title: Export users and passwords from Active directory into PHP
body: <p>I am developing a web application for my university project this summer and I am looking for some advice, The web application is to be deployed in to a windows environment that has around 500 users. The users will need to login before they can access the web application, this is where my first problem appears.</p>
  
  <p>Do I need a way to export the users from active directory with their passwords on a daily basis. However I know that passwords are stored as a hash not clear text so id have to mimic the hashing in my web app. So do I use LDAP to authenticate the users for me? I would appreciate some advice of maybe a link to a resource that anyone knows that would be worth me reading. </p>
  
  <p>Note.
  The web application will be made in PHP with a sql database running on a windows server inside the same domain. </p>
  
  <p>Thanks</p>