> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.superoffice.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Helper classes

> ERP connector Helper classes

By referencing `SuperOffice.ErpSync.Contract` in your sync connector, you can take advantage of various helper classes and methods to make creating a connector a bit easier.

## ConfigDataHelper

The `ConfigDataHelper` class contains a `GetMetaData` method which parses a given class to generate a set of `FieldMetadataInfo` objects (used when Erp Sync asks the connector which fields are needed to define a connection, or which fields are supported on a given actor type).

It also has methods to save and retrieve configuration data to and from persistent storage (using `IsolatedStorage`): `SaveData()` and `GetData()`.

## ResponseHelper

All return types from a sync connector are `PluginResponseInfo` objects (or objects from one of its derived classes), and the `ResponseHelper` class is designed to make it as easy as possible to generate these objects.

## CultureDataFormatter

`ConnectorWS` also contains a copy of `CultureDataFormatter` (the original version is found in SoCore), which can help with parsing strings to typed objects and vice versa.

For more information on the usefulness of this class, see [field-value formats and conventions][1].

## SearchHelper

The `SearchHelper` class contains various methods for checking if a given field value is a match to a given `SearchRestrictionInfo` object. There are various methods available:

| Method                                                                                                       | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| bool IsMatch<br />(object testValue, SearchRestrictionInfo restriction)                                      | Attempts to determine the type of the given value before sending it off to its respective typed version (see last row of this table).<br />If the type of the value is a string, it will also check to see if it is an encoded string, and if so try to parse it into a typed object first. |
| bool IsMatch<br />(object testValue, FieldMetadataTypeInfo testValueType, SearchRestrictionInfo restriction) | The same as above, but instead of trying to determine the type of the value based on the value itself, it uses the given `FieldMetadataTypeInfo` object and then attempts to see if the test value can be parsed or cast to the correct type.                                               |
| IsMatchString / IsMatchInt / IsMatchDouble / IsMatchDateTime / IsMatchBool                                   | Typed version of `IsMatch`. Takes a typed object and checks if it's a search result match to the given restriction object.<br />IsMatchString will **not** see if a string is encoded and try to parse it first.<br />All string comparisons are case insensitive.                          |

<Note>
  There isn't a separate method for list values, because each connector will handle lists in its own way. However, since the list item keys are communicated as simple strings from the ERP sync, `IsMatchString` will probably be useful for checking searches containing list restrictions.
</Note>

## Extension methods

There are also extension methods available for all classes that are duplicated between the web service layer and the host/connector communication layer (such as `ErpActor` and `ErpActorWS`), useful for turning one into the other (and vice versa).

[1]: ./api/field-value-formats-and-conventions


## Related topics

- [Culture Helper](/en/api/localization/culture/culturesettinghelper.md)
- [AddressHelper class](/en/api/localization/address/addresshelper.md)
- [SuperOffice.WebApi.Authorization.Utility.UrlHelper](/en/api/reference/webapi/SuperOffice.WebApi.Authorization.Utility.UrlHelper.md)
- [SuperOffice.CRM.Globalization namespace](/en/api/localization/superoffice-crm-globalization.md)
- [SuperOffice.WebApi.Data.CultureDataFormatter](/en/api/reference/webapi/SuperOffice.WebApi.Data.CultureDataFormatter.md)
- [SuperOffice.WebApi.Data.UserPreferenceStrings](/en/api/reference/webapi/SuperOffice.WebApi.Data.UserPreferenceStrings.md)