h2. Ava

*AVA* stands for _AttributeTypeAndValue_. It describes a container holding an *[AttributeType (...)]* associated with a *[DIRAPI:Value]* in a *[Rdn]*. An example would be :

{code}
dc=example
{code}
where 'dc' is the [AttributeType (...)] and 'example' the associated value.

A user is not likely to manipulate such a class.

*AVA* is a final class, it can be schema aware. It's also a _Externalizable_ class.


h3. Usage

As for the *[Dn]* and *[Rdn]* classes, we have to hold two representation for the interned *[AttributeType (...)]* and Value : the User Provided form, and the normalized form. If the *AVA* is schema aware, we will use the AttributeType's *[Oid]* as the normalized form for the *[AttributeType (...)]*, and the value will be normalized accordingly to the equality matching rule the *[AttributeType (...)]* defines, if any. Let's see some examples.


*{+}Schema Aware :+*

Here we will create an *{+}AVA{+}* and check that the user provided values are preserved. The _getUpName()_ and _getString()_ methods will give back this user provided form.

{code}
public void testAvaSimpleNorm() throws LdapException   
{
    Ava atav = new Ava( schemaManager, " CommonName ", " This is    a TEST " );
    assertEquals( " CommonName = This is    a TEST ", atav.toString() );
    assertEquals( "2.5.4.3=this is a test", atav.getNormName() );
    assertEquals( " CommonName = This is    a TEST ", atav.getUpName() );
}
{code}

Note that the normalized value has transformed the *[AttributeType (...)]* and now uses its *[Oid]*, and the value has been lower cased and the superfluous spaces have been removed, as dictated by the _CaseIgnoreMatch_ *[MatchingRule (e)]*


*{+}Not Schema Aware{+}*

The biggest difference in this case is that the *[AttributeType (...)]* will not be replaced by its *[Oid]*, but instead by a lower cased form of the provided ID. We also escape the leading and trailing spaces in the value.

{code}
public void testAvaSimpleNorm() throws LdapException
{
    Ava atav = new Ava( null, " CommonName ", " This is    a TEST " );
    assertEquals( " CommonName = This is    a TEST ", atav.toString() );
    assertEquals( "commonname=\\ This is    a TEST\\ ", atav.getNormName() );
    assertEquals( " CommonName = This is    a TEST ", atav.getUpName() );
}
{code}