RFC 2849 (rfc2849) - Page 2 of 14

The LDAP Data Interchange Format (LDIF) - Technical Specification

RFC 2849              LDAP Data Interchange Format             June 2000


   Relationship to the application/directory MIME content-type:

   The application/directory MIME content-type [1] is a general
   framework and format for conveying directory information, and is
   independent of any particular directory service.  The LDIF format is
   a simpler format which is perhaps easier to create, and may also be
   used, as noted, to describe a set of changes to be applied to a
   directory.

   The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "MAY", "SHOULD", and "SHOULD NOT"
   used in this document are to be interpreted as described in [7].

Definition of the LDAP Data Interchange Format

   The LDIF format is used to convey directory information, or a
   description of a set of changes made to directory entries.  An LDIF
   file consists of a series of records separated by line separators.  A
   record consists of a sequence of lines describing a directory entry,
   or a sequence of lines describing a set of changes to a directory
   entry.  An LDIF file specifies a set of directory entries, or a set
   of changes to be applied to directory entries, but not both.

   There is a one-to-one correlation between LDAP operations that modify
   the directory (add, delete, modify, and modrdn), and the types of
   changerecords described below ("add", "delete", "modify", and
   "modrdn" or "moddn").  This correspondence is intentional, and
   permits a straightforward translation from LDIF changerecords to
   protocol operations.

Formal Syntax Definition of LDIF

   The following definition uses the augmented Backus-Naur Form
   specified in RFC 2234 [2].

ldif-file                = ldif-content / ldif-changes

ldif-content             = version-spec 1*(1*SEP ldif-attrval-record)

ldif-changes             = version-spec 1*(1*SEP ldif-change-record)

ldif-attrval-record      = dn-spec SEP 1*attrval-spec

ldif-change-record       = dn-spec SEP *control changerecord

version-spec             = "version:" FILL version-number






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