Re: which schema is the best

[Julio Sánchez Fernández <j_sanchez@stl.es>]

Daniele Antoniazzi wrote:

> I know that I can modify as much as a wish the schema,

You can but, most emphatically, *don't*.  Leave the standard classes
alone.  If you need new attributes, define them.  If you want new
objectclasses, add them using old and new attributes.

But don't mess with the standard definitions in *any* way.  Or else,
you will make your life difficult when you want to use a new client.

> but then what
> happens when I try to make other applications access LDAP database, I
> mean, how, ie a calendar, could understand attributes in my database?

Applications come in two flavors: dumb and smart.  A dumb application
is, say, ldapsearch: it will use any attribute type you define.

Smart applications really *do* things with data: they apply semantics
to them.  In many cases, they will use standard definitions with their
intended semantics.  In other cases, they will require that you extend
the schema in an application-specific way.  In general, they will make
little, if any, use of your new definitions.

Some applications are configurable and can make some use of your
new definitions.  For instance, they may let you map your attributes
into those "concepts" that are wired already into the application.
Say, they may let you configure what attribute contains the mail
address of a user.

But, in general, a smart application is unlikely to work if you just
invent your schema.

Julio