Artifactory Query Language (AQL)

JFrog Artifactory is a powerful repository manager that enables software development teams to manage their artifacts, dependencies, and metadata. It provides an extensive set of features for storing, distributing, and managing software packages and components across different environments and platforms. One of the key benefits of JFrog Artifactory is its ability to query and retrieve information from the repository using a powerful query language called AQL (Artifactory Query Language).

AQL is a declarative and extensible query language that allows users to perform complex queries on the contents of the JFrog Artifactory repository. It provides a high-level interface for accessing and manipulating the data stored in the repository, making it easy to retrieve specific artifacts, dependencies, and metadata based on various criteria such as name, version, group, and more.

In this article, we will explore some of the key features and capabilities of AQL, including how to use it to perform basic and advanced queries on JFrog Artifactory repositories. We will also provide some examples of common queries that can be useful for software development teams.

Getting Started with AQL

To get started with AQL in JFrog Artifactory, you need to have access to the repository and know how to use the REST APIs provided by Artifactory. You can use any HTTP client tool, such as Postman or cURL, to send requests to the Artifactory API endpoints.

To query a repository using AQL, you need to specify the endpoint URL for the repository you want to search and include the AQL query in the request body. Here is an example of how to perform a basic query on a Maven repository:

{
  "repositories": {
    "localMaven": {
      "url": "http://localhost:8081/artifactory/local-maven"
    }
  },
  "query": {
    "expression": "select * from mvnRepository where name == 'myproject'"
  }
}

In this example, we are querying the localMaven repository for artifacts whose name matches the value "myproject". The response will contain a list of all artifacts that match this criteria.

Basic Queries with AQL

AQL provides several basic queries that can be used to retrieve specific information from JFrog Artifactory repositories. Here are some examples:

1. Retrieving all artifacts in a repository

To retrieve a list of all artifacts in a repository, you can use the following AQL query:

{
  "query": {
    "expression": "select * from mvnRepository"
  }
}

This query will return a list of all Maven repositories that are available in the JFrog Artifactory instance. You can then use this list to retrieve information about each repository, such as its name and URL.

2. Retrieving artifacts based on metadata attributes

To retrieve specific artifacts based on their metadata attributes, you can use the following AQL query:

{
  "query": {
    "expression": "select * from mvnRepository where name == 'myproject'"
  }
}

This query will retrieve all artifacts in the Maven repository that have a name attribute equal to "myproject". You can also use other metadata attributes, such as group or version, to filter the results.

3. Retrieving dependencies of an artifact

To retrieve information about the dependencies of an artifact, you can use the following AQL query:

{
  "query": {
    "expression": "select * from mvnDependency where dependencyName == 'myproject'"
  }
}

This query will retrieve all dependencies for the artifact whose name attribute is equal to "myproject". The results will include information about the dependency's group, version, and other metadata attributes.

Advanced Queries with AQL

AQL also provides several advanced queries that can be used to perform more complex operations on JFrog Artifactory repositories. Here are some examples:

1. Retrieving artifacts based on multiple criteria

To retrieve specific artifacts based on multiple criteria, you can use the following AQL query:

{
  "query": {
    "expression": "select * from mvnRepository where name == 'myproject' and version == '1.0'"
  }
}

This query will retrieve all artifacts in the Maven repository that have a name attribute equal to "myproject" and a version attribute equal to "1.0". You can use multiple criteria to filter the results, such as group, classifier, or other metadata attributes.

2. Retrieving dependencies of a specific version of an artifact

To retrieve information about the dependencies of a specific version of an artifact, you can use the following AQL query:

{
  "query": {
    "expression": "select * from mvnDependency where dependencyName == 'myproject' and dependencyVersion == '1.0'"
  }
}

This query will retrieve all dependencies for the version of the artifact whose name attribute is equal to "myproject" and a version attribute equal to "1.0". The results will include information about the dependency's group, version, and other metadata attributes.

3. Retrieving artifacts based on regular expressions

To retrieve specific artifacts based on a regular expression pattern, you can use the following AQL query:

{
  "query": {
    "expression": "select * from mvnRepository where name like 'myproject%'"
  }
}

This query will retrieve all artifacts in the Maven repository whose name attribute starts with the value "myproject". You can use regular expressions to match more complex patterns, such as multiple criteria or wildcard characters.

Conclusion

AQL is a powerful and flexible tool for querying and retrieving information from JFrog Artifactory repositories. It provides a simple yet effective way to perform basic and advanced queries on Maven, NuGet, npm, and other package formats. By using AQL, software development teams can streamline their workflows, reduce manual effort, and improve collaboration and communication across different environments and platforms.

In this article, we have explored some of the key features and capabilities of AQL, including how to use it to perform basic and advanced queries on JFrog Artifactory repositories. We have also provided some examples of common queries that can be useful for software development teams. By leveraging the power of AQL, you can unlock the full potential of your JFrog Artifactory instance and optimize your software delivery processes.