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 speci-
       fication 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 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.

       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  continued
       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 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:

	    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), slap-
       cat(8), slapd-ldif(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 Univer-
       sity of Michigan LDAP 3.3 Release.



OpenLDAP 2.4.40			  2014/09/20			       LDIF(5)