LDAP(3)

NAME
ldap - OpenLDAP Lightweight Directory Access Protocol API

SYNOPSIS
#include <ldap.h>

DESCRIPTION

The Lightweight Directory Access Protocol provides access to X.500 directory services. The services may be stand-alone part of a distributed directory service. This API supports LDAP over TCP, LDAP over SSL, and LDAP over IPC (UNIX domain sockets).

The OpenLDAP LDAP package includes a stand-alone server in slapd(8), various LDAP clients, and an LDAP client library used to provide programmatic access to the LDAP protocol. This man page gives an overview of the LDAP library routines.

Both synchronous and asynchronous APIs are provided. Also included are various routines to parse the results returned from these routines. These routines are found in the -lldap library.

The basic interaction is as follows. A session handle associated with created using ldap_init(3). The underlying session is established upon first use which is commonly an LDAP bind operation. The LDAP bind operation is performed by calling one of ldap_sasl_bind(3) and friends. Next, other operations are performed by calling one of the synchronous or asynchronous routines (e.g., ldap_search_ext_s(3) or ldap_search_ext(3) followed by ldap_result(3)). Results returned from these routines are interpreted by calling the LDAP parsing routines such as ldap_parse_result(3). The LDAP association and underlying connection is terminated by calling ldap_unbind_ext(3). Errors can be interpreted by calling ldap_err2string(3).

SEARCH FILTERS
Search filters to be passed to the ldap search routines can be constructed by hand, or by calling the ldap_getfilter(3) routines, which use the ldapgetfilter.conf(5) file to turn a string (presumably that a user has typed) into a series of search filters.

DISPLAYING RESULTS
Results obtained from the ldap search routines can be output by hand, by calling ldap_first_entry(3) and ldap_next_entry(3) to step through the entries returned, ldap_first_attribute(3) and ldap_next_attribute(3) to step through an entry's attributes, and ldap_get_values(3) to retrieve a given attribute's value. Attribute values may or may not be displayable.

Alternatively, the entry can be output automatically by calling the ldap_entry2text(3), ldap_entry2text_search(3), ldap_entry2html(3), or ldap_entry2html_search(3) routines. These routines look up the object class of the entry they are passed in the ldaptemplates.conf(5) file to decide which attributes to display and how to display them. Output is handled via a routine passed in as a parameter.

UNIFORM RESOURCE LOCATORS (URLS)
The ldap_url(3) routines can be used test a URL to see if it is an LDAP URL, to parse LDAP URLs into their component pieces, and to initiate searches directly using an LDAP URL.

USER FRIENDLY NAMING
The ldap_ufn(3) routines implement a user friendly naming scheme via LDAP. This scheme allows you to look up entries using fuzzy, untyped names like "john smith, example corp, ca, us".

CACHING
The ldap_cache(3) routines implement a local client caching scheme, providing a substantial performance increase for repeated queries.

UTILITY ROUTINES
Also provided are various utility routines. The ldap_sort(3) routines are used to sort the entries and values returned via the ldap search routines. The ldap_friendly(3) routines are used to map from short two letter country codes (or other strings) to longer "friendlier" names.

BER LIBRARY
Also included in the distribution is a set of lightweight Basic Encoding Rules routines. These routines are used by the LDAP library routines to encode and decode LDAP protocol elements using the (slightly simplified) Basic Encoding Rules defined by LDAP. They are not normally used directly by an LDAP application program excepting in the handling of controls and extended operations. The routines provide a printf and scanf-like interface, as well as lower-level access. These routines are found in the -llber library.

INDEX

ldap_open(3)
    open a connection to an LDAP server

ldap_init(3)
    initialize the LDAP library without opening a connection to a server

ldap_result(3)
    wait for the result from an asynchronous operation

ldap_abandon(3)
    abandon (abort) an asynchronous operation

ldap_add(3)
    asynchronously add an entry

ldap_add_s(3)
    synchronously add an entry

ldap_bind(3)
    asynchronously bind to the directory

ldap_bind_s(3)
    synchronously bind to the directory

ldap_simple_bind(3)
    asynchronously bind to the directory using simple authentication

ldap_simple_bind_s(3)
    synchronously bind to the directory using simple authentication

ldap_kerberos_bind_s(3)
    synchronously bind to the directory using kerberos authentication

ldap_kerberos_bind1(3)
    asynchronously bind to the LDAP server using kerberos authentication

ldap_kerberos_bind1_s(3)
    synchronously bind to the LDAP server using kerberos authentication

ldap_kerberos_bind2(3)
    asynchronously bind to the DSA using kerberos authentication

ldap_kerberos_bind2_s(3)
    synchronously bind to the DSA using kerberos authentication

ldap_unbind(3)
    synchronously unbind from the LDAP server and close the connection

ldap_unbind_s(3)
    equivalent to ldap_unbind(3)

ldap_memfree (3)
    dispose of memory allocated by LDAP routines.

