The
LDAP Query Options Editor dialog box enables you to specify details
about LDAP queries for the LDAP Query and LDAP Query To XML operations.
The dialog box provides several tabs that you use to specify the
query to perform and how to return the query results. The service operation
that you use determines which tabs appear in the dialog box.
If the LDAP service configuration has been performed, the dialog
box connects to the LDAP server when you open it. (See
LDAP service configuration
.) The connection enables the dialog
box to populate the properties on the tabs with values that are
based on the LDAP directory configuration.
Query tab
Use this tab to specify the query to perform. The values
that you specify for each property of the query determine which
directory items (or object types) are returned by the query.
Base-DN
The
item at the top level of the LDAP directory tree that includes the directory
branches to make available to your queries. Specifying a base DN
can increase the efficiency of queries when the LDAP directory has
many top-level objects.
By default, the root DN is the base
DN. Use the Base-DN list to select a different node at the top level.
Click Load to ensure that the list is populated with current information
from the LDAP server.
Search Context
A
string
value
that represents the starting point for searches in the LDAP directory
tree. The search is conducted in the branches of the LDAP directory
tree that are contained in the directory item that you specify.
You
can type the DN of the starting point or use an XPath expression
if the value is saved as process data. The XPath expression must
be enclosed within braces and dollar signs:
{$expression$}
Nested Context
A
string
value
that represents the attribute that contains the DN of another directory
item. This directory item is retrieved in the query results instead
of the items found based on the query’s search context.
For
example, the search context matches directory entries that represent employees.
The value of the
manager
attribute of the returned
entries is the DN of another directory entry, which represents the employee’s
manager. Specifying
manager
for the value of the
Nested Context property returns the directory entry for the employee’s manager.
The
directory entry for the manager also includes the
manager
attribute.
Specifying
manager/manager
for the value of the
Nested Context property returns the directory entry for the manager’s
manager.
Search Filter
A
string
value
that represents the search criteria for the query. The query returns
information from the directory items that contain attribute values
that match those described in the search filter. (See
Search filter syntax
.)
To specify a search filter, use the
Search Query Builder dialog box (see
Search Query Builder
) and click the ellipsis button
to
display the dialog box.
Search Scope
A
string
value
that represents the number of levels of information to search relative
to the search context. The following values are valid.
-
OBJECT:
-
Only the directory item specified for the Search Context
property is searched. This is the smallest scope.
-
ONE LEVEL:
-
The level below the search context searched, as well as the
directory item specified for the Search Context property.
-
SUBTREE:
-
All levels below the search context are searched, as well
as the directory item specified for the Search Context property.
This is the largest scope.
You should use the smallest scope
that is necessary for the purposes of your query. The scope determines
the number of directory items that are compared to the search filter.
More server resources are used and more time is required to compare
larger numbers of records.
Output (LDAP Query) tab
Use this tab to specify the information that you want to
save from the search results. You save the information from specific
attributes of the directory items. The values are saved in locations
in the process data model.
If Multiple Objects Are Returned
Specifies whether you want
to save information from only the first directory item that is returned
by the query, or whether you want to save information from all of
the returned items. If you want to save information from all items,
you also specify the format of the retrieved data.
-
Use First:
-
Saves information only from the first item that is returned.
The data type is determined by the data you are retrieving.
-
Concatenated As String:
-
For each directory item that is returned, the value of an
attribute for each item is concatenated into a single
string
value.
The character used to delimit each attribute value is specified
in the Object Delimiter property on the Output Settings tab.
-
List:
-
For each item that is returned, the attribute value of each
record is stored as a
string
value in a
list
value.
Save Result Count Into
The location to save the number of items
that matched the search filter. The data type is
int
.
If you save information from only the first returned directory item,
this value enables you to determine if there are additional matching
items found. It also enables you to determine if there are no items
found.
Storage locations
The attributes of the returned directory items
that you want to save, and locations in which to save the values.
Click the + button to add a row to the table. After the row is added,
you can populate the row with values.
-
Value:
-
The name of the attribute that you want to save. Each cell
in the Value column is a menu from which you can select an attribute
name.
-
XPath:
-
The location to store the attribute value. The data type
is determined by the value that you specified for the If Multiple Objects
Are Returned property. Each cell in the XPath column provides an
ellipsis button that opens XPath Builder which you can use to provide
an XPath expression for the data location.
Output (LDAP Query To XML) tab
Use this tab to specify the names of XML elements to use
for storing retrieved attribute values. The XML document has the
following structure.
<Root_Element>
<Repeated_Element>
<element1>attribute value</element1>
<element2>attribute value</element2>
<element3>attribute value</element3>
.
.
.
</Repeated_Element>
<Repeated_Element>
<element1>attribute value</element1>
<element2>attribute value</element2>
<element3>attribute value</element3>
.
.
.
</Repeated_Element>
.
.
.
</Root_Element>
Root Element
A
string
value
that represents the name of the root element of the XML document.
Repeated Element
A
string
value
that represents the name of the XML element to use to contain the
information from a directory item. One of these elements exists
for each directory item that the search returns.
Attribute/Element list
A list of directory item attributes and the names
of the corresponding XML elements to use to store the attribute
values. Click the + button to add a row to the table. After the
row is added, you can populate the row with values.
-
Attribute:
-
The name of the attribute for the found directory item or
items that you want to save. Each cell in the Attribute column is
a menu from which you can select an attribute name.
-
Element:
-
The name of the XML element to use to contain the attribute
value. Each cell in the Element column provides an ellipsis button
that opens XPath Builder which you can use if the element names are
saved in the process data model. If no value is specified, the name
of the attribute is used as the element name.
Output Settings (LDAP Query) tab
This tab enables you to specify options for formatting
the data that is retrieved from the LDAP directory.
Nested Context
A
string
value
that represents the attribute that contains the DN of another directory
item. This directory item is retrieved in the query results, in
addition to the items found based on the query’s search context.
For
example, the search context matches directory entries that represent employees.
The value of the
manager
attribute of the retrieved
entries is the DN of another directory entry, which represents the employee’s
manager. Specifying
manager
for the value of the
Nested Context property retrieves the directory entry for the employee’s manager.
The
directory entry for the manager also includes the
manager
attribute.
Specifying
manager/manager
for the value of the
Nested Context property retrieves the directory entry for the manager’s
manager.
Attribute Delimiter
A
string
value
that represents the delimiter to use for values within attribute
values. When attribute values are comprised of multiple values,
these values are separated by the attribute delimiter.
Attribute Escape Delimiter
A
string
value
that represents the character to use to escape the delimiters that
are used in attribute values, when the values are comprised of multiple
values.
Object Delimiter
A
string
value
that represents the delimiter for objects that are returned when
Concatenated as String is selected for the If Multiple Objects Are
Returned property.
For example, a query returns two objects,
John
and
Mary
.
John
was
a member of the groups
groupA
and
groupB
.
Mary
is
a member of the three groups
groupX
,
groupY
,
and
groupZ
. The object delimiter is;
and the attribute delimiter is
$$
. The attributes
contain the following strings:
name: John$$Mary
memberOf: groupA;groupB$$groupX;groupY;groupZ
Object Escape Delimiter
A
string
value
that represents the character to use to escape characters in object
names that happen to be the same as the delimiters that are used
to separate objects.
Test tab
This tab enables you to test the query. Click Test to see
the results of the query.
Note:
To perform the test, all property values must
be specified as literals because XPath expressions can not be evaluated
at design time.
The test only shows the data that is retrieved from the LDAP
server, and does not show how the results are saved.
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