Support of node types and namespaces is required by the JSR-170 specification. Beyond the methods required by the specification, eXo JCR has its own API extension for the Node type registration as well as the ability to declaratively define node types in the Repository at the start-up time.

Node type registration extension is declared in org.exoplatform.services.jcr.core.nodetype.ExtendedNodeTypeManager interface

Your custom service can register some neccessary predefined node types at the start-up time. The node definition should be placed in a special XML file (see DTD below) and declared in the service's configuration file thanks to eXo component plugin mechanism, described as follows:

<external-component-plugins>
  <target-component>org.exoplatform.services.jcr.RepositoryService</target-component>
      <component-plugin>
        <name>add.nodeType</name>
        <set-method>addPlugin</set-method>
        <type>org.exoplatform.services.jcr.impl.AddNodeTypePlugin</type>
        <init-params>
          <values-param>
            <name>autoCreatedInNewRepository</name>
            <description>Node types configuration file</description>
            <value>jar:/conf/test/nodetypes-tck.xml</value>
            <value>jar:/conf/test/nodetypes-impl.xml</value>
          </values-param>
    <values-param> 
            <name>repo1</name> 
            <description>Node types configuration file for repository with name repo1</description> 
            <value>jar:/conf/test/nodetypes-test.xml</value> 
          </values-param>
    <values-param> 
            <name>repo2</name> 
            <description>Node types configuration file for repository with name repo2</description> 
            <value>jar:/conf/test/nodetypes-test2.xml</value> 
          </values-param>
        </init-params>
      </component-plugin>

There are two types of registration. The first type is the registration of node types in all created repositories, it is configured in values-param with the name autoCreatedInNewRepository. The second type is registration of node types in specified repository and it is configured in values-param with the name of repository.

Node type definition file format:

  <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
  <!DOCTYPE nodeTypes [
   <!ELEMENT nodeTypes (nodeType)*>
      <!ELEMENT nodeType (supertypes?|propertyDefinitions?|childNodeDefinitions?)>

      <!ATTLIST nodeType
         name CDATA #REQUIRED
         isMixin (true|false) #REQUIRED
         hasOrderableChildNodes (true|false)
         primaryItemName CDATA
      >
      <!ELEMENT supertypes (supertype*)>
      <!ELEMENT supertype (CDATA)>
   
      <!ELEMENT propertyDefinitions (propertyDefinition*)>

      <!ELEMENT propertyDefinition (valueConstraints?|defaultValues?)>
      <!ATTLIST propertyDefinition
         name CDATA #REQUIRED
         requiredType (String|Date|Path|Name|Reference|Binary|Double|Long|Boolean|undefined) #REQUIRED
         autoCreated (true|false) #REQUIRED
         mandatory (true|false) #REQUIRED
         onParentVersion (COPY|VERSION|INITIALIZE|COMPUTE|IGNORE|ABORT) #REQUIRED
         protected (true|false) #REQUIRED
         multiple  (true|false) #REQUIRED
      >    
    <!-- For example if you need to set ValueConstraints [], 
      you have to add an empty element <valueConstraints/>. 
      The same order is for other properties like defaultValues, requiredPrimaryTypes etc.
      -->  
      <!ELEMENT valueConstraints (valueConstraint*)>
      <!ELEMENT valueConstraint (CDATA)>
      <!ELEMENT defaultValues (defaultValue*)>
      <!ELEMENT defaultValue (CDATA)>

      <!ELEMENT childNodeDefinitions (childNodeDefinition*)>

      <!ELEMENT childNodeDefinition (requiredPrimaryTypes)>
      <!ATTLIST childNodeDefinition
         name CDATA #REQUIRED
         defaultPrimaryType  CDATA #REQUIRED
         autoCreated (true|false) #REQUIRED
         mandatory (true|false) #REQUIRED
         onParentVersion (COPY|VERSION|INITIALIZE|COMPUTE|IGNORE|ABORT) #REQUIRED
         protected (true|false) #REQUIRED
         sameNameSiblings (true|false) #REQUIRED
      >
      <!ELEMENT requiredPrimaryTypes (requiredPrimaryType+)>
      <!ELEMENT requiredPrimaryType (CDATA)>  
]>

Default namespaces are registered by repository at the start-up time

Your custom service can extend a set of namespaces with some application specific ones, declaring it in service's configuration file thanks to eXo component plugin mechanism, described as follows:

      <component-plugin> 
          <name>add.namespaces</name>
          <set-method>addPlugin</set-method>
          <type>org.exoplatform.services.jcr.impl.AddNamespacesPlugin</type>
          <init-params>
            <properties-param>
              <name>namespaces</name>
              <property name="test" value="http://www.test.org/test"/>
            </properties-param>      
          </init-params>                  
      </component-plugin>