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Trail: Java Naming and Directory Interface(TM).
Lesson: Advanced Topics for LDAP Users
Advanced Topics for LDAP Users
LDAP v3
JNDI as an LDAP API
How LDAP Operations Map to JNDI APIs
How LDAP Error Codes Map to JNDI Exceptions
Security
Modes of Authenticating to LDAP
Authentication Mechanisms
Anonymous
Simple
SASL
Digest-MD5
SSL and Custom Sockets
More LDAP Operations
LDAP Compare
Search Results
LDAP Unsolicited Notifications
Connection Management
Creation
Closing
Pooling
Configuration
Frequently Asked Questions
Home Page > Java Naming and Directory Interface(TM). > Advanced Topics for LDAP Users
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More LDAP Operations

> The rest of the LDAP lesson covers how the JNDI provides ability to perform certain interesting LDAP operations.

> ### Renaming Objects

> You use `Context.rename()` to rename an object in the directory. In the LDAP v2, this corresponds to the "modify RDN" operation that renames an entry within the same context (that is, renaming a sibling). In the LDAP v3, this corresponds to the "modify DN" operation, which is like "modify RDN," except that the old and new entries need not be in the same context. You can use `Context.rename()` to rename a leaf entry or an interior node. The example shown in the Naming and Directory Operations lesson renames a leaf entry. The following code renames an interior node from `"ou=NewHires"` to `"ou=OldHires"`:

> >     ctx.rename("ou=NewHires", "ou=OldHires");

> > Note: The Sun Java Directory Server v5.2 does not support renaming interior nodes. If you run this example, then you will get a `ContextNotEmptyException`.

> #### Renaming to a Different Part of the DIT

> With the LDAP v3, you can rename an entry to a different part of the DIT. To do this by using `Context.rename()`, you must use a context that is the common ancestor for both the new and the old entries. For example, to rename `"cn=C. User, ou=NewHires, o=JNDITutorial"` to `"cn=C. User, ou=People, o=JNDITutorial"`, you must use the context named by `"o=JNDITutorial"`. Following is an example that demonstrates this. If you try to run this example against an LDAP v2 server, then you will get an `InvalidNameException` because version 2 does not support this feature.

> >     ctx.rename("cn=C. User, ou=NewHires", "cn=C. User, ou=People");

> > Note: The Sun Java Directory Server v5.2 does not support renaming with different parent nodes. If you run this example by using that server, then you will get a `OperationNotSupportedException` (indicating a "protocol error").

> #### Keeping the Old Name Attributes

> In the LDAP, when you rename an entry, you have the option of keeping the entry's old RDN as an attribute of the updated entry. For example, if you rename the entry `"cn=C. User"` to `"cn=Claude User"`, you can specify whether you want the old RDN `"cn=C. User"` to be kept as an attribute.

> To specify whether you want to keep the old name attribute when you use `Context.rename()`, use the `"java.naming.ldap.deleteRDN"` environment property. If this property's value is `"true"` (the default), the old RDN is removed. If its value is `"false"`, then the old RDN is kept as an attribute of the updated entry. The complete example is here.

> >     // Set the property to keep RDN
> >     env.put("java.naming.ldap.deleteRDN", "false");

> >     // Create the initial context
> >     DirContext ctx = new InitialDirContext(env);

> >     // Perform the rename
> >     ctx.rename("cn=C. User, ou=NewHires", "cn=Claude User,ou=NewHires");

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