childByNamePath("mainFolder");

    if(rootSpaceName == null)
    { 
        logger.log("Company Home/mainFolder does not exist, so we have nothing to do.");
        return;
    }
    else
    {
        logger.log("Company Home/mainFolder exists, so carry on our process.");

        var childList = rootSpaceName.children;
        var count = childList.length;
        var seconds = new Date().getTime() / 1000;

        if(count == 0)
        {
            logger.log("Company Home/mainFolder does not have child, nothing to do.");
            return;
        }
        else
        {
            for(var i = 0; i < count; i++)
            {
                // File Title MUST exist.
                var childTitle = childList[i].properties.title;

                if(childTitle == null)
                {
                    childTitle = "New Title " + seconds;
                }

                // File Author MUST exist.
                var childAuthor = childList[i].properties.author;

                if(childAuthor == null)
                {
                    childAuthor = "New Author " + seconds;
                }

                var child = childList[i];
                logger.log("This child is: " + child);

                if(child.isContainer == false)
                {
                    for(var j = 0; j < count; j++)
                    {
                        var newChildName = childList[j].properties.name;
                        logger.log("New child name: " + newChildName);
                        var newChild = childList[j];

                        if((newChild.isContainer == true) && (childTitle == newChildName))
                        {
                            var newSpaceName = rootSpaceName.childByNamePath(newChildName);
                            var newChildList = newSpaceName.children;
                            var newCount = newChildList.length;

                            for(var k = 0; k < newCount; k++)
                            {
                                var newNewChildName = newChildList[k].properties.name;
                                var newNewChildAuthor = newChildList[k].properties.author;
                                var newNewChild = newChildList[k];

                                if((newNewChild.isContainer == true) && (newNewChildAuthor == childAuthor))
                                {
                                    var currentSpace = newSpaceName.childByNamePath(newNewChildName);
                                    child.move(currentSpace);
                                }
                            }
                        }
                        else
                        {
                            // If title folder is already created, not need to create again.
                            var newSpaceName = companyhome.childByNamePath("mainFolder/" + childTitle);

                            if(newSpaceName == null)
                            {
                                newSpaceName = rootSpaceName.createFolder(childTitle);
                                logger.log("mainFolder/" + childTitle + " is created.");
                            }

                            // If author folder is already created, not need to create again.
                            var newNewSpaceName = companyhome.childByNamePath("mainFolder/" + childTitle + "/" + childAuthor);
                            if(newNewSpaceName == null)
                            {
                                newNewSpaceName = newSpaceName.createFolder(childAuthor);
                                logger.log("mainFolder/" + childTitle + "/" + childAuthor + " is created.");
                            }

                            child.move(newNewSpaceName);
                            logger.log("Moving file " + child.properties.name);
                        }

                    }

                }

            }
        }
    }
    return;
}

main();

So to test this, step-by-step here is what I do:

1. I click on Company Home.
2. I click on Create, Create Space.
3. I then create a space called mainFolder (this is under Company Home).
4. I then click on the newly created folder, then click on More Actions, Manage Content Rules.
5. Then I click on Create Rule.
   5a. Where it tells me to select a condition, I choose All Items, then I click Add to List, then I hit Next.
   
   5b. Where it now tells me to select an action, I choose Execute Script, then I click Set Values and Add, which allows me to choose the script called new-create-folders.js which I had previously added to the Scripts folder within the Data Dictionary. Then I click OK, and then Next.
   
   5c. Here where it asks me for the type, I choose Items are updated. I then enter a title like create folders rule. And finally I check Run rule in the background, then I hit Next.
   
   5d. Now I click Finish to finalize my rule.
6. Now with the rule created, I click Create, Create Content.
   
   6a. I give my content a name like name001, then I hit Next, then I enter a title like title001 and an author like author001. Then I hit OK.

What happens now has got me confused; it creates one sub folder called title001 like I wanted it to, and within that sub-folder it creates another folder called author001, and within that folder the file called name001 has been moved. And that is sort of how I want it to work, but there are still problems. Under the mainFolder, there is also a new sub-folder called New Title 1346102873.393 New Title 1346102873.393 with a folder inside of that called New Author 1346102873.393, but there is no file inside of that folder. And I don't know why this folder is created when I only added one piece of content to the mainFolder? Also, now that the folders have been created, the rule also looks to have been deleted from the mainFolder, i.e. there are no longer any rules applied to the folder. And when I go back to create the rule again on the mainFolder, I get the error: Failed to create Rule due to error: null. And below are the errors I get in the log files...

