Adding attribute values to mxi_AttrValueHelp table

[Former Member]

Hi,

We have created a custom attribute that will be used on roles to hold different approval types. There will be a set of predefined values to choose from and since we need this for different languages we plan to maintain these in the database (in table mxi_AttrValueHelp specified in the Attribute values property of the attribute).

My question is: What is the best way to maintain these values in the table? Is there any UI-functionality to maintain the values in mxi_AttrValueHelp or will we need to create a custom job with a to Database pass to populate it?

Currently running 7.2 SP5 however upgrade to SP6 is pending.

Thanks,

Christian

[former_member2987 · Accepted solution]

Christian,

I can think of a few ways to do this, it all depends on how often you would need to update the values in this custom attribute.

1. Just add the values in the attribute values under the values tab.  This is a pretty static method and can only be updated from the MMC console.  It is NOT very flexible.

2. Similar to item 1, you can create a table in the IDM database to hold the values.  It could be updated via a maintenance job, or even an IDM workflow using the to Database pass type with SQL updating enabled.  You'll need to work with your DBA team on this as the table will need to have its permissions updated to grant the SELECT privilege to the OPER user (e.g, mxmc_oper). This would apply to any database type.  It's slightly easier to update and generally considered to be the best practice.

3. I guess if you really needed to, you could construct a custom Entry Type to hold this information.  It would have the advantage of being most easily updated and working along with the system, although I've never really thought about implementing an Entry Type for this purpose before.  It could be a nice thought experiment. If you choose this method and get it to work, please consider writing a blog entry on how you accomplished it.

Note that with either 1 or 2 above you will need to change the display type of the attribute to single select so that you can use the drop down functionality. You can also take a look here for more interesting things that you can do with pull down lists.

Good Luck!

Matt

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Matt,

Thanks for your reply! As for 1. it does not seem like this option can handle different value sets for different languages so I'm afraid it won't be sufficient.

As for option 2, if we use a custom table I guess we could solve the language part by including this in the WHERE clause in the select query, correct? Are there any main benefits from using a custom table instead of mxi_AttrValueHelp (which is already prepared to handle different languages)?

Christian

[former_member2987 · Accepted solution]

Christian,

I'm honestly not sure as I've never tried it. (language localization for an attribute as you describe or working with mxi_AttrValueHelp)

But in theory if you've already defined MX_LANGUAGE I don't see any reason why you could not do what you have thought of.

Matt

[Former Member]

The table mxi_AttrValueHelp can be used for that but there is no GUI to maintain that table. I usually use the SQL Developer Tools to insert values into that table.

The values themselves can be language dependant (check the box). Just have a look at a predefined attribute (for example MX_TIMEZONE) if you need an example....