How to get entity basetype?

[fmanniti]

Is it possible to determine what a entity is?

I will explain myself:

I would like to make a service which has both as input and output a string.

I insert the name of a entity and it returns

"This entity is a Thing"

"This entity is a Data shape"

"This entity is a username"

Is this possible?

[aseaton · Accepted solution]

Hi Fabio,

Here is the solution for your question.

Hope it helps!

Andy

[fmanniti]

Thank you!

[CarlesColl]

That's my method

function getEntityDescription(myEntityName) {
    var collectionName = 'Things';
    var entityType ='Thing';
    var isThing = true;
    var isThingTemplate = false;
    var isThingShape = false;
    var isDataShape = false;
    var isModelTag = false;
    var isNetwork = false;
    var isDataTag = false;
    var isOrganization = false;
    var entity = Things[myEntityName];
    if (entity==null) {
        isThing = false;
        entity = ThingTemplates[myEntityName];
        isThingTemplate=true;
        collectionName = 'ThingTemplates';
        entityType = 'ThingTemplate';
     }
    if (entity==null) {
        isThingTemplate=false;
        entity = ThingShapes[myEntityName];
        isThingShape = true;
        collectionName = 'ThingShapes';
        entityType = 'ThingShape';
     }
    if (entity==null) {
        isThingShape=false;
        entity = DataShapes[myEntityName];
        isDataShape = true;
        collectionName = 'DataShapes';
        entityType = 'DataShape';
     }
    if (entity==null) {
        isDataShape=false;
        entity = ModelTags[myEntityName];
        isModelTag = true;
        collectionName = 'ModelTags';
        entityType = 'ModelTagVocabulary';
     }
    if (entity==null) {
        isModelTag=false;
        entity = Networks[myEntityName];
        isNetwork = true;
        collectionName = 'Networks';
        entityType = 'Network';
     }
    if (entity==null) {
        isNetwork=false;
        entity = DataTags[myEntityName];
        isDataTag = true;
        collectionName = 'DataTags';
        entityType = 'DataTagVocabulary';
     }
    if (entity==null) {
        isDataTags=false;
        entity = Organizations[myEntityName];
        isOrganization = true;
        collectionName = 'Organizations';
        entityType = 'Organitzation';
    }
     return {
    name: myEntityName,
        entity: entity,
        isThingShape: isThingShape,
        isThing: isThing,
        isThingTemplate: isThingTemplate,
        isDataShape: isDataShape,
    isModelTag: isModelTag,
    isNetwork: isNetwork,
    isDataTag: isDataTag,
    isOrganization: isOrganization,
        collectionName: collectionName,
        type: entityType
     };
}

[CarlesColl]

Would be good to know which method it's faster...

[CarlesColl]

Ok I did some tests,

Iterating 1000 times over both functions, my method last at max 10ms ( for 1000 iterations ), the SearchModelEntities method lasts for 15000ms ...

[fmanniti]

Oh, that's a great point.

Even because your method was quite similar to mine.

I have this input which can be Username, Thing, ThingTemplate.

My metod was

var isUser = (Users[myInput]) ? true : false;
var isThing = (Things[myInput]) ? true : false;
var isTemplate = (ThingTemplates[myInput]) ? true : false;

so, tecnically, it's even faster since it has to choose between three.

I just asked because I believed it was not too orthodox

[CarlesColl]

Your are good to go with you method.

With Search method you must use Search resources, with ModelEntityCollection[] method you are working with In-Memory objects, that's why it's a way faster.

[CarlesColl]

One second, your solution Fabio has a problem, look at my General Performance Recommendations and some perks (unofficial) document.

You should check always explicit --> (Users[myInput])? true : false; should be (Users[myInput]!==null)

and so on.

[fmanniti]

Oh, ok. Thanks!