DN

java.lang.Object
- netscape.ldap.util.DN

All Implemented Interfaces:

java.io.Serializable
```
public final class DN
extends java.lang.Object
implements java.io.Serializable
```
Objects of this class represent distinguished names (DN). A distinguished name is used to identify an entry in a directory.
The netscape.ldap.LDAPDN class uses this class internally. In most cases, when working with DNs in the LDAP Java classes, you should use the netscape.ldap.LDAPDN class.
The following DNs are examples of the different formats for DNs that may appear:
- uid=bjensen, ou=People, o=Airius.com (RFC 1485 format)
- o=Airius.com/ou=People/uid=bjensen (OSF format)
See Also:

LDAPDN, Serialized Form

Field Summary

Fields
Modifier and Type	Field	Description
`static char[]`	`ESCAPED_CHAR`	Array of the characters that may be escaped in a DN.
`static int`	`OSF`	Type specifying a DN in the OSF format.
`static int`	`RFC`	Type specifying a DN in the RFC format.

Constructor Summary

Constructors
Constructor Description

DN()
Constructs an empty DN object.

DN(java.lang.String dn)
Constructs a DN object from the specified distinguished name.

Constructors
Constructor	Description
`DN()`	Constructs an empty `DN` object.
`DN(java.lang.String dn)`	Constructs a `DN` object from the specified distinguished name.

Method Summary

All Methods Static Methods Instance Methods Concrete Methods Deprecated Methods
Modifier and Type	Method	Description
`void`	`addRDN(RDN rdn)`	Adds the specified relative distinguished name (RDN) to the current DN.
`void`	`addRDNToBack(RDN rdn)`	Adds the specified relative distinguished name (RDN) to the end of the current DN.
`void`	`addRDNToFront(RDN rdn)`	Adds the specified relative distinguished name (RDN) to the beginning of the current DN.
`boolean`	`contains(DN dn)`	Deprecated. Please use isDescendantOf() instead.
`int`	`countRDNs()`	Returns the number of components that make up the current DN.
`boolean`	`equals(DN dn)`	Determines if the current DN is equal to the specified DN.
`java.lang.String[]`	`explodeDN(boolean noTypes)`	Returns an array of the individual components that make up the current distinguished name.
`int`	`getDNType()`	Gets the type of format used for the DN (RFC format or OSF format).
`DN`	`getParent()`	Gets the parent DN for this DN.
`java.util.Vector`	`getRDNs()`	Returns a list of the components (`RDN` objects) that make up the current DN.
`boolean`	`isDescendantOf(DN dn)`	Determines if this DN is a descendant of the given DN.
`static boolean`	`isDN(java.lang.String dn)`	Determines if the given string is an distinguished name or not.
`boolean`	`isRFC()`	Determines if the DN is in RFC 1485 format.
`void`	`setDNType(int type)`	Sets the type of format used for the DN (RFC format or OSF format).
`java.lang.String`	`toOSFString()`	Returns the DN in OSF format.
`java.lang.String`	`toRFCString()`	Returns the DN in RFC 1485 format.
`java.lang.String`	`toString()`	Returns the string representation of the DN in its original format.

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object
clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, wait, wait, wait

- Field Detail
  - RFC
```
public static int RFC
```
    Type specifying a DN in the RFC format.
    
    See Also:
    
    getDNType(), setDNType(int)
  - OSF
```
public static int OSF
```
    Type specifying a DN in the OSF format.
    
    See Also:
    
    getDNType(), setDNType(int)
  - ESCAPED_CHAR
```
public static final char[] ESCAPED_CHAR
```
    Array of the characters that may be escaped in a DN.
- Constructor Detail
  - DN
```
public DN()
```
    Constructs an empty DN object.
  - DN
```
public DN(java.lang.String dn)
```
    Constructs a DN object from the specified distinguished name. The string representation of the DN can be in RFC 1485 or OSF format.
    
    Parameters:
    
    dn - string representation of the distinguished name
- Method Detail
  - addRDNToFront
```
public void addRDNToFront(RDN rdn)
```
    Adds the specified relative distinguished name (RDN) to the beginning of the current DN.
    
    Parameters:
    
    rdn - the relative distinguished name to add to the beginning of the current DN
    
    See Also:
    
    RDN
  - addRDNToBack
```
public void addRDNToBack(RDN rdn)
```
    Adds the specified relative distinguished name (RDN) to the end of the current DN.
    
    Parameters:
    
    rdn - the relative distinguished name to append to the current DN
    
    See Also:
    
    RDN
  - addRDN
```
public void addRDN(RDN rdn)
```
    Adds the specified relative distinguished name (RDN) to the current DN. If the DN is in RFC 1485 format, the RDN is added to the beginning of the DN. If the DN is in OSF format, the RDN is appended to the end of the DN.
    
    Parameters:
    
    rdn - the relative distinguished name to add to the current DN
    
    See Also:
    
    RDN
  - setDNType
```
public void setDNType(int type)
```
    Sets the type of format used for the DN (RFC format or OSF format).
    
