Bookshelf v7.8.2: MetadataService

Use the MetadataService to retrieve descriptions of Siebel Analytics schema objects: columns, tables, and subject areas. Table 44 shows the supported methods.

Table 44. MetadataService Methods
Method Names	Description
describeColumn() Method	Retrieves column information for a specified column in a specified subject area and table.
describeSubjectArea() Method	Retrieves subject area information for a specified subject area.
describeTable() Method	Retrieves table information for a specified table in a specified subject area.
getSubjectAreas() Method	Retrieves the list of subject areas available.

describeColumn() Method

Retrieves column information for a specified column in a specified subject area and table.

Signature

SAColumn describeColumn (String subjectAreaName, String tableName, String columnName, String sessionID);


Arguments	Description
String subjectAreaName	String to specify the subject area to be queried.
String tableName	String to specify the table to be queried.
String columnName	String to specify the column to be queried.
String sessionID	A character string that identifies the session ID. The session ID is usually returned by the logon call. If the SOAP client engine can handle HTTP cookies, you can omit the session ID or set it to null.

Returns

Returns an SAColumn Object. For information on the SAColumn structure, see SAColumn Structure.

describeSubjectArea() Method

Signature

SASubjectArea[] describeSubjectArea (String subjectAreaName, SASubjectAreaDetails detailsLevel, String sessionID);


Arguments	Description
String subjectAreaName	String to specify the subject area to be queried.
SASubjectAreaDetails detailsLevel	Specifies what information should be retrieved about the subject area. For information on the SASubjectAreaDetails structure, see SASubjectAreaDetails Values.
String sessionID	A character string that identifies the session ID. The session ID is usually returned by the logon call. If the SOAP client engine can handle HTTP cookies, you can omit the session ID or set it to null.

SASubjectAreaDetails Values

Used to specify what information should be retrieved about the subject area. Table 45 lists the available values.

Table 45. SASubjectAreaDetails Values
Values	Description
IncludeTables	Include table list with minimum information about each table.
IncludeTablesAndColumns	Include full table and column information.
Minimum	Do not include table and column information.

Returns

Returns an SASubjectArea Object. For information on the SASubjectArea structure, see SASubjectArea Structure.

Usage

Depending on the value of the detailsLevel parameter, the returned Object contains the information specified in Table 46.

Table 46. Contents of SASubjectArea Object Based on detailsLevel Parameter
Value of detailsLevel	Description
IncludeTables	Tables field is not null and contains the collection of tables for this subject area. Each table object has the columns field set to null.
InludeTablesAndColumns	Tables field is not null and contains the collection of tables for this subject area. For each table object the columns field contains the corresponding collection of columns.
Minimum	Table list is not available. The tables field in the resulting subject area object is null.

describeTable() Method

Signature

SATable describeTable (String subjectAreaName, String tableName, SATableDetails detailsLevel, String sessionID);


Arguments	Description
String subjectAreaName	String to specify the subject area to be queried.
String tableName	String to specify the table to be queried.
SATableDetails detailsLevel	Specifies what information should be retrieved about the table. For information on the SATableDetails structure, see SATablesDetails Values.
String sessionID	A character string that identifies the session ID. The session ID is usually returned by the logon call. If the SOAP client engine can handle HTTP cookies, you can omit the session ID or set it to null.

SATablesDetails Values

Used to specify what information should be retrieved about the table. Table 47 lists the available values.

Table 47. SATableDetails Values
Values	Description
IncludeColumns	Populate the columns field in the SATable Object.
Minimum	Do not include column information. The columns field in the SATable Object is set to null.

Returns

Returns an SATable Object. For information on the SATable structure, see SATable Structure.

getSubjectAreas() Method

Signature


Arguments	Description
String sessionID	A character string that identifies the session ID. The session ID is usually returned by the logon call. If the SOAP client engine can handle HTTP cookies, you can omit the session ID or set it to null.

Returns

Returns an SASubjectArea Object. For information on the SASubjectArea structure, see SASubjectArea Structure.

Usage

SASubjectArea objects returned by this call do not have table information available. The tables field is null. The approach to querying at all levels is to use getSubjectAreas() to retrieve the list of subject areas, then use describeSubjectArea() to get the list of tables. Then use describeTable() to retrieve the list of columns in a specified table, and finally use describeColumn() to get information on a specified column.