Policy Server Guides › Policy Server Configuration Guide › User Directories › Named Expressions › Define Named Expressions › User Classes

User Classes

A user class lets you define a re-usable expression to calculate user information. You use this type of expression when the user attribute is not uniquely referenced by the user directory. Rather, the user attribute must be calculated using attributes and other criteria that is established by business logic.

A user class names an expression that returns a TRUE value if a user is a member of a specified class or a FALSE value if not.

User classes are prefixed by the "at" symbol (@). The "at" symbol prevents name clashes with user attribute names and mappings and is a visual reminder that the user attribute value is calculated.

As an expression, a user class can include:

• User attributes, either directory-specific or mapped
• References to other named expressions
• SiteMinder built-in functions and expression syntax

A user class is not a role. A role is a feature of Enterprise Policy Management. While roles can use user classes, they have additional information associated with them. For more information about roles, see the Enterprise Policy Management.