Siebel Personalization Administration Guide > Managing User Profiles >

Using MVG Profile Attributes to Improve Searches


Siebel Personalization provides a hook for entering dynamic search specifications on applets and business components. Administrators can use these dynamic search specifications to target the content to the user based on their profile information. Personalization supports MVG attributes in order to extend the profile, which you can use to track information on customers that cannot be captured in single value fields. These attributes could be hobbies, interests, and so on.

About the GetProfileAttrAsList Function

The GetProfileAttrAsList function returns the MVG value as a list. You can also use this function in the EXISTS operator to create the right expressions for matching the MVG profile attributes with content within Siebel applications.

Using GetProfileAttrAsList and the EXISTS Operator

Table 13 describes using the GetProfileAttrAsList outside and within the EXISTS operator.

Table 13.  Using GetProfileAttrAsList and the Exists Operator
If...
Then...

GetProfileAttrAsList is used outside the Exists operator.

It returns a comma-separated list of the MVG values.

For example, if you are using a MVG called State that has the values CA, MA, GA, and CA is primary, then GetProfileAttrAsList (State) would return CA, MA, GA.

GetProfileAttrAsList is used within the EXISTS operator.

The function returns the value of the profile attributes in the format expected by the operator.

For example, a typical usage of the EXISTS operator in this scenario is EXISTS ([Targeted States] = GetProfileAttrAsList("State")).

This does a many-to-many match of the MVG Business Component Field Targeted State against the MVG profile attribute State.

GetProfileAttr and the MVG Profile Attributes

The following describes using the GetProfileAttr function and MVG profile attributes.

  • Modify the semantics of GetProfileAttr also for MVG profile attributes. So if the GetProfileAttr function is called for an MVG, it returns only the primary value of the MVG.

    For example, for an MVG called State, with the values CA, MA, GA, where CA is primary, GetProfileAttr (State) would return CA.

  • Use the EXISTS operator for matching content with MVG profile attribute.

    Table 14 lists the three potential cases when using EXISTS with a profile attribute.

Table 14.  Three Cases of Using EXISTS with a Profile Attribute
In this case...
Expression
Description

MVG profile attribute and MVG Business component field

Expression: EXISTS ([Targeted State] = GetProfileAttrAsList("State"))

This expression tests whether any of the states in the MVG profile attribute, State, exist in the BC MVG field Targeted State.

MVG profile attribute and single value business component field

Expression: EXISTS ([State] = GetProfileAttrAsList("State"))

This expression tests whether any of the states in the MVG profile match states in the Targeted State single value BC field.

Single value profile attribute and MVG Business component field

Expression: EXISTS ([Targeted State] = GetProfileAttr("State"))

This expression tests whether single value states in the user profile match states in the MVG Targeted State BC field.

Siebel Personalization Administration Guide