LdapCtx

LdapCtx is a concrete implementation of the LDAP context used by the Java Naming and Directory Interface (JNDI) LDAP provider. It implements the LDAP-specific interface LdapContext and represents an active connection to an LDAP directory, enabling applications to perform LDAP protocol operations through JNDI.

The class provides access to standard LDAP operations such as searching, reading attributes, adding, deleting, and modifying entries, as well as more advanced capabilities like renaming entries and performing attribute comparisons. It also supports LDAP-specific features such as directory controls and extended operations, and can handle referrals when a bound context points to another directory server.

LdapCtx is typically used via the JNDI API. Applications obtain a context through an InitialContext with appropriate environment properties (for example, provider URL, security credentials, and authentication mode). If LDAP-specific features are required, a developer can cast the obtained DirContext to LdapContext to access LDAP-only methods and controls, or to perform extended operations or StartTLS, depending on the provider’s support.

In practice, LdapCtx is part of the core JNDI LDAP provider included with the Java platform. It is considered an internal, vendor-specific implementation detail of the JNDI API, while LdapContext remains the public, provider-agnostic interface exposed to applications. Developers interact with the public API for portability, and only rely on LdapCtx when they need access to LDAP-specific features offered by the underlying provider.

See also: LdapContext, JNDI, LDAPv3, StartTLS, javax.naming.ldap package.