Query Builder exclude multiple pages without path.self property

[konstantyn_diachenko]

Hi there,

I am trying to convert JCR-SQL2 query to Query Builder, but I see a warning that  "Usage of self property in path predicate has been deprecated. Please avoid its usage.". I have tried several approaches but they didn't return valid results. Probably someone of you had experience with it.

JCR-SQL2 query:

SELECT * FROM [cq:Page] as page 
WHERE (ISDESCENDANTNODE(page,'/content/project1/en/child1') OR ISDESCENDANTNODE(page,'/content/project1/en/child2') )
AND NOT ISDESCENDANTNODE(page, '/content/project1/en/page1') 
AND NOT ISDESCENDANTNODE(page, '/content/project1/en/page2') 
AND NOT ISSAMENODE(page, '/content/project1/en/page1') 
AND NOT ISSAMENODE(page, '/content/project1/en/page2') 

Query Builder:

type=cq:Page
p.limit=-1
group.1_group.p.or=true
group.1_group.1_path=/content/project1/en/child1
group.1_group.1_path.self=true
group.1_group.2_path=/content/project1/en/child2
group.1_group.2_path.self=true
group.2_group.path=/content/project1/en/page1
group.2_group.path.self=true
group.2_group.p.not=true
group.3_group.path=/content/project1/en/page2
group.3_group.path.self=true
group.3_group.p.not=true

Error:

16.05.2025 16:42:24.680 *WARN* [[0:0:0:0:0:0:0:1] [1747435344674] GET /libs/cq/search/content/querydebug.html HTTP/1.1] com.day.cq.search.impl.builder.RootEvaluator Usage of self property in path predicate has been deprecated. Please avoid its usage.
java.lang.Throwable:
        at com.day.cq.search.impl.builder.RootEvaluator.checkAndLogSelfProperty(RootEvaluator.java:483) [com.day.cq.cq-search:5.13.36]
        at com.day.cq.search.impl.builder.RootEvaluator.isPathPredicate(RootEvaluator.java:475) [com.day.cq.cq-search:5.13.36]
        at com.day.cq.search.impl.builder.RootEvaluator.getAllSubQueryObjects(RootEvaluator.java:399) [com.day.cq.cq-search:5.13.36]
        at com.day.cq.search.impl.builder.RootEvaluator.getAllSubQueryObjects(RootEvaluator.java:379) [com.day.cq.cq-search:5.13.36]
        at com.day.cq.search.impl.builder.RootEvaluator.getAllSubQueryObjects(RootEvaluator.java:379) [com.day.cq.cq-search:5.13.36]
        at com.day.cq.search.impl.builder.RootEvaluator.getXPathExpressionWithUnion(RootEvaluator.java:303) [com.day.cq.cq-search:5.13.36]
        at com.day.cq.search.impl.builder.RootEvaluator.getXPathExpression(RootEvaluator.java:117) [com.day.cq.cq-search:5.13.36]
        at com.day.cq.search.impl.builder.QueryImpl.executeXpath(QueryImpl.java:459) [com.day.cq.cq-search:5.13.36]
        at com.day.cq.search.impl.builder.QueryImpl.execute(QueryImpl.java:537) [com.day.cq.cq-search:5.13.36]
        at com.day.cq.search.impl.builder.QueryImpl.getResult(QueryImpl.java:115) [com.day.cq.cq-search:5.13.36]

Does anyone have experience with avoiding path.self property for Query Builder?

Thanks!

[MaheshKPati]

Can you share the AEM environment details? With latest AEM 6.5.20 , java 8, this issue is not there.

[konstantyn_diachenko]

@MaheshKPati , AEMaaCS (2024.10.18311.20241017T104455Z-241000), Java 11.

[SantoshSai]

Hi @konstantyn_diachenko,

I think, Adobe has deprecated the use of path.self=true in Query Builder. This deprecation aligns with Adobe's move toward improving search performance and avoiding ambiguous results in complex predicate evaluations.

Reference: https://experienceleague.adobe.com/en/docs/experience-manager-cloud-service/content/implementing/dev...

Specifically, the documentation states:

Important Note: An issue has been identified with self property in the current implementation of query builder and using it in queries may not produce correct search results. Changing the current implementation of self property is also not feasible because it might break the existing applications that rely on it. Due to this functionality, self property is now deprecated; it is advised to avoid using it.

Try this, if you want to include results from two branches (child1, child2), while excluding specific pages (page1, page2) and their children, without using path.self=true.

type=cq:Page
p.limit=-1

# Group 1: Include child1 and child2
group.1_group.p.or=true
group.1_group.1_path=/content/project1/en/child1
group.1_group.2_path=/content/project1/en/child2

# Group 2: Exclude /page1 and its descendants
group.2_group.path=/content/project1/en/page1
group.2_group.p.not=true

# Group 3: Exclude /page2 and its descendants
group.3_group.path=/content/project1/en/page2
group.3_group.p.not=true

# Group 4: Exclude /page1 (explicit ISSAMENODE alternative)
group.4_group.path=/content/project1/en/page1
group.4_group.p.exact=true
group.4_group.p.not=true

# Group 5: Exclude /page2 (explicit ISSAMENODE alternative)
group.5_group.path=/content/project1/en/page2
group.5_group.p.exact=true
group.5_group.p.not=true

Hope this helps!

[konstantyn_diachenko · Accepted solution]

Hi @SantoshSai , 

That query doesn't work. I decided to use JCR-SQL2 query. Seems like there is no alternative with the Query Builder.

Thanks,

Kostiantyn Diachenko.