Getting Started

The lessons in the Getting Started trail offer a quick introduction to the Java Naming and Directory Interface^TM (JNDI). They introduce you to the fundamental concepts in naming and directory systems, give a brief JNDI overview, and show you how to write a simple Java application that uses the JNDI. These lessons provide the background information for understanding the rest of the material in this tutorial. If you are already familiar with naming and directory concepts, you may skip this trail and proceed to The Basics trail.
The Naming and Directory lesson talks about fundamental concepts in naming and directory systems. It describes the role of naming and directory services in computer systems, and what it means for an application to be directory-enabled.
The JNDI Overview describes the JNDI architecture and gives a quick rundown of its three major components: the naming, the directory, and the service provider models.

Before you go on: We strongly encourage you to try the examples that accompany this tutorial as you go along. In order to do that, you will need the JNDI classes and a 1.1.2 or higher version of the Java platform software (such as the Java Development Kit (JDK) software). The examples in this tutorial can also be downloaded from the JNDI Web site.
The JDK software provides a compiler you can use to compile Java programs. It also provides an interpreter you can use to run Java applications. To run Java applets, you can use the JDK Applet Viewer or any Java-compatible Web browser, such as the HotJava browser.

The Examples lesson provides two examples that use the JNDI. The first example shows how to look up an object. The second example shows how to read an attribute from a directory service.
The Common Problems lesson provides descriptions and solutions to common problems you might encounter when you first start using the JNDI.

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