contentstack

JavaScript SDK for Contentstack

Contentstack is a headless CMS with an API-first approach. It is a CMS that developers can use to build powerful cross-platform applications in their favorite languages. Build your application frontend, and Contentstack will take care of the rest. Read More.

Contentstack provides JavaScript SDK to build application on top of JavaScript. Given below is the detailed guide and helpful resources to get started with our JavaScript SDK.

The JavaScript SDK can also be used to create Node.js and React native applications.

Prerequisite

You need Node.js version 4.4.7 or later installed to use the Contentstack JavaScript SDK.

Setup and Installation

For JavaScript (Browser)

To use the JavaScript SDK, download it from here and include it in the <script> tag:

<script type="text/javascript" src="/path/to/contentstack.min.js"></script>;

To initialize the SDK, you will need to specify the API Key, Access Token, and Environment Name of your stack.

const Stack = Contentstack.Stack("api_key", "access_token", "environment_name");

For Node.js

Node.js uses the Javascript SDK to create apps. To use the JavaScript SDK, download it from here, OR install it via npm:

npm -i contentstack

To import the SDK in your project, use the following command:

import contentstack from ‘contentstack’

To initialize the SDK, you will need to specify the API Key, Access Token, and Environment Name of your stack.

const Stack = Contentstack.Stack("api_key","access_token","environment_name");

For React Native

React Native uses the Javascript SDK to create apps. To use the JavaScript SDK, download it from here, OR install ist via npm:

npm -i contentstack

To import the SDK in your project, use the following command:

import contentstack from `contentstack/react-native`

To initialize the SDK, you will need to specify the API Key, Access Token, and Environment Name of your stack.

const Stack = Contentstack.Stack("api_key", "access_token", "environment_name");

Key Concepts for using Contentstack

Stack

A stack is like a container that holds the content of your app. Learn more about Stacks.

Content Type

Content type lets you define the structure or blueprint of a page or a section of your digital property. It is a form-like page that gives Content Managers an interface to input and upload content. Read more.

Entry

An entry is the actual piece of content created using one of the defined content types. Learn more about Entries.

Asset

Assets refer to all the media files (images, videos, PDFs, audio files, and so on) uploaded to Contentstack. These files can be used in multiple entries. Read more about Assets.

Environment

A publishing environment corresponds to one or more deployment servers or a content delivery destination where the entries need to be published. Learn how to work with Environments.

Contentstack JavaScript SDK: 5-minute Quickstart

Initializing your SDK

You will need to specify the API key, Access token, and Environment Name of your stack to initialize the SDK:

const Stack = Contentstack.Stack("api_key", "access_token", "environment_name");

Once you have initialized the SDK, you can start getting content in your app.

Querying content from your stack

To get a single entry, you need to specify the content type as well as the ID of the entry.

const Query = Stack.ContentType('blog').Entry("blt123something");

Query.fetch()
.then(function success(entry) {
console.log(entry.get('title')); // Retrieve field value by providing a field's uid
console.log(entry.toJSON()); // Convert the entry result object to JSON
}, function error(err) {
// err object
});

To retrieve multiple entries of a content type, you need to specify the content type uid. You can also specify search parameters to filter results.

const Query = Stack.ContentType('blog').Query();

Query 
.where("title", "welcome")
.includeContentType()
.includeCount()
.toJSON()
.find()
.then(function success(result) {
    // result is array where -
    // result[0] => entry objects
    // result[result.length-1] => entry objects count included only when .includeCount() is queried.
    // result[1] => schema of the content type is included when .includeContentType() is queried.
}, function error(err) {
// err object
});

Cache Policies

You can set a cache policy on a stack and/or query object.

Setting a cache policy on a stack

This option allows you to globalize a cache policy. This means the cache policy you set will be applied to all the query objects of the stack.

//Setting a cache policy on a stack    
Stack.setCachePolicy(Contentstack.CachePolicy.NETWORK_ELSE_CACHE)

Setting a cache policy on a query object

This option allows you to set/override a cache policy on a specific query object.

// setting a cache policy on a queryobject
Query.setCachePolicy(Contentstack.CachePolicy.CACHE_THEN_NETWORK)

Advanced Queries

You can query for content types, entries, assets and more using our JavaScript API Reference.

JavaScript API Reference Doc

Working with Images

We have introduced Image Delivery APIs that let you retrieve images and then manipulate and optimize them for your digital properties. It lets you perform a host of other actions such as crop, trim, resize, rotate, overlay, and so on.

For example, if you want to crop an image (with width as 300 and height as 400), you simply need to append query parameters at the end of the image URL, such as, https://images.contentstack.io/v3/assets/blteae40eb499811073/bltc5064f36b5855343/59e0c41ac0eddd140d5a8e3e/download?crop=300,400. There are several more parameters that you can use for your images.

Read Image Delivery API documentation.

Following are Image Delivery API examples.

// set the quality 100 
imageUrl = Stack.imageTransform(imageUrl, {
    'quality': 100
}) 

// set the quality to 100, auto optimization, width and height
imageUrl = Stack.imageTransform(imageUrl, {
    'quality': 100,
    'auto': 'webp',
    'width': 100,
    'height': 100
}) 

Helpful Links

• Contentstack Website
• Official Documentation
• Content Delivery API Docs

The MIT License (MIT)

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The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.

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