JNDI API

The main JNDI API package is the javax.naming package, which contains one key class, InitialContext, and two key interfaces, Context and Name.

In using JNDI, a client first establishes a connection to the JNDI service (sometimes called the JNDI tree). After the client is connected, a context is created to facilitate the access to system components and resources. Context is a fundamental concept in the JNDI model. A context is a set of name-to-object bindings within a naming service that all share the same naming convention.

All naming operations in JNDI are performed within a context. Therefore, establishing a context is the initial step prior to any operation. The javax.naming.InitialContext class implements the javax.naming.Context interface. Clients use this class to establish a connection, and create a Context object as a result:

Context ctx = new InitialContext();

Some naming services provide a subcontext, which is similar to a subdirectory in a file system. The tree-like structure of JNDI is a natural to support subcontexts. The Context class also provides methods for creating and destroying subcontexts.