Proxy Asset Types - Data Source Record Set in Listing

(Kieran@parracity) #1

Hi guys,

 

I have set up a JSON Data Source which polls Eventbrite and returns results.

I also have an Asset Listing page, which lists Data Source Record Sets under the JSON Data Source just fine.

 

I believe using Proxy Asset Types page from the Asset Listing will allow me to link keywords from the Record Sets to Calendar Asset type keywords.

For example: pull the Date part of the JSON returned data and output it as a Single Calendar events "Start Date" so we can use it in a calendar layout.

  1. Is this possible?
  2. When I go to the Proxy Asset Types screen and select New Proxy Type as Data Source Record Set, and then select any other asset type as "Child Type Codes", the listing just returns the "No Results" bodycopy.

Should this not work or is there another step where I link up keywords of one type to keywords of another? The manuals site is fairly bland in this regard.

 

Thanks in advance.

(Nic Hubbard) #2

Well, proxy assets are really meant to be configured with Shadow Assets.

 

Really not sure what you mean by:

 

Should this not work or is there another step where I link up keywords of one type to keywords of another?
(Kieran@parracity) #3

Well, proxy assets are really meant to be configured with Shadow Assets.

So this will not work? Are constantly polled JSON results not shadow assets?

Edit: http://manuals.matrix.squizsuite.net/data/chapters/shadow-assets thats how my asset map looks except using JSON, not XML...

 

Really not sure what you mean by:

 

Should this not work or is there another step where I link up keywords of one type to keywords of another?

"For example: pull the Date part of the JSON returned data and output it as a Single Calendar events "Start Date" so we can use it in a calendar layout."

(Nic Hubbard) #4

Yeah, they are shadow assets. But are you trying to choose that Shadow asset type on the Proxy Asset Types Screen?

 

"For example: pull the Date part of the JSON returned data and output it as a Single Calendar events "Start Date" so we can use it in a calendar layout."

 

No, I think you are thinking the Proxy asset feature can do something it can't. It won't work like this.

(Kieran@parracity) #5

Yeah, they are shadow assets. But are you trying to choose that Shadow asset type on the Proxy Asset Types Screen?

It only lets me select one asset type, because it knows what the asset listing has selected as root node.

 

No, I think you are thinking the Proxy asset feature can do something it can't. It won't work like this.

Ok thank you. What does Proxy asset types do then, other than give me a second type format?

(Bart Banda) #6

I've never used the proxy asset type in asset listings myself, not sure what they would be useful for. But doing a quick test on normal assets, such as folders and standard pages, shows that you can do some conditional listing of assets with the proxy setting. So for example, I only want to list standard pages from a root node that sit inside a folder, I then set the assets to list on the asset listing to Folders, then create a proxy for the folder type, and then choose standard pages, then preview my asset listing, only standard pages that sit under folders will get listed. This might be useful for some things....

(Greg Sherwood) #7

This was originally written for the search page. Way back in August 2005, I wrote this about the new feature:

 

   SEARCH PROXY RESULTS
   -----------------------------------------
       Added to: 3.7.0 development
 
       Search Page now has the ability to define "proxy" results, where you
       search for one type of asset but return another. This is best described
       using an example.
 
       Assume you have a series of images in an image library and they are
       classified using the following structure:
 
       Images
       |_ Landscapes
       |   |_ 123.jpg
       |   |_ 234.jpg
       |   |_ landscape_1.jpg
       |   |_ ferns.jpg
       |_ People
           |_ greg.jpg
           |_ nathan.jpg
 
       Traditionally, a search for "landscape" with a Search Page configured to
       search for images would only have returned one result (landscape_1.jpg).
       However, what we really want is for all images of a "landscape" to be
       returned. The only way this could be done is to apply a metadata schema
       to the images and enter the keyword "landscape" into the field.
 
       Now you can configured the search page to search for Folder assets only.
       You then go to the Proxy Asset Types screen and add Folder as a new
       proxy. Then select Image as a child asset type to display(you could also
       do File and click inherit).
 
       Now when you search, all Image assets under Folder assets that have
       "landscape" in their name will be returned. Note that the Folder results
       are substituted in place of the Folder asset, so no folders will be
       returned in the search results. So instead of one search result
       (landscape_1.jpg) you would get 4 search results (123.jpg, 234.jpg,
       landscape_1.jpg and ferns.jpg).
 
       You can use the new %initial_result_count% keyword to show out how many
       results were returned before the children asset types were substituted
       in. In this case, the following message on the results screen could be
       used:
 
           Your search found %result_count% images in %initial_result_count% folders.

 

But you can obviously use it in listings as well because all those list assets share the same code. Probably not as useful in asset listing, but I'm sure it can help with very specific requirements, especially highly dynamic ones.
(Bart Banda) #8

Ah nice, that makes sense. Thanks for that explanation Greg. 

(Kieran@parracity) #9

Thanks Greg. I think I understand it now, but it wont do what I wanted :(

Oh well.

 

Should the manuals explain the Proxy Asset Types in more depth, maybe?

(Greg Sherwood) #10

I just took a look at the asset listing part of the manual and it explains using it for shadow assets there. That's actually a good example for asset listings, now that I think about it.

 

But I think what you want is the ability to then take the shadow assets and do something else with them, which isn't what asset listing is able to do.