RFC 2849 (rfc2849) - Page 2 of 14
The LDAP Data Interchange Format (LDIF) - Technical Specification
Alternative Format: Original Text Document
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 Good Standards Track
