2nd DSTU Draft For Comment

This page is part of the FHIR Specification (v0.4.0: DSTU 2 Draft). The current version which supercedes this version is 5.0.0. For a full list of available versions, see the Directory of published versions . Page versions: R5 R4B R4 R3 R2

1.13.1.6 Resource Resource - Operations

This resource has 3 operations associated with it. For more information about operations, including how they are invoked, see Operations.

1.13.1.6.1 Validate a resource

The validate interaction checks whether the attached content would be acceptable either generally, or as a create, or an update or delete to an existing resource.

The action the server takes depends on the mode parameter:

  • [missing]: The server checks the content of the resource against any schema, constraint rules, and other general terminology rules
  • create: The server checks the content, and then checks that the content would be acceptable as a create (e.g. that the content would not validate any uniqueness constraints)
  • update: The server checks the content, and then checks that it would accept it as an update against the nominated specific resource (e.g. that there are no changes to immutable fields the server does not allow to change, and checking version integrity if appropriate)
  • delete: The server ignores the content, and checks that the nominated resource is allowed to be deleted (e.g. checking referential integrity rules)

Modes update and delete can only be used when the operation is invoked at the resource level.

The return from this operation is an OperationOutcome

Formal Definition (as a OperationDefinition).

URL: [base]/Resource/$validate

URL: [base]/Resource/[id]/$validate

In Parameters:
NameCardinalityTypeProfileDocumentation
resource0..1Resource

Must be present unles the mode is "delete"

mode0..1string

Default is 'no action; (e.g. general validation)

profile0..1uri

If this is nominated, then the resource is validated against this specific profile. If a profile is nominated, and the server cannot validate agsinst the nominated profile, it SHALL return an error

Out Parameters:
NameCardinalityTypeProfileDocumentation
return1..1OperationOutcome

If the operation outcome does not list any errors, and a mode was specified, then this is an indication that the operation would be expected to succeed (excepting for transactional integrity issues, see below)

Note: as this the only out parameter, it is a resource, and it has the name 'return', the result of this operation is returned directly as a resource

This operation may be used during design and development to validate application design. It can also be used at run-time. One possible use might be that a client asks the server whether a proposed update is valid as the user is editing a dialog, and displays an updated error to the user. The operation can be used as part of a light-weight two phase commit protocol but there is no expectation that the server will hold the content of the resource after this operation is used, or that the server guarantees to succesfully perform an actual create, update or delete after the validation operation completes.

1.13.1.6.2 Access a list of profiles, tags, and security labels

This operation retrieves a summary of the profiles, tags, and security labels for the given scope. E.g. for each scope:

  • system-wide: a list of all profiles, tags and security labels in use by the system
  • resource-type level: A list of all profiles, tags, and security labels for the resource type
  • individual resource level: A list of all profiles, tags, and security labels for the current version of the resource.

Also, as a special case, this operation (and other meta operations) can be performed on a historical version of a resource)

Formal Definition (as a OperationDefinition).

URL: [base]/$meta

URL: [base]/Resource/$meta

URL: [base]/Resource/[id]/$meta

Out Parameters:
NameCardinalityTypeProfileDocumentation
return1..1Meta

The meta returned by the operation

At the system and type levels, the $meta operation is used to get a summary of all the labels that are in use across the system. The principle use for this operation is to support search e.g. what tags can be searched for. At these levels, the meta will not contain versionId, lastUpdated etc. Systems are not obligated to implement the operation at this level (and should return a 4xx error if they don't)

At the resource and historical entry level, the $meta operation returns the same meta as would be returned by accessing the resource directly. This can be used to allow a system to get access to the meta-information for the resource without accessing the resource itself, e.g. for security reasons

1.13.1.6.3 Add or delete profiles, tags, and security labels for a resource

This operation takes a meta, and either adds or deletes the profiles, tags, and security labels found in it to or from the nominated resource.

This operation can also be used on historical entries

Formal Definition (as a OperationDefinition).

URL: [base]/Resource/[id]/$meta-change

In Parameters:
NameCardinalityTypeProfileDocumentation
meta1..1Meta

Profiles, tags, and security labels to add to or delete from the existing resource. Note that profiles, tags, and security labels are sets, and duplicates are not created. E.g. Profiles are unique by URL, and tags and security labels are unique by system+code

mode0..1code

Whether to add or delete. The default action is add the labels

Out Parameters:
NameCardinalityTypeProfileDocumentation
return1..1Meta

Resulting meta for the resource

This operation is special in that executing this operation does not cause a new version of the resource to be created. The meta is updated directly. This is because the content in meta does not affect the meaning of the resource, and the security labels (in particular) are used to apply access rules to existing resources