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ContentType

A ContentType corresponds to the Document Type found in the backoffice.

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 possible to link one or more Templates to a Document Type. This determines how your model/data is rendered to the user.

Namespace: Umbraco.Cms.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.Cms.Core.Models;
using Umbraco.Cms.Core.Services;

Constructors

ContentType(IShortStringHelper shortStringHelper, IContentType parent, string alias)

Constructor for creating a new ContentType object. The necessary parameters are a short string helper IShortStringHelper, the parent ContentType as an IContentType and the alias of the new ContentType as string.

new ContentType(IShortStringHelper shortStringHelper, int parentId)

Constructor for creating a new ContentType object where the necessary parameters are a short string helper IShortStringHelper and the Id of the parent ContentType as an Int.

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.Get(1234);
return contentType.Alias;

.AllowedAsRoot

Gets or Sets a Bool indicating whether this ContentType is allowed at the root. If one or more ContentTypes are set to 'AllowedAsRoot' 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 AllowedAsRoot
var contentType = contentTypeService.Get(1234);
return contentType.AllowedAsRoot;

.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.Get(1234);
return contentType.AllowedContentTypes;

.AllowedTemplates

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

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

.Id

Gets the unique ContentType Id as an Int. The ID, derived from a database identity field, isn't safe for code references as they are moved across instances. Therefore it's recommended to 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.Get(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.Get(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.Get(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.Get(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.Get(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.Get(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.Get(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.Get(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.Get(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.Get("meta");
var seoContentType = contentTypeService.Get("seo");
var textpageContentType = contentTypeService.Get("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.Get("textPage");
var aliases = contentType.CompositionAliases();

.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.Get("textPage");
var ids = contentType.CompositionIds();

.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.Get("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.Get("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.Get("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.Get("textPage");
contentType.RemovePropertyType("author");
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.Get("textPage");
ITemplate template = contentType.AllowedTemplates.First(x => x.Alias == "RemoveThisTemplate");
contentType.RemoveTemplate(template);
contentTypeService.Save(contentType);