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### 3.2 Query Form

The simplest way to query your directory server is to use the query form. You display the query form with the ‘`Query with Form`’ menu item or by invoking the command `M-x eudc-query-form`. The attribute names presented in this form are defined by the `eudc-query-form-attributes` variable (unless a non-`nil` argument is supplied to `eudc-query-form`).

Since the different directory protocols to which EUDC interfaces may use different names for equivalent attributes, EUDC defines its own set of attribute names and a mapping between these names and their protocol-specific equivalent through the variable `eudc-protocol-attributes-translation-alist`. Names currently defined by EUDC are `name`, `firstname`, `email` and `phone`.

— Variable: eudc-query-form-attributes

> A list of attributes presented in the query form. Attribute names in this list should be either EUDC attribute names or valid attribute names. You can get a list of valid attribute names for the current protocol with the ‘`List Valid Attribute Names`’ menu item or the `M-x eudc-get-attribute-list` command. Defaults to `name`, `email` and `phone`.

— Command: eudc-query-form get-fields-from-server

> Display a form to query the directory server. If given a non-`nil` argument the function first queries the server for the existing fields and displays a corresponding form. Not all protocols may support a non-`nil` argument here.

Since the names of the fields may not be explicit enough or adapted to be directly displayed as prompt strings in the form, the variable `eudc-user-attribute-names-alist` lets you define more explicit names for directory attribute names. This variable is ignored if `eudc-use-raw-directory-names` is non-`nil`.

— Variable: eudc-user-attribute-names-alist

> This is an alist of user-defined names for the directory attributes used in query/response forms. Prompt strings for attributes that are not in this alist are derived by splitting the attribute name at underscores and capitalizing the individual words.

— Variable: eudc-use-raw-directory-names

> If non-`nil`, use attributes names as defined in the directory. Otherwise, directory query/response forms display the user attribute names defined in `eudc-user-attribute-names-alist`.