makeldif.template
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## Name

makeldif.template — template file for the makeldif command

## Synopsis

    # Comment lines start with #.
    #
    # Notice that this synopsis includes blank lines after entries.
    # In the same way you would use blank lines after entries in normal LDIF,
    # leave empty lines after "entries" in template files.

    # Optionally define constants used in the template.
    # To reference constants later, put brackets around the name: [constant-name]
    #
    define constant-name=value
    ...

    # Define branches by suffix DN, such as the following:
    #
    #  dc=example,dc=com
    #  ou=People,dc=example,dc=com
    #  ou=Groups,dc=example,dc=com
    #
    # makeldif generates the necessary object class definitions and RDNs.
    #
    # A branch can have subordinateTemplates that define templates to use for
    # the branch entry. The optional number at the end
    # of the subordinateTemplate specification defines how many entries to generate.
    # If you do not specify a number, makeldif continues to generate entries
    # indefinitely until you interrupt the command.
    #
    # A branch can have additional attributes generated on the branch entry. See
    # the Description below for more information on specifying attribute values.
    #
    branch: suffix-dn
    objectClass: top
    objectClass: suffix-object-class
    [subordinateTemplate: template-name[:number]
    ...]
    [attribute: attr-value
    ...]

    ...

    # Define entries using templates.
    #
    # A template can extend another template.
    # A template defines the RDN attribute(s) used for generated entries.
    # A template can have a subordinateTemplate that defines a template to use for
    # the generated entries.
    #
    # A template then defines attributes. See the Description below for more
    # information on specifying attribute values.
    #
    template: template-name
    [extends: template-name]
    rdnAttr: attribute[+attribute ...]
    [subordinateTemplate: template-name:number]
    [attribute: attr-value
    ...]

    ...

## Description

Template files specify how to build LDIF. They allow you to define variables, insert random values from other files, and generally build arbitrarily large LDIF files for testing purposes. You pass template files to the makeldif command when generating LDIF.

The Synopsis above shows the layout for a makeldif template file. This section focuses on what you can do to specify entry attribute values, called `attr-value` in the Synopsis section.

Specifying Attribute Values

When specifying attribute values in makeldif templates, you can use static text and constants that you have defined, enclosing names for constants in brackets, `[myConstant]`. You can use more than one constant per line, as in the following example:

    description: Description for [org] under [suffix]

You can also use two kinds of tags when specifying attribute values. One kind of tag is replaced with the value of another attribute in the generated entry. Such tags are delimited with braces, `{ }`. For example, if your template includes definitions for first name and last name attributes, use:

    givenName: <first>
    sn: <last>

Then you can define a mail attribute that uses the values of both attributes, and an initials attribute that takes the first character of each:

    mail: {givenName}.{sn}@[myDomain]
    initials: {givenName:1}{sn:1}

The other kind of tag is delimited with `<` and `>`, as shown above in the example with `<first>` and `<last>`. Tag names are not case sensitive. Many tags can take arguments separated by colons, `:`, from the tag names within the tag.

Use backslashes to escape literal start tag characters (`< [ {`) as shown in the following example, and to escape literal end tag characters within tags (`> ] }`):

    scimMail: \{"emails": \[\{"value": "{mail}", "type": "work", "primary": true}]}
    xml: \<id>{uid}\</id>

The makeldif command supports the following tags:

<DN>

  The DN tag is replaced by the distinguished name of the current entry. An optional integer argument specifies the subcomponents of the DN to generate. For example, if the DN of the entry is `uid=bjensen,ou=People,dc=example,dc=com`, then `<DN:1>` is replaced by `uid=bjensen`, and `<DN:-2>` is replaced by `dc=example,dc=com`.

<File>

  The File tag is replaced by a line from a text file you specify. The File tag takes a required argument, the path to the text file, and an optional second argument, either `random` or `sequential`. For the file argument, either specify an absolute path to the file such as `<file:/path/to/myDescriptions>`, or specify a path relative to the template file such as `<file:streets>`. For the second argument, if you specify `sequential` then lines from the file are read in sequential order. Otherwise, lines from the file are read in random order.

<First>

  The first name tag is replaced by a random line from `first.names`. Combinations of generated first and last names are unique, with integers appended to the name strings if not enough combinations are available.

<GUID>

  The GUID tag is replaced by a 128-bit, type 4 (random) universally unique identifier, such as `f47ac10b-58cc-4372-a567-0e02b2c3d479`.

<IfAbsent>

  The IfAbsent tag takes as its first argument the name of another attribute, and optionally, as its second argument, a value to use. This tag causes the attribute to be generated only if the named attribute is not present on the generated entry. Use this tag when you have used `<Presence>` to define another attribute that is not always present on generated entries.

