Class SortControl

public final class SortControl extends BasicControl

Requests that the results of a search operation be sorted by the LDAP server before being returned. The sort criteria are specified using an ordered list of one or more sort keys, with associated sort parameters. Search results are sorted at the LDAP server according to the parameters supplied in the sort control and then returned to the requestor. If sorting is not supported at the server (and the sort control is marked as critical) then the search operation is not performed and an error is returned.

The following code sample shows how the class may be used:

    // Open an LDAP association
    LdapContext ctx = new InitialLdapContext();

    // Activate sorting
    String sortKey = "cn";
    ctx.setRequestControls(new Control[]{
        new SortControl(sortKey, Control.CRITICAL) });

    // Perform a search
    NamingEnumeration results =
        ctx.search("", "(objectclass=*)", new SearchControls());

    // Iterate over search results
    while (results != null && results.hasMore()) {
        // Display an entry
        SearchResult entry = (SearchResult)results.next();
        System.out.println(entry.getName());
        System.out.println(entry.getAttributes());

        // Handle the entry's response controls (if any)
        if (entry instanceof HasControls) {
            // ((HasControls)entry).getControls();
        }
    }
    // Examine the sort control response
    Control[] controls = ctx.getResponseControls();
    if (controls != null) {
        for (int i = 0; i < controls.length; i++) {
            if (controls[i] instanceof SortResponseControl) {
                SortResponseControl src = (SortResponseControl)controls[i];
                if (! src.isSorted()) {
                    throw src.getException();
                }
            } else {
                // Handle other response controls (if any)
            }
        }
    }

    // Close the LDAP association
    ctx.close();
    ...

This class implements the LDAPv3 Request Control for server-side sorting as defined in RFC 2891. The control's value has the following ASN.1 definition:

    SortKeyList ::= SEQUENCE OF SEQUENCE {
        attributeType     AttributeDescription,
        orderingRule  [0] MatchingRuleId OPTIONAL,
        reverseOrder  [1] BOOLEAN DEFAULT FALSE }