How Does Active Directory Interpret XML Strings for Address Fields?

Описание: Discover how to properly format XML strings for Active Directory, especially for new lines in address fields, to streamline your account creation process.
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Understanding Active Directory's Interpretation of XML Strings

When working with PowerShell and Active Directory (AD), especially during the account creation process, you may encounter issues with how AD interprets XML strings. One common problem arises when including new lines in address fields. In this post, we’ll explore how AD handles these inputs and what you can do to ensure your address formats correctly.

The Problem: Incorrect New Line Parsing

As you attempt to populate the street address field using a .ps1xml file for account creation, you might find that new lines do not appear as intended. For example, when you try using various character codes like &# xD;, &# 10;, or &# 13;, the line breaks in your addresses may not translate correctly, leading to improperly formatted entries.

Example of XML Input

Here’s an example of how you might try to structure your XML:

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Despite these efforts, Active Directory might not be displaying the new lines in the GUI as expected, prompting the question: How does AD interpret these XML strings?

The Solution: Proper Formatting for New Lines

It turns out that to display multiline addresses correctly in Active Directory, both carriage return (\r) and new line (\n) characters need to be included. This means you should format your XML with the character codes for both:

Correct XML Format

Here’s how your XML should look:

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Setting the Address in PowerShell

When you retrieve the street address in PowerShell and set it for a user, it’s crucial to include both line breaks as follows:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Testing and Validation

To verify that your address is being formatted correctly, you can run a small test in PowerShell to check the character codes of the address. By examining each character in the string, you can confirm that both carriage return and new line characters are present:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Key Takeaways

XML Formatting: Use both &# 13; and &# 10; for multiline addresses in XML.

PowerShell Adjustment: Use backticks () to include \rand\n` in your PowerShell scripts to ensure correct parsing of address data.

Testing: Regularly verify your results to ensure they appear as expected in the Active Directory GUI.

By following these guidelines, you’ll be able to streamline your account creation process and ensure that address fields are populated correctly without formatting issues.