java.security: public interface: Key

java.security
public interface: Key [javadoc | source]

All Implemented Interfaces:
Serializable

All Known Implementing Classes:
RSAMultiPrimePrivateCrtKey, KerberosKey, RSAPrivateKey, DSAPublicKey, PublicKey, KeyImpl, PrivateKey, ECPrivateKey, ECPublicKey, DHPublicKey, RSAPublicKey, SecretKeySpec, RSAPrivateCrtKey, SecretKey, DHPrivateKey, DSAPrivateKey, PBEKey

The Key interface is the top-level interface for all keys. It defines the functionality shared by all key objects. All keys have three characteristics:

An Algorithm
This is the key algorithm for that key. The key algorithm is usually an encryption or asymmetric operation algorithm (such as DSA or RSA), which will work with those algorithms and with related algorithms (such as MD5 with RSA, SHA-1 with RSA, Raw DSA, etc.) The name of the algorithm of a key is obtained using the getAlgorithm method.
An Encoded Form
This is an external encoded form for the key used when a standard representation of the key is needed outside the Java Virtual Machine, as when transmitting the key to some other party. The key is encoded according to a standard format (such as X.509 SubjectPublicKeyInfo or PKCS#8), and is returned using the getEncoded method. Note: The syntax of the ASN.1 type SubjectPublicKeyInfo is defined as follows:
```
SubjectPublicKeyInfo ::= SEQUENCE {
  algorithm AlgorithmIdentifier,
  subjectPublicKey BIT STRING }

AlgorithmIdentifier ::= SEQUENCE {
  algorithm OBJECT IDENTIFIER,
  parameters ANY DEFINED BY algorithm OPTIONAL }
```
For more information, see RFC 3280: Internet X.509 Public Key Infrastructure Certificate and CRL Profile.
A Format
This is the name of the format of the encoded key. It is returned by the getFormat method.

Keys are generally obtained through key generators, certificates, or various Identity classes used to manage keys. Keys may also be obtained from key specifications (transparent representations of the underlying key material) through the use of a key factory (see KeyFactory ).

A Key should use KeyRep as its serialized representation. Note that a serialized Key may contain sensitive information which should not be exposed in untrusted environments. See the Security Appendix of the Serialization Specification for more information.

Also see:

java.security.spec.KeySpec

Identity

Signer

author: Benjamin - Renaud

Field Summary
static final long	serialVersionUID	The class fingerprint that is set to indicate serialization compatibility with a previous version of the class.

Method from java.security.Key Summary:
getAlgorithm, getEncoded, getFormat

Method from java.security.Key Detail:
public String getAlgorithm() Returns the standard algorithm name for this key. For example, "DSA" would indicate that this key is a DSA key. See Appendix A in the Java Cryptography Architecture API Specification & Reference for information about standard algorithm names.
public byte[] getEncoded() Returns the key in its primary encoding format, or null if this key does not support encoding.
public String getFormat() Returns the name of the primary encoding format of this key, or null if this key does not support encoding. The primary encoding format is named in terms of the appropriate ASN.1 data format, if an ASN.1 specification for this key exists. For example, the name of the ASN.1 data format for public keys is SubjectPublicKeyInfo, as defined by the X.509 standard; in this case, the returned format is `"X.509"`. Similarly, the name of the ASN.1 data format for private keys is PrivateKeyInfo, as defined by the PKCS #8 standard; in this case, the returned format is `"PKCS#8"`.

Method from java.security.Key Detail:

 public String getAlgorithm()Returns the standard algorithm name for this key. For
example, "DSA" would indicate that this key is a DSA key.
See Appendix A in the 
Java Cryptography Architecture API Specification & Reference 
for information about standard algorithm names.

 public byte[] getEncoded()Returns the key in its primary encoding format, or null
if this key does not support encoding.

 public String getFormat()Returns the name of the primary encoding format of this key,
or null if this key does not support encoding.
The primary encoding format is
named in terms of the appropriate ASN.1 data format, if an
ASN.1 specification for this key exists.
For example, the name of the ASN.1 data format for public
keys is SubjectPublicKeyInfo, as
defined by the X.509 standard; in this case, the returned format is
"X.509". Similarly,
the name of the ASN.1 data format for private keys is
PrivateKeyInfo,
as defined by the PKCS #8 standard; in this case, the returned format is
"PKCS#8".