When you create a search form, it is good practice to provide users with a set of drop-down lists where they can specify the values to include in their search. The PossibleValues component, an instance of atg.repository.servlet.PossibleValues, takes enumeration or RepositoryItem properties, queries the database for their values, and returns these values for use by a servlet bean such as ForEach, which can display the query results.

For example, you might want to query Recipe items on three properties: Appliance, PrepTime, and Course. You can construct three drop-down lists that display the complete set of property values:

A component that supports advanced searches can generate a list of possible property values without using the PossibleValues servlet bean as follows:

For more information, see How Advanced Searches Operate.