# Exported variables

## Presentation

Exported variables are the variables available to write rules and headers. They are extracted from the users database by the users module.

To create a variable, you’ve just to map a user attributes in LL::NG using `Variables` » `Exported variables`. For each variable, the first field is the name which will be used in rules, macros or headers and the second field is the name of the user database field.

Examples for LDAP:

Variable name | LDAP attribute
--- | ---
uid | uid
number | employeeNumber
name | sn

You can define exported variables for each module in the module configuration itself. Variables defined in the main `Exported variables` will be used for each backend. Variables defined in the exported variables node of the module will be used only for that module.

Tip

You can define environment variables in `Exported variables`, this allows one to populate user session with some environment values. Environment variables will not be queried in users database.

## Extend variables using macros and groups

Macros and groups are computed during authentication process by the Portal:

- macros are used to extend (or rewrite) exported variables. A macro is stored as attributes: it can contain boolean results or any string

- macros can also be used for importing environment variables (these variables are in CGI format). Example: `$ENV{HTTP_COOKIE}`

- groups are stored as a string with values separated by ‘; ‘ (default multivalues separator) in the special attribute `groups`: it contains names of groups whose rules were returned true for the current user. For example:

Danger

Macros can be used for rewriting or overloading exported variables but it can lead to some side effects. Be aware of alphabetical order and keep in mind that exported variables are set. Then macros and groups are computed.

    $groups = group3; admin

- You can also get groups in `$hGroups` which is a Hash Reference of this form:

    $hGroups = {
              'group3' => {
                            'description' => [
                                               'Service 3',
                                               'Service 3 TEST'
                                             ],
                            'cn' => [
                                      'group3'
                                    ],
                            'name' => 'group3'
                          },
              'admin' => {
                           'name' => 'admin'
                         }
            }

Example for macros:

    # boolean macro
    isAdmin -> $uid eq 'foo' or $uid eq 'bar'
    # other macro
    displayName -> $givenName." ".$surName

    # Use a boolean macro in a rule
    ^/admin -> $isAdmin
    # Use a string macro in a HTTP header
    Display-Name -> $displayName

Defining a group for admins

    # group
    admin -> $uid eq 'foo' or $uid eq 'bar'

Using groups in a rule

    ^/admin -> $groups =~ /\badmin\b/

    # Or with hGroups
    ^/admin -> defined $hGroups->{'admin'}

    # Since 2.0.8
    ^/admin -> inGroup('admin')

Note

Groups are computed after macros, so a group rule may involve a macro value.

Warning

Macros and groups are computed in alphanumeric order, that is, in the order they are displayed in the manager. For example, macro “macro1” will be computed before macro “macro2”: so, expression of macro2 may involve value of macro1. As same for groups: a group rule may involve another, previously computed group.

In macros and access rules, you can deal with any session attribute stored in the user session. Sometimes, those attributes are arrays, and you want to grab a value inside. You can use them, but pay attention to treat variables in a non-ambiguous way. For arrays, this means for example writing `@{$variable}` and not `@$variable`.

As a more complete example, you can build a macro checking a specific LDAP objectClass in the `$objectClass` array reference:

    # string macro checking a value in an array attribute
    employeeCategory -> grep( /^customer$/, @{$objectClass} ) ? "customer" : "other"