.TH LDIF 5 "RELEASEDATE" "OpenLDAP LDVERSION"
.\" $OpenLDAP$
-.\" Copyright 1998-2002 The OpenLDAP Foundation All Rights Reserved.
+.\" Copyright 1998-2006 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 in text form. LDAP tools, such as
-.BR ldapadd (1)
-and
-.BR ldapsearch (1),
-read and write LDIF.
+entries and change records in text form. LDAP tools, such as
+.BR ldapadd (1) and .BR ldapsearch (1), read and write LDIF entry
+records. 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
-The basic form of an LDIF entry is:
+LDIF entry records are used to represent directory entries. The basic
+form of an entry record is:
.LP
.nf
.ft tt
.ft
.fi
.LP
-Lines beginning with a sharpe sign ('#') are ignored.
+Lines beginning with a sharp sign ('#') are ignored.
.LP
Multiple attribute values are specified on separate lines, e.g.,
.LP
.LP
Multiple entries within the same LDIF file are separated by blank
lines.
-.SH EXAMPLE
+.SH ENTRY RECORD EXAMPLE
Here is an example of an LDIF file containing three entries.
.LP
.nf
cn: Barbara J Jensen
cn: Babs Jensen
objectclass: person
- description:< file://tmp/babs
+ description:< file:///tmp/babs
sn: Jensen
dn: cn=Bjorn J Jensen,dc=example,dc=com
.ft
.fi
.LP
-Notice that the description in Barbara Jensen's entry is
-read from file://tmp/babs and the jpegPhoto in Jennifer
+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 SEE ALSO
.BR ldap (3),
.BR ldapsearch (1),
-.BR ldapadd (1).
+.BR ldapadd (1),
+.BR ldapmodify (1),
+.BR slapd.replog (5).
.LP
"LDAP Data Interchange Format," Good, G., RFC 2849.
.SH ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
-.B OpenLDAP
+.B OpenLDAP
is developed and maintained by The OpenLDAP Project (http://www.openldap.org/).
-.B OpenLDAP
-is derived from University of Michigan LDAP 3.3 Release.
+.B OpenLDAP
+is derived from University of Michigan LDAP 3.3 Release.
projects / openldap / blobdiff