dspace-v6-api-dev

name: dspace-v6-api-dev description: DSpace 6.x REST API guide for building, debugging, documenting, or reviewing integrations against the legacy /rest API. Use this skill whenever the user mentions DSpace 6 REST, /rest, JSESSIONID, login/logout, status, expand, pagination, or endpoint families such as communities, collections, items, bitstreams, handle, hierarchy, registries, or reports. Do not use it for DSpace 7+ /server/api or database-structure questions.

DSpace v6 API Dev

Quick Start

• Confirm the target is DSpace 6.x with base path /rest.
• Read references/rest-api.md before writing code, examples, or docs.
• Switch to dspace-v6-db-structure if the task is about tables, joins, or schema tracing.

Working Rules

• Default to Accept: application/json unless XML is explicitly needed.
• Treat auth as cookie-based: POST /login returns JSESSIONID; reuse that cookie; invalidate with POST /logout.
• Check the endpoint family first, then the exact object shape from the reference.
• Use limit and offset on paginated endpoints; do not expect a total count.
• Use targeted ?expand= values in real integrations; reserve ?expand=all for inspection.
• Treat any write or restricted read as requiring a valid authenticated session.
• Prefer a minimal curl reproduction when behavior is unclear.

High-Signal Notes

• POST /items/{item id}/bitstreams?name=... sends raw file bytes in the request body.
• PUT /items/{item id}/metadata replaces prior matching metadata entries.
• PUT /bitstreams/{bitstream id} updates metadata; PUT /bitstreams/{bitstream id}/data updates file content.
• Shibboleth path naming in legacy docs is inconsistent; verify deployed config before implementing it.
• DSpace 6 documentation is legacy; do not reuse this skill for DSpace 7+.

Bundled Resource

• references/rest-api.md: Endpoint map, session workflow, pagination rules, object skeletons, and source-derived caveats from REST_API_DSpace_6.x_Documentation_LYRASIS_Wiki.pdf.