    Parameters:
    
    type - one of the following constants: DN.RFC (to use the RFC format) or DN.OSF (to use the OSF format)
    
    See Also:
    
    getDNType(), RFC, OSF
  - getDNType
```
public int getDNType()
```
    Gets the type of format used for the DN (RFC format or OSF format).
    
    Returns:
    
    one of the following constants: DN.RFC (if the DN is in RFC format) or DN.OSF (if the DN is in OSF format).
    
    See Also:
    
    setDNType(int), RFC, OSF
  - countRDNs
```
public int countRDNs()
```
    Returns the number of components that make up the current DN.
    
    Returns:
    
    the number of components in this DN.
  - getRDNs
```
public java.util.Vector getRDNs()
```
    Returns a list of the components (RDN objects) that make up the current DN.
    
    Returns:
    
    a list of the components of this DN.
    
    See Also:
    
    RDN
  - explodeDN
```
public java.lang.String[] explodeDN(boolean noTypes)
```
    Returns an array of the individual components that make up the current distinguished name.
    
    Parameters:
    
    noTypes - specify true to remove the attribute type and equals sign (for example, "cn=") from each component
  - isRFC
```
public boolean isRFC()
```
    Determines if the DN is in RFC 1485 format.
    
    Returns:
    
    true if the DN is in RFC 1485 format.
  - toRFCString
```
public java.lang.String toRFCString()
```
    Returns the DN in RFC 1485 format.
    
    Returns:
    
    the DN in RFC 1485 format.
  - toOSFString
```
public java.lang.String toOSFString()
```
    Returns the DN in OSF format.
    
    Returns:
    
    the DN in OSF format.
  - toString
```
public java.lang.String toString()
```
    Returns the string representation of the DN in its original format. (For example, if the DN object was constructed from a DN in RFC 1485 format, this method returns the DN in RFC 1485 format.
    
    Overrides:
    
    toString in class java.lang.Object
    
    Returns:
    
    the string representation of the DN.
  - isDN
```
public static boolean isDN(java.lang.String dn)
```
    Determines if the given string is an distinguished name or not.
    
    Parameters:
    
    dn - distinguished name
    
    Returns:
    
    true or false.
  - equals
```
public boolean equals(DN dn)
```
    Determines if the current DN is equal to the specified DN.
    
    Parameters:
    
    dn - DN to compare against the current DN
    
    Returns:
    
    true if the two DNs are the same.
  - getParent
```
public DN getParent()
```
    Gets the parent DN for this DN.
    For example, the following section of code gets the parent DN of "uid=bjensen, ou=People, o=Airius.com."
```
    DN dn = new DN("uid=bjensen, ou=People, o=Airius.com");
    DN parent = dn.getParent();
 
```
    The parent DN in this example is "ou=People, o=Airius.com".
    Returns:
    
    DN of the parent of this DN.
  - contains
```
public boolean contains(DN dn)
```
    Deprecated.
    Please use isDescendantOf() instead.
    Determines if the given DN is under the subtree defined by this DN.
    For example, the following section of code determines if the DN specified by dn1 is under the subtree specified by dn2.
```
    DN dn1 = new DN("uid=bjensen, ou=People, o=Airius.com");
    DN dn2 = new DN("ou=People, o=Airius.com");

    boolean isContain = dn1.contains(dn2)
 
```
    In this case, since "uid=bjensen, ou=People, o=Airius.com" is an entry under the subtree "ou=People, o=Airius.com", the value of isContain is true.
    Parameters:
    
    dn - the DN of a subtree to check
    
    Returns:
    
    true if the current DN belongs to the subtree specified by dn.
  - isDescendantOf
```
public boolean isDescendantOf(DN dn)
```
    Determines if this DN is a descendant of the given DN.
    For example, the following section of code determines if the DN specified by dn1 is a descendant of the DN specified by dn2.
```
    DN dn1 = new DN("uid=bjensen, ou=People, o=Airius.com");
    DN dn2 = new DN("ou=People, o=Airius.com");

    boolean isDescendant = dn1.isDescendantOf(dn2)
 
```
    In this case, since "uid=bjensen, ou=People, o=Airius.com" is an entry under the subtree "ou=People, o=Airius.com", the value of isDescendant is true.
    In the case where the given DN is equal to this DN it returns false.
    Parameters:
    
    dn - the DN of a subtree to check
    
    Returns:
    
    true if the current DN is a descendant of the DN specified by dn.

Class DN

Field Summary

Constructor Summary

Method Summary

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

Field Detail

RFC

OSF

ESCAPED_CHAR

Constructor Detail

DN

DN

Method Detail

addRDNToFront

addRDNToBack

addRDN

setDNType

getDNType

countRDNs

getRDNs

explodeDN

isRFC

toRFCString

toOSFString

toString

isDN

equals

getParent

contains

isDescendantOf