Sun Identity Manager Deployment Reference

Understanding XML Object Language

XML Objects are often used in forms, but you can also use them in workflows and rules. One common use is to create a list of allowed values for a Select or MultiSelect field in a form, as shown below.


<Field name=’global.state’>

    <Display class=’Select’>

       <Property name=’title’ value=’State’/>

       <Property name=’allowedValues’>








            <String>Washington D.C.</String>

            <String>West Virginia</String>







Elements in the XML Object language are similar to elements in the XPRESS language, but it is more efficient to use the XML Object language if the values are static.

These two languages differ primarily in that XML Object language does not allow the contents of an object to be computed with an expression. This restriction allows the system to construct the object more efficiently, which will result in faster processing if the object is large.

When defining lists with XML Object language, the list is created once when the form is read from the repository and reused thereafter. When defining lists with XPRESS, a new list is created every time the form is displayed.