Reading an Object's objectGUID and Creating a String Representation of the GUID

The objectGUID property of each object in Active Directory Domain Services is stored in the directory as an octet string. An octet string is an array of one-byte characters. Use the IADs::get_GUID method to retrieve the bindable string form of a directory object's objectGUID.

The following code examples show a function that reads the objectGUID attribute and returns a string representation of the GUID used to bind to the object.

• Visual Basic Example
• C++ Example

Visual Basic Example

Dim sADsPathObject As String
Dim sObjectGUID As String
Dim sBindByGuidStr As String
 
Dim IADsObject As IADs
Dim IADsObject2 As IADs
On Error Resume Next
 
' Query the user for an ADsPath to start.
sADsPathObject = InputBox("This code binds to a directory object by ADsPath, retrieves the GUID, then rebinds by GUID." & vbCrLf & vbCrLf & "Specify the ADsPath of the object to bind to :")
 
If sADsPathObject = "" Then
    GoTo CleanUp
End If
 
MsgBox "Binding to " & sADsPathObject
 
' Bind to initial object.
Set IADsObject = GetObject(sADsPathObject)
 
If (Err.Number <> 0) Then
   MsgBox Err.Number & " on GetObject method"
   GoTo CleanUp
End If
 
' Save the GUID of the object.
sObjectGUID = IADsObject.Guid
 
MsgBox "The GUID for " & vbCrLf & vbCrLf & sADsPathObject & vbCrLf & vbCrLf & " is " & vbCrLf & vbCrLf & sObjectGUID
 
' Release the initial object.
Set IADsObject = Nothing
 
' Build a string for Binding to the object by GUID.
sBindByGuidStr = "LDAP://<GUID=" & sObjectGUID & ">"

MsgBox sBindByGuidStr
 
' Bind BACK to the Same object using the GUID.
Set IADsObject = GetObject(sBindByGuidStr)
 
If (Err.Number <> 0) Then
   MsgBox Err.Number & " on GetObject method "
   GoTo CleanUp
End If
 
MsgBox "Successfully RE bound to " & sADsPathObject & vbCrLf & vbCrLf & " using the path:" & vbCrLf & vbCrLf & sBindByGuidStr
 
' Release bind by GUID Object.
CleanUp:
   Set IADsObject = Nothing

C++ Example

#define UNICODE
#include <ole2.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <activeds.h>

#define PATH_SIZE 1024

void wmain(int argc, wchar_t *argv[])
{
    // Initialize COM.
    CoInitialize(0);
     
    WCHAR wszADsPathObject[PATH_SIZE + 1];
    HRESULT hr;
    IADs *pIADsObject = NULL;
    IADs *pIADsObjectByGuid = NULL;
     
    // If no ADsPath was specified on the command line, query the user for a ADsPath to start.
    if(!argv[1])
    {
        _putws(L"This code binds to a directory object by ADsPath, retrieves the GUID,\n"
            L" then rebinds by GUID. \n\nEnter the ADsPath of the object to bind to :\n");
        fgetws(wszADsPathObject, PATH_SIZE, stdin);
    }
    else
    {
        wcsncpy_s(wszADsPathObject, argv[1], PATH_SIZE - 1);
        wszADsPathObject[PATH_SIZE] = 0;
    }
     
    if (!wszADsPathObject[0])
    {
        return;
    }
     
    wprintf(L"\nBinding to %s\n", wszADsPathObject);
     
    // Bind to initial object.
    hr = ADsGetObject(wszADsPathObject, IID_IADs, (void**)&pIADsObject);
    if (SUCCEEDED(hr))
    {
        BSTR bstrGuid = NULL;
        hr = pIADsObject->get_GUID(&bstrGuid); 
        
        if (SUCCEEDED(hr))
        {
            LPWSTR wszFormat = L"LDAP://<GUID=%s>";
            LPWSTR pwszBindByGuidStr; 

            wprintf(L"\n The GUID for\n\n%s\n\nis\n\n%s\n", wszADsPathObject, bstrGuid);
     
            // Build a string for Binding to the object by GUID.
            pwszBindByGuidStr = new WCHAR[wcslen(wszFormat) + wcslen(bstrGuid) + 1];
            if(pwszBindByGuidStr)
            {
                swprintf_s(pwszBindByGuidStr, wszFormat, bstrGuid);
         
                // Bind BACK to the Same object using the GUID.
                hr = ADsGetObject(pwszBindByGuidStr, IID_IADs, (void**)&pIADsObjectByGuid);
                 
                if (SUCCEEDED(hr))
                {
                    wprintf(L"\nSuccessfully re-bound to\n\n%s\n\nUsing the path:\n\n%s\n", 
                        wszADsPathObject, pwszBindByGuidStr);
         
                    // Release bind by GUID Object.
                    pIADsObjectByGuid->Release();
                    pIADsObjectByGuid = NULL;
                }

                delete pwszBindByGuidStr;
            }
            else
            {
                hr = E_OUTOFMEMORY;
            }
     
            SysFreeString(bstrGuid);
        }
     
        pIADsObject->Release();
        pIADsObject = NULL;
    }
     
    if (FAILED(hr))
    {
        wprintf(L"Failed");
    }
}