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 en-
tries 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 de-
pends 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 the Uni-
versity of Michigan LDAP 3.3 Release.
OpenLDAP 2.6.10+dfsg-1 2025/05/22 LDIF(5)
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