<IfPresent>

  The IfPresent takes as its first argument the name of another attribute, and optionally, as its second argument, a value to use. This tag causes the attribute to be generated only if the named attribute is also present on the generated entry. Use this tag when you have used `<Presence>` to define another attribute that is sometimes present on generated entries.

<Last>

  The last name tag is replaced by a random line from the last names template file, `last.names`. Combinations of generated first and last names are unique, with integers appended to the name strings if not enough combinations are available.

<List>

  The List tag is replaced by one of the values from the list of arguments you provide. For example, `<List:bronze:silver:gold>` is replaced with `bronze`, `silver`, or `gold`.

  You can weight arguments to ensure that some arguments are selected more often than others. For example, if you want two bronze for one silver and one gold, use `<List:bronze;2:silver;1:gold;1>`.

<ParentDN>

  The ParentDN tag is replaced by the distinguished name of the parent entry. For example, if the DN of the entry is `uid=bjensen,ou=People,dc=example,dc=com`, `<ParentDN>` is replaced by `ou=People,dc=example,dc=com`.

<Presence>

  The Presence tag takes a percent argument. It results in the attribute value being generated or not based on the percentage of entries you specify in the argument. For example, `description: <Presence:50>A description` generates `description: A description` on half the entries.

<Random>

  The Random tag lets you generate a variety of random numbers and strings. The Random tag has the following subtypes, which you include as arguments, that is `<Random:`subtype`>`:

  - `alpha:`length``

  - `alpha:`min-length`:`max-length``

  - `numeric:`length``

  - `numeric:`minvalue`:`maxvalue``

  - `numeric:`minvalue`:`maxvalue`:`format``, where `format` is a `java.text.DecimalFormat` pattern

  - `alphanumeric:`length``

  - `alphanumeric:`min-length`:`max-length``

  - `chars:`characters`:`length``

  - `chars:`characters`:`min-length`:`max-length``

  - `hex:`length``

  - `hex:`min-length`:`max-length``

  - `base64:`length``

  - `base64:`min-length`:`max-length``

  - `month`

  - `month:`max-length``

  - `telephone`, a telephone number starting with the country code `+1`

<RDN>

  The RDN tag is replaced with the RDN of the entry. Use this in the template after you have specified `rdnAttr` so that the RDN has already been generated when this tag is replaced.

  An optional integer argument specifies the subcomponents of the RDN to generate.

<Sequential>

  The Sequential tag is replaced by a sequentially increasing generated integer. The first optional integer argument specifies the starting number. The second optional boolean argument specifies whether to start over when generating entries for a new parent entry. For example, `<Sequential>:42:true` starts counting from 42, and starts over when the parent entry changes from `o=Engineering` to `o=Marketing`.

<_DN>

  The _DN tag is replaced by the DN of the current entry with underscores in the place of commas.

<_ParentDN>

  The _ParentDN tag is replaced by the DN the parent entry with underscores in the place of commas.

## Examples

The following example generates 10 organization units, each containing 50 entries. Add it next to the supporting files, such as `first.names` and `last.names` needed to generate the output:

    define suffix=dc=example,dc=com
    define maildomain=example.com
    define numusers=50
    define numorgs=10

    branch: [suffix]
    objectClass: top
    objectClass: domain

    branch: ou=People,[suffix]
    objectClass: top
    objectClass: organizationalUnit
    subordinateTemplate: orgunit:[numorgs]
    description: This is the People container
    telephoneNumber: +33 00010002

    template: orgunit
    subordinateTemplate: person:[numusers]
    rdnAttr: ou
    ou: Org-<sequential:0>
    objectClass: top
    objectClass: organizationalUnit
    description: This is the {ou} organizational unit

    template: person
    rdnAttr: uid
    objectClass: top
    objectClass: person
    objectClass: organizationalPerson
    objectClass: inetOrgPerson
    givenName: <first>
    sn: <last>
    cn: {givenName} {sn}
    initials: {givenName:1}<random:chars:ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ:1>{sn:1}
    employeeNumber: <sequential:0>
    uid: user.{employeeNumber}
    mail: {uid}@[maildomain]
    userPassword: password
    telephoneNumber: <random:telephone>
    homePhone: <random:telephone>
    pager: <random:telephone>
    mobile: <random:telephone>
    street: <random:numeric:5> <file:streets> Street
    l: <file:cities>
    st: <file:states>
    postalCode: <random:numeric:5>
    postalAddress: {cn}${street}${l}, {st}  {postalCode}
    description: This is the description for {cn}.

## See Also

makeldif(1), the server template file `config/MakeLDIF/example.template`

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