Output/Errors from Alfresco Log

17:27:51,373 DEBUG [org.alfresco.repo.jscript.RhinoScriptProcessor] Imports resolved, adding resource '_root
17:27:53,389 DEBUG [org.alfresco.repo.jscript.ScriptLogger] Company Home/mainFolder exists, so carry on our process.
17:27:53,400 DEBUG [org.alfresco.repo.jscript.ScriptLogger] This child is: Node Type: {http://www.alfresco.org/model/content/1.0}systemfolder, Node Aspects: [{http://www.alfresco.org/model/content/1.0}auditable, {http://www.alfresco.org/model/system/1.0}referenceable, {http://www.alfresco.org/model/system/1.0}localized]
17:27:53,400 DEBUG [org.alfresco.repo.jscript.ScriptLogger] New child name: b8ea2cb0-6fb6-481e-bb7b-d5364d9c509e
17:27:53,422 DEBUG [org.alfresco.repo.jscript.ScriptLogger] mainFolder/New Title 1346102873.393 is created.
17:27:53,439 DEBUG [org.alfresco.repo.jscript.ScriptLogger] mainFolder/New Title 1346102873.393/New Author 1346102873.393 is created.
17:27:53,498 DEBUG [org.alfresco.repo.jscript.ScriptLogger] Moving file b8ea2cb0-6fb6-481e-bb7b-d5364d9c509e
17:27:53,499 DEBUG [org.alfresco.repo.jscript.ScriptLogger] New child name: name001
17:27:53,523 DEBUG [org.alfresco.repo.jscript.ScriptLogger] Moving file b8ea2cb0-6fb6-481e-bb7b-d5364d9c509e
17:27:53,524 DEBUG [org.alfresco.repo.jscript.ScriptLogger] This child is: Node Type: {http://www.alfresco.org/model/content/1.0}content, Node Aspects: [{http://www.alfresco.org/model/content/1.0}auditable, {http://www.alfresco.org/model/system/1.0}referenceable, {http://www.alfresco.org/model/content/1.0}titled, {http://www.alfresco.org/model/content/1.0}author, {http://www.alfresco.org/model/system/1.0}localized, {http://www.alfresco.org/model/application/1.0}inlineeditable]
17:27:53,524 DEBUG [org.alfresco.repo.jscript.ScriptLogger] New child name: b8ea2cb0-6fb6-481e-bb7b-d5364d9c509e
17:27:53,534 DEBUG [org.alfresco.repo.jscript.ScriptLogger] mainFolder/title001 is created.
17:27:53,546 DEBUG [org.alfresco.repo.jscript.ScriptLogger] mainFolder/title001/author001 is created.
17:27:53,561 DEBUG [org.alfresco.repo.jscript.ScriptLogger] Moving file name001
17:27:53,561 DEBUG [org.alfresco.repo.jscript.ScriptLogger] New child name: name001
17:27:53,577 DEBUG [org.alfresco.repo.jscript.ScriptLogger] Moving file name001
17:27:53,578 DEBUG [org.alfresco.repo.jscript.RhinoScriptProcessor] Time to execute script: 1976.9988ms
17:31:13,385 ERROR [org.alfresco.web.ui.common.Utils] Failed to create Rule due to error: null
java.lang.NullPointerException
    at org.alfresco.repo.rule.RuleServiceImpl.getLinkedToRuleNode(RuleServiceImpl.java:1516)
    at org.alfresco.repo.rule.RuleServiceImpl.isLinkedToRuleNode(RuleServiceImpl.java:1504)
    at org.alfresco.repo.rule.RuleServiceImpl.checkForLinkedRules(RuleServiceImpl.java:947)
    at org.alfresco.repo.rule.RuleServiceImpl.saveRule(RuleServiceImpl.java:740)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:39)
    at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:25)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:597)
    at org.springframework.aop.support.AopUtils.invokeJoinpointUsingReflection(AopUtils.java:309)
    at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.invokeJoinpoint(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:183)
    at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:150)
    at org.alfresco.repo.security.permissions.impl.AlwaysProceedMethodInterceptor.invoke(AlwaysProceedMethodInterceptor.java:34)
    at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:172)
    at org.alfresco.repo.security.permissions.impl.ExceptionTranslatorMethodInterceptor.invoke(ExceptionTranslatorMethodInterceptor.java:46)
    at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:172)
    at org.alfresco.repo.audit.AuditMethodInterceptor.invoke(AuditMethodInterceptor.java:147)
    at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:172)
    at org.springframework.transaction.interceptor.TransactionInterceptor.invoke(TransactionInterceptor.java:110)
    at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:172)
    at org.springframework.aop.framework.JdkDynamicAopProxy.invoke(JdkDynamicAopProxy.java:202)
    at $Proxy53.saveRule(Unknown Source)
    at org.alfresco.web.bean.rules.CreateRuleWizard.finishImpl(CreateRuleWizard.java:148)
    at org.alfresco.web.bean.dialog.BaseDialogBean$1.execute(BaseDialogBean.java:123)
    at org.alfresco.web.bean.dialog.BaseDialogBean$1.execute(BaseDialogBean.java:119)
    at org.alfresco.repo.transaction.RetryingTransactionHelper.doInTransaction(RetryingTransactionHelper.java:388)
    at org.alfresco.web.bean.dialog.BaseDialogBean.finish(BaseDialogBean.java:129)
    at org.alfresco.web.bean.wizard.WizardManager.finish(WizardManager.java:593)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:39)
    at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:25)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:597)
