Package netscape.ldap

Class LDAPMatchingRuleSchema

java.lang.Object
All Implemented Interfaces:
Serializable

public class LDAPMatchingRuleSchema extends LDAPAttributeSchema
The definition of a matching rule in the schema. RFC 2252, Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (v3): Attribute Syntax Definitions covers the types of information that need to be specified in the definition of a matching rule. According to the RFC, the description of a matching rule can include the following information:

  • an OID identifying the matching rule
  • a name identifying the matching rule
  • a description of the matching rule
  • the syntax of the matching rule

The LDAPMatchingRuleSchema class also specifies the matching rule "use description", which describes the attributes which can be used with the matching rule.

When you construct an LDAPMatchingRuleSchema object, you can specify these types of information as arguments to the constructor or in the MatchingRuleDescription and MatchingRuleUseDescription formats specified in RFC 2252. When an LDAP client searches an LDAP server for the schema, the server returns schema information as an object with attribute values in this format.

You can get the name, OID, and description of this matching rule definition by using the getName, getOID, and getDescription methods inherited from the abstract class LDAPSchemaElement. Custom qualifiers are accessed with getQualifier and getQualifierNames from LDAPSchemaElement.

To add or remove this matching rule definition from the schema, use the add and remove methods, which this class inherits from the LDAPSchemaElement abstract class.

RFC 2252 defines MatchingRuleDescription and MatchingRuleUseDescription as follows:

    MatchingRuleDescription = "(" whsp
        numericoid whsp  ; MatchingRule identifier
        [ "NAME" qdescrs ]
        [ "DESC" qdstring ]
        [ "OBSOLETE" whsp ]
        "SYNTAX" numericoid
    whsp ")"

 Values of the matchingRuleUse list the attributes which are suitable
 for use with an extensible matching rule.

    MatchingRuleUseDescription = "(" whsp
        numericoid whsp  ; MatchingRule identifier
        [ "NAME" qdescrs ]
        [ "DESC" qdstring ]
        [ "OBSOLETE" ]
       "APPLIES" oids    ; AttributeType identifiers
    whsp ")"
 

LDAPMatchingRuleSchema abstracts away from the two types and manages their relationships transparently.

Version:
1.0
See Also: