Accessing the Content Targeting API

With the Content Targeting API you can integrate Audience Targeting features with third party applications or customize how Liferay’s applications interact with Audience Targeting. For example, you could list user segments in your own application or update a campaign when someone creates a calendar event.

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to give your application access to the Content Targeting API. Then you can view some examples of how to use the Java and JSON APIs that are available.

Exposing the Content Targeting API

Configuring your app to have access to the Content Targeting API requires only one line of code. This line of code is a dependency that should be added to your project’s build file. Follow the instructions below to add the Content Targeting API dependency for a Gradle project.

1. Open the build.gradle file in your app’s project folder.

2. Find the dependencies { ... } declaration and add the following line within that section:

   compileOnly group: "com.liferay.content-targeting", name: "com.liferay.content.targeting.api", version: 5.0.0"
   

Your app now has access to the Content Targeting API and can take advantage of everything Audience Targeting has to offer. Next, you’ll learn how to use the Content Targeting API by studying a few examples.

Using the Content Targeting Java API

You can call the Content Targeting API through Java or through JSON.

To display a list of existing user segments in your portlet using Java,

1. Obtain an implementation of the UserSegmentLocalService provided by Audience Targeting by adding the following code to your Portlet class (e.g., the class that extends the MVCPortlet class):

   @Reference(unbind = "-")
   protected void setUserSegmentLocalService(
       UserSegmentLocalService userSegmentLocalService) {
   
       _userSegmentLocalService = userSegmentLocalService;
   }
   
   private UserSegmentLocalService _userSegmentLocalService;
   

   When the Audience Targeting application is installed and an implementation of the UserSegmentLocalService is available, the _userSegmentLocalService field is populated. Otherwise, the portlet is unavailable till this dependency is resolved.

2. Use the service to obtain a list of existing user segments and make it available to your view layer as a request attribute. To do this, add logic to your portlet class that obtains user segments and exposes them in a request attribute, like this:

   ThemeDisplay themeDisplay = (ThemeDisplay)renderRequest.getAttribute(
       WebKeys.THEME_DISPLAY);
   
   List<UserSegment> userSegments = null;
   
   try {
       userSegments = _userSegmentLocalService.getUserSegments(
           themeDisplay.getScopeGroupId());
   }
   catch (Exception e) {
       _log.error(e, e);
   }
   
   renderRequest.setAttribute("userSegments", userSegments);
   
   private static final Log _log = LogFactoryUtil.getLog(MyPortlet.class)
   

   Notice that the userSegments list is populated by calling UserSegmentLocalService’s getUserSegments method. This service is part of the Content Targeting API.

3. Add this logic to your portlet’s view.jsp:

   <h2>User Segments</h2>
   
   <ul>
   
       <%
       List<UserSegment> userSegments = (List<UserSegment>)request.getAttribute("userSegments");
   
       for (UserSegment userSegment : userSegments) {
       %>
           <li><%= userSegment.getName(locale) %></li>
       <%
       }
       %>
   
   </ul>
   

   This logic uses the UserSegment object to list the existing user segments. That’s it! By importing the UserSegment and UserSegmentLocalService classes into your files, you have direct access to your portal’s user segments through the Content Targeting Java API.

Using the Content Targeting JSON API

You could do the same thing using the JSON API.

1. Open your portlet’s view.jsp file and insert the following code:

   <h2>Campaigns</h2>
   
   <ul id="<portlet:namespace/>campaigns">
   </ul>
   
   <aui:script use="aui-base">
       var campaignsList = A.one('#<portlet:namespace/>campaigns');
   
       Liferay.Service(
           '/ct.campaign/get-campaigns',
           {
               groupId: '<%= scopeGroupId %>'
           },
           function(response) {
               if (response.length) {
                   A.Array.each(response, function(item) {
                       campaignsList.append('<li>' + item.name + '</li>');
                   });
               }
           }
       );
   </aui:script>
   

   Notice that the Content Targeting API is called to retrieve the existing campaigns:

   Liferay.Service(
       '/ct.campaign/get-campaigns',
       {
   

   Then, each campaign is listed in the campaignsList and displayed in your portlet for users to see.

If you want to view all the available methods (with examples) exposed in the JSON API by Audience Targeting, you can visit the /api/jsonws URL (e.g., localhost:8080/api/jsonws). As you can see, accessing the Content Targeting JSON API is just as easy as accessing the related Java API.

You’ve learned how to expose the Content Targeting API and use it in your application. Next you’ll learn to create custom rule types.