Re: Java-LDAP APIs

[Jon Roberts <jon@mentata.com>]

Clayton Donley wrote:
> While both APIs allow access to LDAP servers from Java, they do it in very
> different ways.
>
> The Novell JLDAP stuff really maps much closer to LDAP itself than any of
> the other LDAP APIs for Java. Among other things it will give you the
> ability to have finer controls over searches, controls used, etc...than most
> other LDAP APIs (including JNDI, though Java 1.4.1 closes the gap on this
> somewhat, though not completely).

I like the Mozilla/Netscape SDK myself. The only reason I didn't use 
Novell JLDAP is because it so *obviously* cannibalized the Netscape 
package without offering a whole lot that was new useful. However, I 
would concede that the support and future of the Mozilla SDK is a bit 
more up in the air. JNDI is considered elegant for simple communication, 
but I agree that it has less LDAP-specific functionality and what is 
there is retro-fitted. Of course, if you really want to build LDAP 
applications fast, you can use my offering:

http://www.mentata.com/ldaphttp/

which is currently built on top of and delivered with the 
Mozilla/Netscape SDK. For my next trick, I'll deliver a simple LDAP 
weblog application example with only two small classes :)

Jon Roberts
www.mentata.com