LDIF(5)

NAME
ldif - LDAP Data Interchange Format

DESCRIPTION
The LDAP Data Interchange Format (LDIF) is used to represent LDAP entries in text form. The ldif2ldbm(8) tools can be used to convert from LDIF format to the LDBM format used by slapd(8). The ldbmcat(8) tool can be used to do the reverse conversion. See "The SLAPD and SLURPD Administrator's Guide" for more information on this format and the conversion tools.

The basic form of an LDIF entry is:

	[<id>]
	dn: <distinguished name>
	<attrtype>: <attrvalue>
	<attrtype>: <attrvalue>
	...

where <id> is the optional entry ID (a positive decimal number). Normally, you would not supply the <id>, allowing the database creation tools to do that for you. The ldbmcat(8) program, however, produces an LDIF format that includes <id> so that new indexes created will be consistent with the existing database. A line may be continued by starting the next line with a single space or tab character, e.g.,

	dn: cn=Barbara J Jensen, o=University of Michi
	 gan, c=US

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

	cn: Barbara J Jensen
	cn: Babs Jensen

If an <attrvalue> 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=

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

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

	dn: cn=Barbara J Jensen, o=University of Michi
	 gan, c=US
	cn: Barbara J Jensen
	cn: Babs Jensen
	objectclass: person
	sn: Jensen
	dn: cn=Bjorn J Jensen, o=University of Michi
	 gan, c=US
	cn: Bjorn J Jensen
	cn: Bjorn Jensen
	objectclass: person
	sn: Jensen
	dn: cn=Jennifer J Jensen, o=University of Michi
	 gan, c=US
	cn: Jennifer J Jensen
	cn: Jennifer Jensen
	objectclass: person
	sn: Jensen
	jpegPhoto:: /9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAAAAAQABAAD/2wBDABALD
	 A4MChAODQ4SERATGCgaGBYWGDEjJR0oOjM9PDkzODdASFxOQ
	 ERXRTc4UG1RV19iZ2hnPk1xeXBkeFxlZ2P/2wBDARESEhgVG
	...

Notice that the jpegPhoto in Jennifer Jensen's entry is encoded using base 64.

SEE ALSO
ldap(3), slapd(8), ldif2ldbm(8), ldbmcat(8)

"The SLAPD and SLURPD Administrator's Guide"