Queries and commands

Lions, and tigers, and bears — oh my!

Introduction

Queries and commands are a fundamental concept to working with the API.

A query is an interrogative to request data. It is expressed as a verb or as a verb-noun phrase. For example:

• Count Answers

• Search Groups

A command is an imperative to execute a function. It is expressed as a verb or as a verb-noun phrase. For example:

• Add Question

• Delete

• Join Group

• Send Email

Queries

The API provides support for several distinct types of query. Here is a summary of the purpose and intended developer use case for each type:

Query Type	Query Purpose	API Endpoint Template
Assert	Check for the existence of one specific item in a collection using a key value (returns true or false)	HEAD api/collection/{id}
Collect	Collect the list of items that match specific criteria in a collection (returns a paged list of heavyweight models, suitable for a detailed view of each item in a user interface; also suitable for integration with other systems)	POST (or GET) api/collection/collect
Count	Count the list of items that match specific criteria in a collection (returns an integer)	POST (or GET) api/collection/count
Download	Download the list of items that match specific criteria in a collection (returns an unpaged list of heavyweight models, suitable for a detailed view of each item in a user interface; also suitable for integration with other systems)	POST (or GET) api/collection/download
Export	Export the list of items that match specific criteria in a collection (returns a private and secure link to download the export file; link expires after 1 hour)	POST api/collection/export
Retrieve	Retrieve one specific item in a collection using a key value (returns a heavyweight model suitable for a detailed view of the item in a user interface)	GET api/collection/{id}
Search	Search for the list of items that match specific criteria in a collection (returns a paged list of lightweight models intended for search results, combo boxes, lookups, etc.)	POST (or GET) api/collection/search