RE: API Programming questions

[Daniel Crandall <dcrandal@tdhca.state.tx.us>]

Hi,

I can't answer your specific questions but as for information about
programming with the C api, a book called
"LDAP: Programming Directory-Enabled Applications with Lightweight Directory
Access Protocol"  
by Howes and Smith, and published by MacMillan, is recommended by Mark
Wilcox in his book "Implementing LDAP".
That book by Mark Wilcox has good info about many of the other available
apis.

Hope that helps

Daniel Crandall
Unix/Network Administrator
Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs.
512-305-8574
dcrandal@tdhca.state.tx.us

-----Original Message-----
From: Jody Hagins [mailto:jody@atdesk.com]
Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2003 2:26 PM
To: openldap-software@OpenLDAP.org
Subject: API Programming questions


I have read the documentation available for the C++ classes, and the man
pages for the C API.  However, I have several questions, some which are
probably obvious to a non LDAP neophite like myself.


1. I have spent two days reading tons of googled links about LDAP.
However, I have yet to find a good resource for learning how to write
OpenLDAP client software.  Where can I find such information?  The man
pages talk about each function in isolation (with minimal reference to
others), and the C++ doxygen comments provide some more information.
However, I can not find anything that describes the interaction between
all the API functions, and their common use.  I am not necessarily
looking for a free document, though I have yet to find a book that looks
like it is a C/C++ programmer's guide to writing OpenLDAP clients.


2. Most of my applications are reactive, so I want to use the
asynchronous interfaces.  However, I can not see how to tie that into
something like a select() based application.  Specifically, I do not see
a way to know when a reply is available.  For example, if the API
exposed a file descriptor, then I could add that file descriptor to my
select() loop, and when something is "ready" I could then call
ldap_result().  What am I missing, that would allow me to integrate
asynchronous OpenLDAP calls with my reactive application?


3. What is the difference between the various authentication
methodologies?  Is it possible to integrate with ssh type authentication
so that passwords do not have to be sent if the proper authentication
setup has been established (e.g., ssh into a remote machine without need
of password after proper setup)?


4. I have spent two days reading tons of googled links about LDAP.
However, I have yet to find a good resource for learning how to write
OpenLDAP client software.  Where can I find such information?



Thanks!!!


--
Jody Hagins

All things that are, are with more spirit chased than enjoyed.
                -- Shakespeare, "Merchant of Venice"