Active Directory using ldap in C#

Question

I have used System.DirectoryServices.ActiveDirectory but when I tried to use Domain.Name or Domain.GetDomain methods, I get an error

'Domain' does not contain a definition for 'GetDomain'.

Here's my code:

using System;
using System.Linq;
using System.Web;
using System.Web.UI;
using System.Web.UI.WebControls;
using System.Collections.Specialized;
using System.DirectoryServices.ActiveDirectory;

public partial class _Default : System.Web.UI.Page
{
    protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        DirectoryContext s = new DirectoryContext(DirectoryContextType.Domain, "my domain", "myuser", "mypass");
        Domain domain = Domain.GetDomain(s);

        Forest forest = domain.Forest;

        DomainCollection domains = forest.Domains;

        foreach (Domain objDomain in domains)
        {
             Response.Write(objDomain.Name.ToString());
             Response.Write("<br/>");
        }  
    }
}

What's the problem?

Answer 1

According to MSDN , GetDomain() is a static method, which means it cannot be accessed outside of a static context - that is why you're getting that particular error. To prove this was the case, I just copied and pasted your code into a console app, which by default will be run from a static void method called Main() :

using System;
using System.DirectoryServices.ActiveDirectory;

namespace LDAPTEST
{
    public class Program
    {
         static void Main(string[] args)
         {
             DirectoryContext s = new DirectoryContext(DirectoryContextType.Domain, "DC=hq,DC=xxxxxxxxx,DC=com", "TestUsername", "TestPassword");

             Domain domain = Domain.GetDomain(s);
             Forest forest = domain.Forest;
             DomainCollection domains = forest.Domains;

             foreach (Domain objDomain in domains)
             {
                  Console.Write("");
             }  
         }
     }
}

This will compile and run. However, since you're developing an Asp.Net web application, I would advise using the lower level System.DirectoryServices.Protocols or even the System.DirectoryServices.AccountManagement namespace to accomplish your task.