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 rou
tines.
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 underly
ing session is established upon first use which is com
monly 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_getfil
ter(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 out
put 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.
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. Out
put 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, exam
ple 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 proto
col elements using the (slightly simplified) Basic Encod
ing 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 rou
tines 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 asyn
chronous operation
tion
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
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
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 dis
play 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 tem
plate
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
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_val
ues(3)
ldap_value_free_len(3)
free memory allocated by ldap_get_val
ues_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)
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 fil
ters
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 struc
tures 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
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) rou
tines
ldap_ufn_timeout(3) set timeout used by ldap_ufn(3) rou
tines
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
case insensitive string comparison
SEE ALSO
slapd(8)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
OpenLDAP is developed and maintained by The OpenLDAP Pro
ject (http://www.openldap.org/). OpenLDAP is derived from
University of Michigan LDAP 3.3 Release.
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