Search for the Right PHP LDAP Library

The Process

1. Generate initial list

   • Well rated PHP LDAP libraries on GitHub

     • adLDAP
     • adldap2
     • ccottet/ldap
     • ldaptools

   • Well rated PHP LDAP Libraries on Packagist

     • adldap
     • adldap2
     • imag/ldap-bundle
     • tiesa/ldap
     • zend-ldap

   • Others of interest

     • symfony/ldap

   • Removing duplicates leaves us:

     • adldap
     • adldap2
     • ccottet/ldap
     • imag/ldap-bundle
     • ldaptools
     • symfony/ldap
     • zend-ldap

2. Filter out dealbreakers

   1. adldap

      • Version v5.0.0 is in heavy development, however it is close to completion. Use 'dev-master' at you're own risk.

      • ^ 8 months ago was the last commit

   2. ccottet/ldap

      • Last commit was over 3 years ago.
      • Even then, it consists of only 3 commits total.

   3. symfony/ldap

      • This component is currently marked as internal, as it still needs some work. Breaking changes will be introduced in the next minor version of Symfony.

3. The Shortlist:

   1. adldap2
   2. ldap-bundle
   3. ldaptools
   4. zend-ldap

Comparison of the best

adldap2

Working with Active Directory doesn't need to be hard. Adldap2 is a tested PHP package that provides LDAP authentication and Active Directory management tools using the Active Record pattern.

Basic Characteristics

Cons

• Active Directory focus (looking for a heart of OpenLDAP)

ldap-bundle

LdapBundle provides LDAP authentication without using Apache's mod_ldap. The bundle instead relies on PHP's LDAP extension along with a form to authenticate users. LdapBundle can also be used for authorization by retrieving the user's roles defined in LDAP.

Basic Characteristics

ldaptools

LdapTools is designed to be customizable for use with pretty much any directory service, but contains default attribute converters and schemas for Active Directory and OpenLDAP.

Pros

• Excellent documentation
• Actively developed
• Explicit support for OpenLDAP

Cons

• YAML config required

zend-ldap

Zend\Ldap\Ldap is a class for performing LDAP operations including but not limited to binding, searching and modifying entries in an LDAP directory.

Basic Characteristics

Cons

• Zend

Winner: ldaptools

• Actively developed
• Code itself is good (subjective)
• Good documentation
• Only one developer, but the other repos are as well if you look at the lions-share of work.