Re: Net::LDAP::Util::canonical_dn

[Clif H. <cl...@di...>]

> 
> Clif Harden <cl...@di...> wrote:
> >> 
> >> "Kurt D. Zeilenga" <Ku...@Op...> wrote:
> >> > I'm not sure this discussion applies to presentation of
> >> > server returned results in LDIFv1, but I suggest that when
> >> > presenting search results in LDIF entry format that the
> >> > returned DN be presented "as is" if possible, otherwise
> >> > base64 encoded.  It's kind of nasty for APIs to muck with
> >> > returned values without applications specifically
> >> > asking for such mucking.
> >> > 
> >> > Kurt
> >> > 
> >> 
> >> OK, that's a vote for base-64 encoding, which was what I was doing
> >> originally. Graham thinks keeping the DNs readable is more important.
> >> 
> >> Does anyone else have other comments?
> >> 
> >> Cheers,
> >> 
> >> Chris
> >> 
> >> 
> > 
> 
> Hi Clif,


Hi!


> 
> > I prefer the following.
> > 
> > If the DN is readable then the DN is printed as a readable string, 
> > if the DN has unreadable characters in it then printed as an
> > encoded string.
> 
> OK, assuming the LDIF interpretation (or stricter) of 'readable'. But how
> do we encode it, using the canonicalizer, or a simpler and less 'damaging'
> base64 encode?


Most of the tools I use encode in base64.  I do not know what to say
about a DN canonicalizer just yet, I know that it is needed.


> 
> > How about giving the user an encode option. 
> 
> That's the easy way out :-)

It may be the easy way out, but I think it is the best option. It gives
the user the choice on how the data is present back to him.

> 
> What default should we have? ;-) We'd want to preserve the existing
> interface (I guess) so we need a default.


I think the default should be the current way perl-ldap handles the data,
encode => none.  If the user does not care about encoding no changes
to his software would be needed.

If the user wants the canonicalizer, encode => canonical.
If the user wants base 64, encode => base64.  Would this require the perl
base64 module?


I have no idea how much coding work this would be.


As I was writing this message I thought of something we need
to comprehend.

Mark Wilcox put dumping data in XML format, how is our encoding 
going to affect these methods.  I am sure we will need to add 
attribute tags specifing the encoding method used on the data
if the data is encoded.  


Since I forgot to copy the perl-ldap list on my first response to you,
I have included the perl-ldap list on this reply.

Regards,

Clif