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    ContentType

    Applies to Umbraco 6.x and newer

    A ContentType corresponds to the Document Type found in the backoffice. The ContentType is a model / data definition for your content nodes. Every content node on an Umbraco web site always maps to a backing Document Type.

    A Document Type is composed by Properties, which are grouped by Tabs (or PropertyGroups in the API). It can also inherit properties and tabs from other Document Types.

    It is also possible to link one or more Templates to a Document Type to choose how you want your model / data rendered to the user.

    • Namespace: Umbraco.Core.Models
    • Assembly: Umbraco.Core.dll

    All samples in this document will require references to the following dll:

    • Umbraco.Core.dll

    All samples in this document will require the following using statements:

    using Umbraco.Core.Models;
using Umbraco.Core.Services;

    Constructors

    new ContentType(int parentId)

    Constructor for creating a new ContentType object where the necessary parameter is the Id of the parent ContentType as an Int.

    new ContentType(IContentType parent)

    Constructor for creating a new ContentType object where the necessary parameter is the parent ContentType as an IContentType object.

    Properties

    .Alias

    Gets or Sets the Alias as a String of the ContentType.

    // Given a `ContentTypeService` object get ContentType by its Id and return Alias
var contentType = contentTypeService.GetContentType(1234);
return contentType.Alias;

    .AllowedAtRoot

    Gets or Sets a Bool indicating whether this ContentType is allowed at the root. If one or more ContentTypes are set to 'AllowedAtRoot' only they are shown in the create dialog at the root level in the backoffice.

    // Given a `ContentTypeService` object get ContentType by its Id and return AllowedAtRoot
var contentType = contentTypeService.GetContentType(1234);
return contentType.AllowedAtRoot;

    .AllowedContentTypes

    Gets or Sets an Enumerable list of ContentTypeSort objects of the ContentTypes allowed under the current ContentType.

    The ContentTypeSort is an object with a lazy Id, int SortOrder and string Alias used to sort the MediaTypes within the list of AllowedContentTypes.

    // Given a `ContentTypeService` object get ContentType by its Id and return AllowedContentTypes
var contentType = contentTypeService.GetContentType(1234);
return contentType.AllowedContentTypes;

    .AllowedTemplates

    Gets or Sets an Enumerable list of Templates which are allowed for the current ContentType.

    // Given a `ContentTypeService` object get ContentType by its Id and return AllowedTemplates
var contentType = contentTypeService.GetContentType(1234);
return contentType.AllowedTemplates;

    .ContentTypeComposition

    Gets a list of ContentTypes as IContentTypeComposition objects that make up a composition of PropertyGroups and PropertyTypes for the current ContentType.

    The ContentTypeComposition provides a mixin-type functionality in that you can compose a ContentType of one or more other ContentTypes in a complex structure. But please note that the backoffice does not fully support these complex structures yet.

    // Given a `ContentTypeService` object get ContentType by its Id and return ContentTypeComposition
var contentType = contentTypeService.GetContentType(1234);
return contentType.ContentTypeComposition;

    .CompositionPropertyGroups

    Gets a list of all 'PropertyGroup` objects from the composition including PropertyGroups from the current ContentType.

    // Given a `ContentTypeService` object get ContentType by its Id and return CompositionPropertyGroups
var contentType = contentTypeService.GetContentType(1234);
return contentType.CompositionPropertyGroups;

    .CompositionPropertyTypes

    Gets a list of all PropertyType objects from the composition including PropertyTypes from the current ContentType.

    // Given a `ContentTypeService` object get ContentType by its Id and return CompositionPropertyTypes
var contentType = contentTypeService.GetContentType(1234);
return contentType.CompositionPropertyTypes;

    .CreateDate

    Gets or Sets a DateTime object, indicating then the given ContentType was created.

    // Given a `ContentTypeService` object get ContentType by its Id and return CreateDate
var contentType = contentTypeService.GetContentType(1234);
return contentType.CreateDate;

    .CreatorId

    Gets or Sets the Id of the User who created the ContentType.

    // Given a `ContentTypeService` object get ContentType by its Id and return the Id of the Creator
var contentType = contentTypeService.GetContentType(1234);
return contentType.CreatorId;

    .Description

    Gets or Sets the Description as a String for the ContentType.

    // Given a `ContentTypeService` object get ContentType by its Id and return the Description
var contentType = contentTypeService.GetContentType(1234);
return contentType.Description;

    .DefaultTemplate

    Gets the default Template set as an ITemplate object for this ContentType.

    // Given a `ContentTypeService` object get ContentType by its Id and return the DefaultTemplate
var contentType = contentTypeService.GetContentType(1234);
return contentType.DefaultTemplate;

    .Icon

    Gets or Sets the Icon as a String for the ContentType.

    // Given a `ContentTypeService` object get ContentType by its Id and return the Icon
var contentType = contentTypeService.GetContentType(1234);
return contentType.Icon;

    .Id

    Gets the unique ContentType Id as a Int, this ID is based on a Database identity field, and is therefore not safe to reference in code which are moved between different instances, use Key instead.

    .Key

    Gets the Guid assigned to the ContentType during creation. This value is unique, and should never change, even if the content is moved between instances.

    // Given a `ContentTypeService` object get ContentType by its Id and return the Key
var contentType = contentTypeService.GetContentType(1234);
return contentType.Key;

    .Level

    Gets or Sets the given ContentType level in the site hierarchy as an Int. ContentTypes placed at the root of the tree, will return 1, content right underneath will return 2, and so on.

