Attribute types
Each entry in an LDAP server has various attributes. The different columns in a database record can also be seen as attributes. Each of these attributes has a data type associated with it. For an attribute of a record in a database, the Project Manager recognizes the types string, number, date or boolean. Two additional types are defined. These are the name and e-mail. The Project manager uses these additional types to personalize the invitations and to send them to the stakeholders.
Custom attribute types
You can define new attribute types and assign these to attributes in databases and directories where Metatude connects to. These new attribute types are called 'custom attributes'. Custom attributes assigned to different databases and directories can be identified as containing the same information. If in one Metatude project multiple target groups from different databases are involved, the custom attribute information will identify similar attributes across these different databases. The Metatude software will store similar attributes of the stakeholders (attributes that have the same custom type associated with them) in one column and therefore make analysis on the data much easier.
Personalize invitations
Custom attributes can also be used to personalize the invitations that are sent by e-mail to the stakeholders. An example is if you have different databases with stakeholder information, but in all databases there is an attribute that indicates the gender of the stakeholders. If you want this information to be stored in the same place (column) in the result files or if you want to use this attribute in an invitation e-mail, you can define the custom attribute 'gender' and assign this custom attribute to the gender attribute in the different databases.
To define a new custom attribute, click on the button Options in the directory server overview. This launches a window where all defined attributes are listed.
Figure 5: Overview of custom attributes
To add a new custom attribute, click on the button New type. A new line wil be added in the overview. You can type the name of the new custom attribute.
Data type
Next to the name, you specify the data type of the custom attribute. The custom attribute can only be assigned to attributes of stakeholders that have the same data type as the one you specify. You can choose the data types string, number, date and boolean. Attributes in a directory server are considered to be of the data type string.
Click the button OK and the new custom attribute has been added to the list. You can remove a custom attribute from the overview by selecting it and by clicking the button Delete. A custom attribute can not be removed when it is still in use by directory servers.
When connecting to new directory servers you can assign each custom type to any attribute.