LDIF(5) 							File Formats Manual							   LDIF(5)

NAME

       ldif - LDAP Data Interchange Format

DESCRIPTION

       The  LDAP  Data Interchange Format (LDIF) is used to represent LDAP entries and change records in text form. LDAP tools, such as ldapadd(1)
       and ldapsearch(1), read and write LDIF entry records.  ldapmodify(1) reads LDIF change records.

       This manual page provides a basic description of LDIF.  A formal specification of LDIF is published in RFC 2849.

ENTRY RECORDS

       LDIF entry records are used to represent directory entries.  The basic form of an entry record is:

	    dn: <distinguished name>
	    <attrdesc>: <attrvalue>
	    <attrdesc>: <attrvalue>
	    <attrdesc>:: <base64-encoded-value>
	    <attrdesc>:< <URL>
	    ...

       The value may be specified as UTF-8 text or as base64 encoded data, or a URI may be provided to the location of the attribute value.

       A line may be continued by starting the next line with a single space or tab, e.g.,

	    dn: cn=Barbara J Jensen,dc=exam
	     ple,dc=com

       Lines beginning with a sharp sign ('#') are ignored.

       Multiple attribute values are specified on separate lines, e.g.,

	    cn: Barbara J Jensen
	    cn: Babs Jensen

       If an value contains a non-printing character, or begins with a space or a colon ':', the <attrtype> is followed by a double colon and  the
       value is encoded in base 64 notation. e.g., the value " begins with a space" would be encoded like this:

	    cn:: IGJlZ2lucyB3aXRoIGEgc3BhY2U=

       If  the	attribute value is located in a file, the <attrtype> is followed by a ':<' and a file: URI.  e.g., the value contained in the file
       /tmp/value would be listed like this:

	    cn:< file:///tmp/value
       Other URI schemes (ftp,http) may be supported as well.

       Multiple entries within the same LDIF file are separated by blank lines.

ENTRY RECORD EXAMPLE

       Here is an example of an LDIF file containing three entries.

	    dn: cn=Barbara J Jensen,dc=example,dc=com
	    cn: Barbara J Jensen
	    cn: Babs Jensen
	    objectclass: person
	    description:< file:///tmp/babs
	    sn: Jensen

	    dn: cn=Bjorn J Jensen,dc=example,dc=com
	    cn: Bjorn J Jensen
	    cn: Bjorn Jensen
	    objectclass: person
	    sn: Jensen

	    dn: cn=Jennifer J Jensen,dc=example,dc=com
	    cn: Jennifer J Jensen
	    cn: Jennifer Jensen
	    objectclass: person
	    sn: Jensen
	    jpegPhoto:: /9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAAAAAQABAAD/2wBDABALD
	     A4MChAODQ4SERATGCgaGBYWGDEjJR0oOjM9PDkzODdASFxOQ
	     ERXRTc4UG1RV19iZ2hnPk1xeXBkeFxlZ2P/2wBDARESEhgVG
	    ...

       Note that the description in Barbara Jensen's entry is read from file:///tmp/babs and the jpegPhoto in Jennifer Jensen's entry  is  encoded
       using base 64.

CHANGE RECORDS

       LDIF change records are used to represent directory change requests.  Each change record starts with line indicating the distinguished name
       of the entry being changed:

	    dn: <distinguishedname>

	    changetype: <[modify|add|delete|modrdn]>

       Finally, the change information itself is given, the format of which depends on what kind of change was specified above.  For a	changetype
       of modify, the format is one or more of the following:

	    add: <attributetype>
	    <attrdesc>: <value1>
	    <attrdesc>: <value2>
	    ...
	    -

       Or, for a replace modification:

	    replace: <attributetype>
	    <attrdesc>: <value1>
	    <attrdesc>: <value2>
	    ...
	    -

       If no attributetype lines are given to replace, the entire attribute is to be deleted (if present).

       Or, for a delete modification:

	    delete: <attributetype>
	    <attrdesc>: <value1>
	    <attrdesc>: <value2>
	    ...
	    -

       If no attributetype lines are given to delete, the entire attribute is to be deleted.

       For a changetype of add, the format is:

	    <attrdesc1>: <value1>
	    <attrdesc1>: <value2>
	    ...
	    <attrdescN>: <value1>
	    <attrdescN>: <value2>

       For a changetype of modrdn or moddn, the format is:

	    newrdn: <newrdn>
	    deleteoldrdn: 0 | 1
	    newsuperior: <DN>

       where a value of 1 for deleteoldrdn means to delete the values forming the old rdn from the entry, and a value of 0 means to leave the val-
       ues as non-distinguished attributes in the entry.  The newsuperior line is optional and, if present, specifies the new superior to move the
       entry to.

       For a changetype of delete, no additional information is needed in the record.

       Note  that  attribute values may be presented using base64 or in files as described for entry records.  Lines in change records may be con-
       tinued in the manner described for entry records as well.

CHANGE RECORD EXAMPLE

       The following sample LDIF file contains a change record of each type of change.

	    dn: cn=Babs Jensen,dc=example,dc=com
	    changetype: add
	    objectclass: person
	    objectclass: extensibleObject
	    cn: babs
	    cn: babs jensen
	    sn: jensen

	    dn: cn=Babs Jensen,dc=example,dc=com
	    changetype: modify
	    add: givenName
	    givenName: Barbara
	    givenName: babs
	    -
	    replace: description
	    description: the fabulous babs
	    -
	    delete: sn
	    sn: jensen
	    -

	    dn: cn=Babs Jensen,dc=example,dc=com
	    changetype: modrdn
	    newrdn: cn=Barbara J Jensen
	    deleteoldrdn: 0
	    newsuperior: ou=People,dc=example,dc=com

	    dn: cn=Barbara J Jensen,ou=People,dc=example,dc=com
	    changetype: delete

INCLUDE STATEMENT

       The LDIF parser has been extended to support an include statement for referencing other LDIF files.  The include statement  must  be  sepa-
       rated  from  other records by a blank line.  The referenced file is specified using a file: URI and all of its contents are incorporated as
       if they were part of the original LDIF file. As above, other URI schemes may be supported. For example:

	    dn: dc=example,dc=com
	    objectclass: domain
	    dc: example

	    include: file:///tmp/example.com.ldif

	    dn: dc=example,dc=org
	    objectclass: domain
	    dc: example
       This feature is not part of the LDIF specification in RFC 2849 but is expected to appear in a future revision of this spec. It is supported
       by the ldapadd(1), ldapmodify(1), and slapadd(8) commands.

SEE ALSO

       ldap(3), ldapsearch(1), ldapadd(1), ldapmodify(1), slapadd(8), slapcat(8), slapd-ldif(5), slapd.replog(5).

       "LDAP Data Interchange Format," Good, G., RFC 2849.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

       OpenLDAP  Software  is developed and maintained by The OpenLDAP Project <http://www.openldap.org/>.  OpenLDAP Software is derived from Uni-
       versity of Michigan LDAP 3.3 Release.

OpenLDAP							    2012/04/23								   LDIF(5)