    // Given a `ContentTypeService` object get ContentType by its Id and return the Level
var contentType = contentTypeService.GetContentType(1234);
return contentType.Level;

    .Name

    Gets or Sets the name of the ContentType as a String.

    // Given a `ContentTypeService` object get ContentType by its Id and return its Name
var contentType = contentTypeService.GetContentType(1234);
return contentType.Name;

    .ParentId

    Gets or Sets the parent ContentType Id as an Int.

    // Given a `ContentTypeService` object get ContentType by its Id and return the Id of the Parent ContentType
var contentType = contentTypeService.GetContentType(1234);
return contentType.ParentId;

    .Path

    Gets or Sets the path of the ContentType as a String. This string contains a comma separated list of the ancestors Ids including the current ContentTypes own id at the end of the string.

    // Given a `ContentTypeService` object get ContentType by its Id and return the Path
var contentType = contentTypeService.GetContentType(1234);
return contentType.Path;

    .PropertyGroups

    Gets or Sets a PropertyGroupCollection containing a list of PropertyGroups for the current ContentType.

    // Given a `ContentTypeService` object get ContentType by its Id and return PropertyGroups
var contentType = contentTypeService.GetContentType(1234);
return contentType.PropertyGroups;

    .PropertyTypes

    Gets an Enumerable list of PropertyTypes aggregated for all groups within the current ContentType, as well as PropertyTypes not within a group.

    // Given a `ContentTypeService` object get ContentType by its Id and return PropertyTypes
var contentType = contentTypeService.GetContentType(1234);
return contentType.PropertyTypes;

    .SortOrder

    Gets the given ContentType index, compared to sibling content.

    // Given a `ContentTypeService` object get ContentType by its Id and return its SortOrder
var contentType = contentTypeService.GetContentType(1234);
return contentType.SortOrder;

    .Thumbnail

    Gets or Sets the Thumbnail as a String for the ContentType.

    // Given a `ContentTypeService` object get ContentType by its Id and return the Thumbnail
var contentType = contentTypeService.GetContentType(1234);
return contentType.Thumbnail;

    Methods

    .AddContentType(IContentTypeComposition contentType)

    Adds a new ContentType to the list of composite ContentTypes.

    // Given a `ContentTypeService` object get a few ContentTypes by their alias
// and add the 'Meta' and 'SEO' ContentTypes to the composition of the 'Textpage' ContentType.
var metaContentType = contentTypeService.GetContentType("meta");
var seoContentType = contentTypeService.GetContentType("seo");
var textpageContentType = contentTypeService.GetContentType("textPage");
textpageContentType.AddContentType(metaContentType);
textpageContentType.AddContentType(seoContentType);
contentTypeService.Save(textpageContentType);

    .CompositionAliases()

    Returns an Enumerable list of ContentType aliases as String from the current composition.

    // Given a `ContentTypeService` object get a ContentType by its alias and loop through CompositionAliases
var contentType = contentTypeService.GetContentType("textPage");
var aliases = contentType.CompositionAliases();
foreach(var alias in aliases){
    string alias = alias;
}

    .CompositionIds()

    Returns an Enumerable list of ContentType Ids as Int from the current composition.

    // Given a `ContentTypeService` object get a ContentType by its alias and loop through CompositionIds
var contentType = contentTypeService.GetContentType("textPage");
var ids = contentType.CompositionIds();
foreach(var id in ids){
    string id = id;
}

    .ContentTypeCompositionExists(string alias)

    Checks if a ContentType with the supplied alias exists in the list of composite ContentTypes.

    // Given a `ContentTypeService` object get a ContentType by its alias
// and check if a given ContentType exists in the composition of the 'Text Page' ContentType.
var contentType = contentTypeService.GetContentType("textPage");
bool result = contentType.ContentTypeCompositionExists("meta");

    .SetDefaultTemplate(ITemplate template)

    Sets the default Template for the current ContentType.

    // Given a `ContentTypeService` object get a ContentType by its alias
// and change the default template with another one from the list of allowed templates.
var contentType = contentTypeService.GetContentType("textPage");
ITemplate template = contentType.AllowedTemplates.First(x => x.Alias == "anotherTemplate");
contentType.SetDefaultTemplate(template);
contentTypeService.Save(contentType);

    .RemoveContentType(string alias)

    Removes a ContentType with the supplied alias from the list of composite ContentTypes.

    // Given a `ContentTypeService` object get a ContentType by its alias and
// remove the 'Meta' ContentType from its composition.
var contentType = contentTypeService.GetContentType("textPage");
bool success = contentType.RemoveContentType("meta");
if(success)
    contentTypeService.Save(contentType);

    .RemovePropertyType(string propertyTypeAlias)

    Removes a PropertyType from the current ContentType.

    // Given a `ContentTypeService` object get a ContentType by its alias
// and remove a PropertyType from the list of PropertyTypes.
var contentType = contentTypeService.GetContentType("textPage");
PropertyType propertyType = contentType.PropertyTypes.First(x => x.Alias == "author");
contentType.RemovePropertyType(propertyType);
contentTypeService.Save(contentType);

    .RemoveTemplate(ITemplate template)

    Removes a Template from the list of allowed templates.

    // Given a `ContentTypeService` object get a ContentType by its alias
// and remove one of the templates from the list of allowed templates.
var contentType = contentTypeService.GetContentType("textPage");
ITemplate template = contentType.AllowedTemplates.First(x => x.Alias == "RemoveThisTemplate");
contentType.RemoveTemplate(template);
contentTypeService.Save(contentType);