Create and modify object types

If the managed object types provided in the default configuration don’t meet your needs, you can create or modify them.

Every managed object type has a name and a schema that describes the properties associated with that object. The name can only include the characters a-z, A-Z, 0-9, and _ (underscore). You can add any arbitrary properties to the schema.

Avoid using the dash character (-) in property names (for example, last-name) because dashes in names make JavaScript syntax more complex. Instead, use camel case (for example, lastName). If you can’t avoid dash characters, write source['last-name'] instead of source.last-name in your JavaScript.
Managed object properties that contain an underscore (_) are reserved for internal use. Don’t create new properties that contain underscores or include these properties in update requests.

Typical managed object property definition fields

title

The name of the property, in human-readable language, used to display the property in the UI.

description

A brief description of the property.

viewable

Specifies whether this property is viewable in the object’s profile in the UI. Boolean, true or false (true by default).

searchable

Specifies whether this property can be searched in the UI. A searchable property is visible within the Managed Object data grid in the end-user UI.

For a property to be searchable in the UI, it must be indexed in the repository configuration. For information on indexing properties in a repository, refer to Object mappings.

Boolean, true or false (false by default).

In PingIDM 8.0, the end-user UI is not bundled with PingIDM. You can download and install the end-user UI separately by going to the ForgeRock/end-user-ui GitHub repository and following the guidance in the End-User UI README Quick start. Learn more in Changed functionality and End-user UI limitations.

userEditable

Specifies whether users can edit the property value in the UI. This property applies in the context of the End User UI, where users are able to edit certain properties of their own accounts. Boolean, true or false (false by default).

isProtected

Specifies whether reauthentication is required if the value of this property changes.

For certain properties, such as passwords, changing the value of the property should force an end user to reauthenticate. These properties are referred to as protected properties. Depending on how the user authenticates (which authentication module is used), the list of protected properties is added to the user’s security context. For example, if a user logs in with the login and password of their managed user entry (MANAGED_USER authentication module), their security context will include this list of protected properties. The list of protected properties is not included in the security context if the user logs in with a module that does not support reauthentication.

pattern

Any specific pattern to which the value of the property must adhere. For example, a property whose value is a date might require a specific date format.

policies

Any policy validation that must be applied to the property. For more information on managed object policies, refer to Default policy for managed objects.

required

Specifies whether the property must be supplied when an object of this type is created. Boolean, true or false.

IDM assesses the required policy only during object creation, not when an object is updated. You can effectively bypass the policy by updating the object and supplying an empty value for that property. To prevent this inconsistency, set both required and notEmpty to true for required properties. This configuration indicates that the property must exist and must have a value.

type

The data type for the property value; can be string, array, boolean, integer, number, object, Resource Collection, or null.

If any user might not have a value for a specific property (such as a telephoneNumber), you must include null as one of the property types. You can set a null property type in the admin UI (Configure > Managed Objects > User, select the property, and under the Details tab, Advanced Options, set Nullable to true).

You can also set a null property type in your managed object configuration by setting "type" : '[ "string","null" ]' for that property (where string can be any other valid property type. This information is validated by the policy service, as described in Validate Managed Object Data Types.

If you’re configuring a data type of array through the admin UI, you’re limited to two values.

isVirtual

Specifies whether the property takes a static value, or whether its value is calculated "on the fly" as the result of a script. Boolean, true or false.

returnByDefault

For non-core attributes (virtual attributes and relationship fields), specifies whether the property is returned in the results of a query on an object of this type if it is not explicitly requested. Virtual attributes and relationship fields are not returned by default. Boolean, true or false. When the property is in an array within a relationship, always set to false.

relationshipGrantTemporalConstraintsEnforced

For attributes with relationship fields. Specifies whether this relationship should have temporal constraints enforced. Boolean, true or false. For more information about temporal constraints, refer to Use temporal constraints to restrict effective roles.

default

Specifies a default value if the object is created without passing a value. Default values are available for the following data types, and arrays of those types:

boolean
number
object
string

IDM assumes all default values are valid for the schema.

enum

Restricts a field’s possible values to a defined set of options. enum is supported for string and number types, and for array types containing strings or numbers.

