path: root/doc/man/man5/ldif.5

.TH LDIF 5 "RELEASEDATE" "OpenLDAP LDVERSION"
.\" $OpenLDAP$
.\" Copyright 1998-2024 The OpenLDAP Foundation All Rights Reserved.
.\" Copying restrictions apply.  See COPYRIGHT/LICENSE.
.SH NAME
ldif \- LDAP Data Interchange Format
.SH DESCRIPTION
The LDAP Data Interchange Format (LDIF) is used to represent LDAP
entries and change records in text form. LDAP tools, such as
.BR ldapadd (1)
and
.BR ldapsearch (1),
read and write LDIF entry
records.
.BR ldapmodify (1)
reads LDIF change records.
.LP
This manual page provides a basic description of LDIF.  A
formal specification of LDIF is published in RFC 2849.
.SH ENTRY RECORDS
.LP
LDIF entry records are used to represent directory entries.  The basic
form of an entry record is:
.LP
.nf
.ft tt
	dn: <distinguished name>
	<attrdesc>: <attrvalue>
	<attrdesc>: <attrvalue>
	<attrdesc>:: <base64-encoded-value>
	<attrdesc>:< <URL>
	...
.ft
.fi
.LP
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.
.LP
A line may be continued by starting the next line with a single space
or tab, e.g.,
.LP
.nf
.ft tt
	dn: cn=Barbara J Jensen,dc=exam
	 ple,dc=com
.ft
.fi
.LP
Lines beginning with a sharp sign ('#') are ignored.
.LP
Multiple attribute values are specified on separate lines, e.g.,
.LP
.nf
.ft tt
	cn: Barbara J Jensen
	cn: Babs Jensen
.ft
.fi
.LP
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:
.LP
.nf
.ft tt
	cn:: IGJlZ2lucyB3aXRoIGEgc3BhY2U=
.ft
.fi
.LP
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:
.LP
.nf
.ft tt
	cn:< file:///tmp/value
.ft
.fi
Other URI schemes (ftp,http) may be supported as well.
.LP
Multiple entries within the same LDIF file are separated by blank
lines.
.SH ENTRY RECORD EXAMPLE
Here is an example of an LDIF file containing three entries.
.LP
.nf
.ft tt
	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
	...
.ft
.fi
.LP
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.
.SH 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:
.LP
.nf
	dn: <distinguishedname>
.fi
.LP
.nf
	changetype: <[modify|add|delete|modrdn]>
.fi
.LP
Finally, the change information itself is given, the format of which
depends on what kind of change was specified above.  For a \fIchangetype\fP
of \fImodify\fP, the format is one or more of the following:
.LP
.nf
	add: <attributetype>
	<attrdesc>: <value1>
	<attrdesc>: <value2>
	...
	\-
.fi
.LP
Or, for a replace modification:
.LP
.nf
	replace: <attributetype>
	<attrdesc>: <value1>
	<attrdesc>: <value2>
	...
	\-
.fi
.LP
If no \fIattributetype\fP lines are given to replace,
the entire attribute is to be deleted (if present).
.LP
Or, for a delete modification:
.LP
.nf
	delete: <attributetype>
	<attrdesc>: <value1>
	<attrdesc>: <value2>
	...
	\-
.fi
.LP
If no \fIattributetype\fP lines are given to delete,
the entire attribute is to be deleted.
.LP
For a \fIchangetype\fP of \fIadd\fP, the format is:
.LP
.nf
	<attrdesc1>: <value1>
	<attrdesc1>: <value2>
	...
	<attrdescN>: <value1>
	<attrdescN>: <value2>
.fi
.LP
For a \fIchangetype\fP of \fImodrdn\fP or \fImoddn\fP,
the format is:
.LP
.nf
	newrdn: <newrdn>
	deleteoldrdn: 0 | 1
	newsuperior: <DN>
.fi
.LP
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 values as non-distinguished attributes in the entry.
The newsuperior line is optional and, if present, specifies the
new superior to move the entry to.
.LP
For a \fIchangetype\fP of \fIdelete\fP, no additional information
is needed in the record.
.LP
Note that attribute values may be presented using base64 or in
files as described for entry records.  Lines in change records
may be continued in the manner described for entry records as
well. 
.SH CHANGE RECORD EXAMPLE
The following sample LDIF file contains a change record
of each type of change.
.LP
.nf
	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
.fi

.SH INCLUDE STATEMENT
The LDIF parser has been extended to support an
.B include
statement for referencing other LDIF files.  The
.B include
statement must be separated 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:
.LP
.nf
	dn: dc=example,dc=com
	objectclass: domain
	dc: example

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

	dn: dc=example,dc=org
	objectclass: domain
	dc: example
.fi
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
.BR ldapadd (1),
.BR ldapmodify (1),
and
.BR slapadd (8)
commands.

.SH SEE ALSO
.BR ldap (3),
.BR ldapsearch (1),
.BR ldapadd (1),
.BR ldapmodify (1),
.BR slapadd (8),
.BR slapcat (8),
.BR slapd\-ldif (5).
.LP
"LDAP Data Interchange Format," Good, G., RFC 2849.
.SH ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
.so ../Project