    at org.apache.myfaces.el.MethodBindingImpl.invoke(MethodBindingImpl.java:132)
    at org.apache.myfaces.application.ActionListenerImpl.processAction(ActionListenerImpl.java:61)
    at javax.faces.component.UICommand.broadcast(UICommand.java:151)
    at javax.faces.component.UIViewRoot._broadcastForPhase(UIViewRoot.java:115)
    at javax.faces.component.UIViewRoot.processApplication(UIViewRoot.java:191)
    at org.apache.myfaces.lifecycle.InvokeApplicationExecutor.execute(InvokeApplicationExecutor.java:32)
    at org.apache.myfaces.lifecycle.LifecycleImpl.executePhase(LifecycleImpl.java:105)
    at org.apache.myfaces.lifecycle.LifecycleImpl.execute(LifecycleImpl.java:80)
    at javax.faces.webapp.FacesServlet.service(FacesServlet.java:143)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:290)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:206)
    at org.alfresco.repo.web.filter.beans.SessionSynchronizedFilter.doFilter(SessionSynchronizedFilter.java:67)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:235)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:206)
    at org.alfresco.web.app.servlet.AuthenticationFilter.doFilter(AuthenticationFilter.java:104)
    at sun.reflect.GeneratedMethodAccessor443.invoke(Unknown Source)
    at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:25)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:597)
    at org.alfresco.repo.management.subsystems.ChainingSubsystemProxyFactory$1.invoke(ChainingSubsystemProxyFactory.java:116)
    at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:172)
    at org.springframework.aop.framework.JdkDynamicAopProxy.invoke(JdkDynamicAopProxy.java:202)
    at $Proxy238.doFilter(Unknown Source)
    at org.alfresco.repo.web.filter.beans.BeanProxyFilter.doFilter(BeanProxyFilter.java:82)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:235)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:206)
    at org.alfresco.repo.web.filter.beans.NullFilter.doFilter(NullFilter.java:68)
    at sun.reflect.GeneratedMethodAccessor443.invoke(Unknown Source)
    at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:25)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:597)
    at org.alfresco.repo.management.subsystems.ChainingSubsystemProxyFactory$1.invoke(ChainingSubsystemProxyFactory.java:116)
    at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:172)
    at org.springframework.aop.framework.JdkDynamicAopProxy.invoke(JdkDynamicAopProxy.java:202)
    at $Proxy238.doFilter(Unknown Source)
    at org.alfresco.repo.web.filter.beans.BeanProxyFilter.doFilter(BeanProxyFilter.java:82)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:235)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:206)
    at org.alfresco.web.app.servlet.GlobalLocalizationFilter.doFilter(GlobalLocalizationFilter.java:58)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:235)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:206)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapperValve.invoke(StandardWrapperValve.java:233)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContextValve.invoke(StandardContextValve.java:191)
    at org.apache.catalina.authenticator.AuthenticatorBase.invoke(AuthenticatorBase.java:470)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.invoke(StandardHostValve.java:127)
    at org.apache.catalina.valves.ErrorReportValve.invoke(ErrorReportValve.java:102)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngineValve.invoke(StandardEngineValve.java:109)
    at org.apache.catalina.connector.CoyoteAdapter.service(CoyoteAdapter.java:298)
    at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Processor.process(Http11Processor.java:857)
    at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Protocol$Http11ConnectionHandler.process(Http11Protocol.java:588)
    at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.JIoEndpoint$Worker.run(JIoEndpoint.java:489)
    at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:662)

Does anyone know why that additional folder is being created, as well as why the rule is being deleted after it executes on the newly created piece of content, and why I cannot add a new rule to the folder after it first deletes the original rule?

Answer 1

I posted the answer to this exact question from the same poster in the Alfresco forums. The answer is that the code attempts to create a folder using the same name as the document. Nodes must be uniquely named in a folder so this is not allowed.

Answer 2

It sounds like your rule is running multiple times and is tripping over itself. Could it be that some of the actions that the script itself is performing causes it to be run again?

Check that your rule is not being applied to sub-folders, and rather than selecting 'All Items' in the condition part of the wizard, try something more specific, e.g. all content items.