Chapter 2
Using the Directory SDK

his chapter describes the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) Application Programming Interface (API) and the Netscape Directory Server Software Development Kit (SDK).

The chapter contains the following sections:

• LDAP Application Programming Interface

• Directory SDK

• search for and retrieve a list of entries

• add new entries

• update entries

• delete entries

• rename entries

The API functions also allow you to perform LDAP operations synchronously or asynchronously.

• You can call a synchronous function if you want to wait for the operation to complete before receiving the return value of a function.

• If you want to perform other work while waiting for an operation to complete, you can call an asynchronous function and poll the LDAP client library to check the status of the operation.

For a list of the names and locations of the library and header files, see the release notes.

Including the LDAP Header File

#include <ldap.h>

If your client calls any of the LDAP SSL functions, make sure to include the ldap_ssl.h header file:

#include <ldap_ssl.h>

• Compiling Clients on UNIX

• Compiling Clients on Windows

• Compiling Clients on Mac OS

For example, if the libldap10.so shared library is in the /usr/ldap/lib directory, add the following link flags:

-L/usr/ldap/lib -lldap10 

• Make sure that the LDAP API shared library file (for example, libldap10.so on Solaris) in a standard location (such as the /usr/lib directory).

• Make sure that your LD_LIBRARY_PATH environment variable is set to the location of the shared library file.

• On Solaris, make sure to use the -lsocket, -lnsl, and -lthread link flags at the end of the linker command.

• When compiling LDAP clients on HP-UX, make sure to use the following compile flags:
  -Dhpux -D_HPUX_SOURCE -Aa

You need to link to one of the following files:

• nsldap32v10.lib, the LDAP API import library for Win32

• NSLDAP.LIB, the LDAP API import library for Win16 in Microsoft development environments (i.e., Visual C++)

• NSLDAPBC.LIB, the LDAP API import library for Win16 in Borland development environments

• Copy the dynamic link library to the directory containing your client executable file.

• Copy the dynamic link library to the Windows system directory (in Windows 3.x and Windows 95) or the system32 directory (in Windows NT).

1. The directory from which the application loaded.

2. The current directory.

3. The 32-bit Windows system directory. (In Windows 95, this directory is typically windows\system. In Windows NT, this directory is typically winnt\system32.)

4. (Windows NT only) The 16-bit Windows system directory. (This directory is typically winnt\system.)

5. The Windows directory.

6. The directories listed in the PATH environment variable.

• Copy the NSLDAPLib shared library to the folder containing your client executable file.

• Drag the shared library to your System Folder.

The following example illustrates the kinds of version information you can retrieve from this structure.

#include <ldap.h>
#include <stdio.h>
LDAPVersion ver;
double SDKVersion;
/* Print version information */
SDKVersion = ldap_version( &ver );
printf( "SDK Version: %f\n", SDKVersion/100.0 );
printf( "Highest LDAP Protocol Supported: %f\n", 
         ver.protocol_version/100.0 );
printf( "SSL Level Supported: %f\n", ver.SSL_version/100.0 );
if ( ver.security_level != LDAP_SECURITY_NONE ) {
   printf( "Level of encryption: %d bits\n", ver.security_level );
} else {
   printf( "SSL not enabled.\n" );
}