Search criteria that
are specified in the <XMLSELECT search="
criteria"/> element of a GetMetadataObjects method call filters the initial
set of metadata objects that are retrieved. You can filter the associated
objects that are retrieved by GetMetadataObjects by setting the OMI_GET_METADATA
(256) and OMI_TEMPLATE (4) flags and specifying a Search attribute
in the association name subelement of a template that requests associated
objects.
The Search attribute
is specified as follows:
<AssociationName search="Object"/>
<AssociationName search="Object[Criteria]"/>
-
Object can be an * or a SAS Metadata Model metadata type. The metadata
type must be a valid associated object for the specified <ASSOCIATIONNAME>.
When
Object is an *, the GetMetadataObjects method
selects for retrieval all metadata types that are valid for <ASSOCIATIONNAME>,
similar to specifying <ASSOCIATIONNAME/> without search criteria.
When
Object is a metadata type, the GetMetadataObjects
method gets only associated objects of the specified metadata type.
-
[
Criteria] is an attribute criteria specification or an association path specification
that conforms to the syntax documented in
<XMLSELECT search="criteria"/> Syntax. When criteria are specified, GetMetadataObjects
gets only associated objects specified by
Object that also meet the specified criteria.
The following is an
example of a GetMetadataObjects request that specifies search criteria
on an association name. The request specifies to get Document objects
and ExternalTable objects that are associated with the Document objects
through the Objects association and have the words Human Resources
in their Desc attribute.
<GetMetadataObjects>
<Reposid>A0000001.A5DQTZY5</Reposid>
<Type>Document</Type>
<Objects/>
<NS>SAS</NS>
<!-- OMI_GET_METADATA(256) + OMI_TEMPLATE (4) + OMI_ALL_SIMPLE (8) -->
<Flags>268</Flags>
<Options>
<Templates>
<Document>
<Objects search="ExternalTable[@Desc ? 'Human
Resources']"/>
</Document>
</Templates>
</Options>
</GetMetadataObjects>In the request, note
the following:
-
The <REPOSID> element identifies
the repository from which to get the objects.
-
The <TYPE> element specifies
to get objects of metadata type Document.
-
The <FLAGS> element specifies
the sum of the OMI_GET_METADATA, OMI_TEMPLATE, and OMI_ALL_SIMPLE
flags (256 + 4 + 8 = 268). The OMI_GET_METADATA and OMI_TEMPLATE flags
are required to process the request. OMI_ALL_SIMPLE is optional and
is used here to show the filtering that occurs. When the required
flags are used alone, the GetMetadataObjects method gets only the
Id attribute of selected associated objects.
-
The <OPTIONS> element includes
a <TEMPLATES> element that contains a template. The template
specifies to get ExternalTable objects that are associated with the
Document objects through the Objects association and have the words
Human Resources in their Desc attribute.
Here is an example of
the output from the request:
<!-- Using the GETMETADATAOBJECTS method. -->
<Objects>
<Document Id="A5DQTZY5.B9000001" Name="MyDocument" ChangeState=""
Desc="Document object created to do search string tests" LockedBy="" MetadataCreated=
"07Aug2008:14:04:35" MetadataUpdated="07Aug2008: 18:40:11" PublicType="Document"
TextRole="" TextType="" URI="text file" URIType="" UsageVersion="1000000">
<Objects SEARCH="ExternalTable[@Desc ? 'Human Resources']">
<ExternalTable Id="A5DQTZY5.BA000002" ChangeState="" Desc="Human Resources
information from Oracle database" LockedBy="" MetadataCreated="07Aug2008:14:04:35"
MetadataUpdated="07Aug2008: 18:40:36" Name="Oracle HR" NumRows="-1" PublicType=
"ExternalFile" TableName="" UsageVersion="1000000"/>
<ExternalTable Id="A5DQTZY5.BA000004" ChangeState="" Desc="Human Resources
information from Sybase database" LockedBy="" MetadataCreated="07Aug2008:14:04:35"
MetadataUpdated="07Aug2008: 18:40:36" Name="Sybase HR" NumRows="-1" PublicType=
"ExternalFile" TableName="" UsageVersion="1000000"/>
</Objects>
</Document>
</Objects>Two ExternalTable objects
were found that met the selection criteria.