Connecting LDAP server from java application

Question

I am building an application based on GXT (J2EE). Now the problem is that I have to connect the application to a LDAP server. Can you tell me how to connect a LDAP server fr

Answer 1

• Connection to a LDAP server is made using JNDI (Java Naming and Directory Interface) APIs in Java.

• The JNDI’s interfaces, classes and exceptions are available in the following packages come with JDK:

  • javax.naming.*
  • javax.naming.directory.*

• That means we don’t have to use any external libraries for working with LDAP servers, in most cases.

• That specifies URL of a LDAP server consists of hostname on which LDAP Server is running port number. A well known port number of the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol is 389 which is default.

• Also need to specify some environment properties for the connection and authentication in a Hashtable object.

Here is the sample code:

import javax.naming.*;
import javax.naming.ldap.*;
import javax.naming.directory.*;

public class Ldap
{
    public static void main(String[]args)
    {
        Hashtable environment = new Hashtable();

        environment.put(Context.INITIAL_CONTEXT_FACTORY, "com.sun.jndi.ldap.LdapCtxFactory");
        environment.put(Context.PROVIDER_URL, "ldap://:389");
        environment.put(Context.SECURITY_AUTHENTICATION, "simple");
        environment.put(Context.SECURITY_PRINCIPAL, "");
        environment.put(Context.SECURITY_CREDENTIALS, "");

        try 
        {
            DirContext context = new InitialDirContext(environment);
            System.out.println("Connected..");
            System.out.println(context.getEnvironment());
            context.close();
        } 
        catch (AuthenticationNotSupportedException exception) 
        {
            System.out.println("The authentication is not supported by the server");
        }

        catch (AuthenticationException exception)
        {
            System.out.println("Incorrect password or username");
        }

        catch (NamingException exception)
        {
            System.out.println("Error when trying to create the context");
        }
    }
}