To define enum values, add the enum property to the field’s schema definition in the managed object configuration using an API PUT request to the /openidm/config/managed endpoint or editing the file. Currently, you can’t use the IDM admin UI to add, remove, or edit enums directly.

In the following examples, the string type shows the JSON hierarchy of the property, while the others truncate everything except the property itself.

string
number
array of strings

{
  "_id": "managed",
  "objects": [
    {
      ...
      "schema": {
        ...
        "properties": [
          ...
          {
            "favoriteColor": {
              "enum": [
                "red",
                "green",
                "blue"
              ],
              "title": "Favorite Color",
              "type": "string",
              "viewable": true,
              "searchable": false,
              "userEditable": true,
              "description": "Choose your favorite color",
              "format": null,
              "isVirtual": false
            },
            ...

{
  "custom_enum_single_number": {
    "title": "Rating",
    "description": "Select the best number",
    "type": "number",
    "viewable": true,
    "userEditable": true,
    "enum": [
      4,
      8,
      15,
      16,
      23,
      42
    ]
  }
}

{
  "custom_enum_array_string": {
    "title": "Preferred Colors",
    "description": "Choose your preferred colors",
    "type": "array",
    "viewable": true,
    "userEditable": true,
    "items": {           (1)
      "type": "string",
      "enum": [
        "red",
        "green",
        "blue",
        "yellow"
      ]
    }
  }
}

1	The `enum` definition must be placed within the `items` object.

Create an object using the admin UI

Select Configure > Managed Objects > New Managed Object.
On the New Managed Object page, enter a name and readable title for the object, make optional changes, as necessary, and click Save. The readable title specifies the label that displays in the UI.
On the Properties tab, specify the schema for the object type (the properties that make up the object).
On the Scripts tab, specify any scripts that are triggered by events associated with the object type. For example, scripts that run when an object of this type is created, updated, or deleted.

You can also create a new managed object type by editing your managed object configuration using an API PUT request to the /openidm/config/managed endpoint or editing the file.

Example: Phone object created using the admin UI

{
    "name": "Phone",
    "schema": {
        "$schema": "http://forgerock.org/json-schema#",
        "type": "object",
        "properties": {
            "brand": {
                "description": "The supplier of the mobile phone",
                "title": "Brand",
                "viewable": true,
                "searchable": true,
                "userEditable": false,
                "policies": [],
                "returnByDefault": false,
                "pattern": "",
                "isVirtual": false,
                "type": [
                    "string",
                    "null"
                ]
            },
            "assetNumber": {
                "description": "The asset tag number of the mobile device",
                "title": "Asset Number",
                "viewable": true,
                "searchable": true,
                "userEditable": false,
                "policies": [],
                "returnByDefault": false,
                "pattern": "",
                "isVirtual": false,
                "type": "string"
            },
            "model": {
                "description": "The model number of the mobile device, such as 6 plus, Galaxy S4",
                "title": "Model",
                "viewable": true,
                "searchable": false,
                "userEditable": false,
                "policies": [],
                "returnByDefault": false,
                "pattern": "",
                "isVirtual": false,
                "type": "string"
            }
        },
        "required": [],
        "order": [
            "brand",
            "assetNumber",
            "model"
        ]
    }
}

Default values

You can specify default values in the managed object configuration. If you omit a default value when creating an object, the default value is automatically applied to the object. You can have default values for the following data types, and arrays of those types:

boolean
number
object
string

For example, the default managed object configuration includes a default value that makes accountStatus:active, which effectively replaces the onCreate script that was previously used to achieve the same result. The following excerpt from the managed object configuration displays the default value for accountStatus:

"accountStatus" : {
    "title" : "Status",
    "description" : "Status",
    "viewable" : true,
    "type" : "string",
    "searchable" : true,
    "userEditable" : false,
    "usageDescription" : "",
    "isPersonal" : false,
    "policies" : [
        {
            "policyId": "regexpMatches",
            "params": {
                "regexp": "^(active|inactive)$"
            }
        }
    ],
    "default" : "active"
}

IDM assumes all default values are valid for the schema. Although IDM skips policy validation for objects with default values, you can force validation on property values.