Re: matchingRuleUse / extensibleMatch

[Steven Legg <steven.legg@eb2bcom.com>]

Jim,

Jim Sermersheim wrote:
> Two questions:
>  
> 1) In [Models], MatchingRuleUseDescription.APPLIES says: "provides a 
> list of attribute types the matching rule applies to". Does this include 
> or exclude subtypes?
>  
> 2) In [Protocol], SearchRequest.filter.extensibleMatch says: "If the 
> type field is absent and the matchingRule is present, the matchValue is 
> compared against all attributes in an entry which support that 
> matchingRule.". Does this mean "as determined by any matchingRuleUse for 
> that mathing rule", or "as determined by any matchingRuleUse, or the 
> EQUALITY, ORDERING, or SUBSTR rules of the attribute"?
>  
> Whatever the answers are to these, I don't find it obvious by reading 
> the text.

X.511 says that when the type is omitted from a MatchingRuleAssertion
"the match is made against all attribute types which are compatible with
that matching rule". I've always taken that to mean any attribute whose
*syntax* is one to which the matching rule is defined to apply.

I don't take the matchingRuleUse attribute seriously. Matching rules like
allComponentsMatch, directoryComponentsMatch and presentMatch can be applied
to any attribute. Having to list all the attribute types to which these
matching rules can be applied is too onerous.

Regards,
Steven

>  
> Jim