LDAP is a protocol for networked directories [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LDAP].
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There are four independent (?) implementations, [ldapTcl],
[Matt Newman]'s LDAP extension [http://www.sensus.org/tcl/index.htm], 
Jochen Loewer's (see below), a derivative of the latter available in [tcllib] as of 2004,
and [Gareth Owen]'s 
tclLdap-pkg 
[http://www-users.aston.ac.uk/~oweng/tclLdap-pkg/]
(but is this a derivative of an early tclLdap?).
It would be particularly useful to compare the latter two.
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I did a pure Tcl implementation of a ldap interface in June 99.
See ([Jochen Loewer]).
It is running since then very nicely to query a large enterprise
wide people directory. Right now only the read/query parts
of the protocol are implemented. However, the internal [ASN] 
layer is there, so it should be rather easy to extend it.
Unfortunately I didn't release the code to the public yet.
I thought about that several times. It would be ideal for tcllib
or even standard tcl (like the http package).  [CL]:  ooooo.  ASN.1
''would'' be nice for [tcllib].

[ak]: Tcllib head provides an (incomplete) [asn] package. Directly derived from the code in the ldap package.
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Interesting LDAP-based applications include Owen's Ldapper
[http://www-users.aston.ac.uk/~oweng/ldapper-1.2/] (which pages says it was
last modified ''Wed Feb 3 17:46:54 GMT 1999'').

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As of 2004, the major category of LDAP servers is instances of [Microsoft]'s
[Active Directory].




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CL observes that learning to work with LDAP can intimidate newcomers, if only 
for the usual complication of client-server protocols ([SNMP] presents the same challenge):
one must have a working
server ''and'' client before achieving the "Hello, world" level of progress.  In the
'90s, there were quite a few public LDAP services, and it was inviting to connect new
client applications to them for quick exercise.  As far as I know, they're all gone now
[[task:  confirm this]].  Is there interest in Tclistan for a public LDAP server against
which we can all practice?  I might set one up ... (again, same's true for SNMP).

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[Patrick Finnegan] provided several [IBM]-pertinent example LDAP-using scripts
[http://aspn.activestate.com/ASPN/Cookbook/Tcl?kwd=LDAP] to the '''[Cookbook]'''.

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[Category Acronym] |
[Category Internet]
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