MODULES > REST API and GraphQL > Mutation: Absolute/External/Temporary - Identifier
10. Mutation: Absolute/External/Temporary - Identifier
 
Making a Query
Example: query with a result containing the identifiers
 Example: query containing a filter on the external identifier
Making a Mutation
Creation without an Identifier
Creation with an External Identifier
Creation with a Temporary Identifier
With GraphQL you can make query or mutation on object of the repository. When syncing with an external tool you may want to use the identifier of the other tool to create or connect object.
GraphQL provides 3 types of identifiers:
• Absolute Identifier: this is the ID generated by HOPEX when a new object is created. The value cannot be set by the API. It can be used when making query to get the HOPEX unique identifier global.
o This field cannot be blank or null.
o This field is composed of 12 characters composed of letter and digit and special characters.
o This field is invariant overtime.
• External Identifier: this is an ID that can be given when a new object is created. The uniqueness is limited to the MetaClass for which you are creating an object. This ID is used when importing data from another system to be able to retrieve, at a later stage, the object created from this system.
o This field can be blank or null
o This field as a maximum length of 1024 characters
o This field is not invariant overtime
2. Temporary Identifier: this is the same principal as the External Identifier. The main difference is that the validity of this ID is limited to the mutation you are doing. The information will not be store in the database and cannot be reused at a later stage. 
10.1. Making a Query
A query can only be made on:
• the Absolute Identifier shortly called “id" or
• the External Identifier shortly called "externalId".
Note: As the Temporary identifier is not physically stored it cannot be queried. 
“id" and "externalId" identifiers can be used to:
• filter query
• ensure that the retrieved object is the expected one.
10.1.1. Example: query with a result containing the identifiers
Query 1
Result 1
query AppID {
application {
id
externalId
name
}
}
 
 
 
 
 
{
"data": {
"application": [
{"id": "IubjeRlyFfT1", "externalId": "My ID App1", "name": "Account Management"},
{"id": "iSS7AQY6NrgU","externalId": "My ID App2","name": "Account Payable"
}
]
}
}
10.1.2.  Example: query containing a filter on the external identifier
Query 2
Result 2
query AppID {
application
(filter:{externalId_contains:"My ID"}) {
id
externalId
name
}
}
 
 
 
 
{
"data": {
"application": [
{"id": "IubjeRlyFfT1", "externalId": "My ID App1", "name": "Account Management"},
{"id": "iSS7AQY6NrgU","externalId": "My ID App2","name": "Account Payable"
}
]
}
}
10.2. Making a Mutation
10.2.1. Creation without an Identifier
The default behavior is to let the system give an absolute identifier to an object. The identifier is unique in the whole HOPEX repository. If you create several objects, even with the same characteristics, each object has a unique.  
Query
Result
mutation basicCreation {
createApplication(application:{
name:"my new app"
}) {
id
name
}
}
{
"data": {
"createApplication": {
"id": "magoMpShXLDE",
"name": "my new app"
}
}
}
10.2.2. Creation with an External Identifier
The only way to control the identifier is to use the External Identifier. When the object is created you can specify the value. This value is unique but limited to the MetaClass object you are creating. Moreover this external identifier is not invariant so you can modify it after the object was created.
CAUTION: the profile you use must be granted to right to read and write this MetaAttribute. This is not always the default right in standard HOPEX. 
Query
Result
mutation basicCreation {
createApplication(id:"My ID App3"
idType:EXTERNAL
application:{
name:"my new app 3"
}) {
id
externalId
name
}
}
{
"data": {
"createApplication": {
"id": "RcgoRyShXXFE",
"externalId": "My ID App3",
"name": "my new app 3"
}
}
}
Should you want to update the External Identifier you need to first query the object with the Absolute Identifier.  
Query
Result
mutation updateExtId {
updateApplication(id:"RcgoRyShXXFE"
idType:INTERNAL
application:{
externalId:"my new app 3 -updated "
}) {
id
externalId
name
}
}
{
"data": {
"updateApplication": {
"id": "RcgoRyShXXFE",
"externalId": "my new app 3 -updated ",
"name": "my new app 3"
}
}
}
 
 
 
If you do several mutations in a row you can use this External Identifier as a mean to connect object together.
For example: the following mutation performs
1. Creation of an Application.
2. Creation of a Busines Process.
3. Connection of the two created objects.
Query
Result
mutation multiple {
createApplication(id:"MyAPPID5" idType:EXTERNAL
application:{name:"Application 5"}) {
name
}
createBusinessProcess(id:"My Process 5" idType:EXTERNAL
businessProcess:{name:"Process 5"
application:{
action:ADD
list:[{id:"MyAPPID5" idType:EXTERNAL}]
}
}) {
name
application {
name
externalId
}
}
}
{
"data": {
"createApplication": {
"name": "Application 5"
},
"createBusinessProcess": {
"name": "Process 5",
"application": [
{
"name": "Application 5",
"externalId": "MyAPPID5"
}
]
}
}
}
 
 
 
 
 
 
10.2.3. Creation with a Temporary Identifier
The temporary Identifier works as the external identifier. The only difference is that the value of this identifier is not stored in the database.