The packaging API allows users to package data of interest in many different formats. There is currently no way to package data through a graphical interface so users will need to be comfortable using the REST API directly. Rich Data Services tries to make it as easy as possible for users to use the packaging API, or to build their own interfaces that use it. 

View all Available Formats

To view all the available packaging formats:

http://host/rds/api/package/types

[
    "CSV",
    "DELIM",
    "FIXED",
    "DDI_C122",
    "DDI_C21",
    "DDI_CNES",
    "DDI_C25",
    "DDI_L31CO",
    "DDI_L31RP",
    "DDI_L31SU",
    "DDI_L32RP",
    "DDI_L32SU",
    "SSS11",
    "SSS20",
    "SAS",
    "SPSS",
    "STATA",
    "R",
    "MATHEMATICA",
    "STAT_TRANSFER",
    "MYSQL",
    "ORACLE",
    "MS_SQL",
    "HYPER_SQL",
    "POSTGRES_SQL",
    "MONET_DB",
    "GOOGLE_BQ",
    "GOOGLE_FUSION",
    "SDA",
    "VERTICA"
] 

View Format by Category

The formats that RDS supports can be broken down into three categories, data (flat files), metadata (standards compliant metadata XML), and scripts (syntax to recreate the data in databases or statistical packages). To view the formats that are in each category use the category parameter. These lists of formats are designed to allow users to view and choose the format they would like, once they select the format they can retrieve the options that will need to be filled out for that format. 

http://host/rds/api/package/types?category=data

[
    "CSV",
    "DELIM",
    "FIXED"
]

http://host/rds/api/package/types?category=metadata

[
    "DDI_C122",
    "DDI_C21",
    "DDI_CNES",
    "DDI_C25",
    "DDI_L31CO",
    "DDI_L31RP",
    "DDI_L31SU",
    "DDI_L32RP",
    "DDI_L32SU",
    "SSS11",
    "SSS20"
]

http://host/rds/api/package/types?category=scripts

[
    "SAS",
    "SPSS",
    "STATA",
    "R",
    "MATHEMATICA",
    "STAT_TRANSFER",
    "MYSQL",
    "ORACLE",
    "MS_SQL",
    "HYPER_SQL",
    "POSTGRES_SQL",
    "MONET_DB",
    "GOOGLE_BQ",
    "GOOGLE_FUSION",
    "SDA",
    "VERTICA"
]

Format Options

Once a format is selected the options available for that format can be retrieved by specifying the format type as follows.

http://host/rds/api/package/types/{type}

http://host/rds/api/package/types/FIXED

{
    "objectId": "47f2a70a-158c-4524-bd85-eee8880a5067",
    "type": "FIXED",
    "optionProperties": [
        {
            "description": "File name", // A human readable description of what this option is about
            "enumValues": [],           // If this option was of type "ENUM" the enumerated values could be found here
            "label": "File name",       // A label for the option, typically what will be shown to the user
            "name": "fileName",			// The property name, this must not change
            "type": "TEXT",				// designed to help those building a UI be able to decide the best input to use. 
										// Possible types are: BOOLEAN, DATE, ENUM, FILE, NUMBER, PASSWORD, TEXT, TEXTAREA
            "value": "",				// The value specified by the user, if there is a default value to begin with this will be filled out
            "repeatable": false,		// specifies if this option can be repeated
            "required": true,			// specifies if this option must be filled out
            "readOnly": false			// specifies if the value can be changed or not
        }
    ]
}

Building a Package Request

A packaging request will provide Rich Data Services with an array of Format Options that can be used to produce the desired files. To create the packaging request the user must:

1. Get the package request object.

   http://host/rds/api/package

   {
       "orderId": "cce1dcb8-77d3-4676-ac2d-452d89c20424",  // The packages unique order ID which can be used to check the status once the packaging request is submitted
       "options": []                                       // The array of format options, currently empty. 
   }

2. Get and fill out any format options, see the example in the section above. 
    

3. Add the filled out format options to the package request.

   {
       "orderId": "cce1dcb8-77d3-4676-ac2d-452d89c20424",
       "options": [
           {
               "objectId": "26ac8903-c319-4e3d-874a-08f91673e1bb",
               "type": "FIXED",
               "optionProperties": [
                   {
                       "description": "File name",
                       "enumValues": [],
                       "label": "File name",
                       "name": "fileName",
                       "type": "TEXT",
                       "value": "myfile.csv",  // the value has been populated by the user
                       "repeatable": false,
                       "required": true,
                       "readOnly": false
                   }
               ]
           },
           ...  // add any additional format options that you want.
       ]
   }

4. Once the package request has been filled out with the desired options it can be passed back to the server using a POST.. To be continued