ldap_enable_cache(3)
    enable LDAP client caching

ldap_disable_cache(3)
    disable LDAP client caching

ldap_destroy_cache(3)
    disable LDAP client caching and destroy cache contents

ldap_flush_cache(3)
    flush LDAP client cache

ldap_uncache_entry(3)
    uncache requests pertaining to an entry

ldap_uncache_request(3)
    uncache a request

ldap_set_cache_options(3)
    set cache options

ldap_compare(3)
    asynchronous compare to a directory entry

ldap_compare_s(3)
    synchronous compare to a directory entry

ldap_delete(3)
    asynchronously delete an entry

ldap_delete_s(3)
    synchronously delete an entry

ldap_init_templates(3)
    initialize display template routines from a file

ldap_init_templates_buf(3)
    initialize display template routines from a buffer

ldap_free_templates(3)
    free display template routine memory

ldap_first_disptmpl(3)
    get first display template

ldap_next_disptmpl(3)
    get next display template

ldap_oc2template(3)
    return template appropriate for objectclass

ldap_name2template(3)
    return named template

ldap_tmplattrs(3)
    return attributes needed by template

ldap_first_tmplrow(3)
    return first row of displayable items in a template

ldap_next_tmplrow(3)
    return next row of displayable items in a template

ldap_first_tmplcol(3)
    return first column of displayable items in a template

ldap_next_tmplcol(3)
    return next column of displayable items in a template

ldap_entry2text(3)
    display an entry as text using a display template

ldap_entry2text_search(3)
    search for and display an entry as text using a display template

ldap_vals2text(3)
    display values as text

ldap_entry2html(3)
    display an entry as HTML (HyperText Markup Language) using a display template

ldap_entry2html_search(3)
    search for and display an entry as HTML using a display template

ldap_vals2html(3)
    display values as HTML

ldap_perror(3)
    print an LDAP error indication to standard error

ld_errno(3)
    LDAP error indication

ldap_result2error(3)
    extract LDAP error indication from LDAP result

ldap_errlist(3)
    list of ldap errors and their meanings

ldap_err2string(3)
    convert LDAP error indication to a string

ldap_first_attribute(3)
    return first attribute name in an entry

ldap_next_attribute(3)
    return next attribute name in an entry

ldap_first_entry(3)
    return first entry in a chain of search results

ldap_next_entry(3)
    return next entry in a chain of search results

ldap_count_entries(3)
    return number of entries in a search result

ldap_friendly_name(3)
    map from unfriendly to friendly names

ldap_free_friendlymap(3)
    free resources used by ldap_friendly(3)

ldap_get_dn(3)
    extract the DN from an entry

ldap_explode_dn(3)
    convert a DN into its component parts

ldap_explode_rdn(3)
    convert a RDN into its component parts

ldap_dn2ufn(3)
    convert a DN into user friendly form

ldap_get_values(3)
    return an attribute's values

ldap_get_values_len(3)
    return an attribute values with lengths

ldap_value_free(3)
    free memory allocated by ldap_get_values(3)

ldap_value_free_len(3)
    free memory allocated by ldap_get_values_len(3)

ldap_count_values(3)
    return number of values

ldap_count_values_len(3)
    return number of values

ldap_init_getfilter(3)
    initialize getfilter routines from a file

ldap_init_getfilter_buf(3)
    initialize getfilter routines from a buffer

ldap_getfilter_free(3)
    free resources allocated by ldap_init_getfilter(3)

ldap_getfirstfilter(3)
    return first search filter

ldap_getnextfilter(3)
    return next search filter

ldap_build_filter(3)
    construct an LDAP search filter from a pattern

ldap_setfilteraffixes(3)
    set prefix and suffix for search filters

ldap_modify(3)
    asynchronously modify an entry

ldap_modify_s(3)
    synchronously modify an entry

ldap_mods_free(3)
    free array of pointers to mod structures used by ldap_modify(3)

ldap_modrdn2(3)
    asynchronously modify the RDN of an entry

ldap_modrdn2_s(3)
    synchronously modify the RDN of an entry

ldap_modrdn(3)
    depreciated - use ldap_modrdn2(3)

ldap_modrdn_s(3)
    depreciated - use ldap_modrdn2_s(3)

ldap_msgfree(3)
    free results allocated by ldap_result(3)

ldap_msgtype(3)
    return the message type of a message from ldap_result(3)

ldap_msgid(3)
    return the message id of a message from ldap_result(3)

ldap_search(3)
    asynchronously search the directory

ldap_search_s(3)
    synchronously search the directory

ldap_search_st(3)
    synchronously search the directory with timeout

ldap_ufn_search_s(3)
    user friendly search the directory

ldap_ufn_search_c(3)
    user friendly search the directory with cancel

ldap_ufn_search_ct(3)
    user friendly search the directory with cancel and timeout

ldap_ufn_setfilter(3)
    set filter file used by ldap_ufn(3) routines

ldap_ufn_setprefix(3)
    set prefix used by ldap_ufn(3) routines

ldap_ufn_timeout(3)
    set timeout used by ldap_ufn(3) routines

ldap_is_ldap_url(3)
    check a URL string to see if it is an LDAP URL

ldap_url_parse(3)
    break up an LDAP URL string into its components

ldap_url_search(3)
    asynchronously search using an LDAP URL

ldap_url_search_s(3)
    synchronously search using an LDAP URL

ldap_url_search_st(3)
    synchronously search using an LDAP URL and a timeout

ldap_init_searchprefs(3)
    initialize searchprefs routines from a file

ldap_init_searchprefs_buf(3)
    initialize searchprefs routines from a buffer

ldap_free_searchprefs(3)
    free memory allocated by searchprefs routines

ldap_first_searchobj(3)
    return first searchpref object

ldap_next_searchobj(3)
    return next searchpref object

ldap_sort_entries(3)
    sort a list of search results

ldap_sort_values(3)
    sort a list of attribute values

ldap_sort_strcasecmp(3)
    case insensitive string comparison

SEE ALSO
slapd(8)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
OpenLDAP is developed and maintained by The OpenLDAP Project (http://www.openldap.org/). OpenLDAP is derived from University of Michigan LDAP 3.3 Release.