java.security
Interface Key

All Superinterfaces:

Serializable

All Known Subinterfaces:

DHPrivateKey, DHPublicKey, DSAPrivateKey, DSAPublicKey, ECPrivateKey, ECPublicKey, PBEKey, PrivateKey, PublicKey, RSAMultiPrimePrivateCrtKey, RSAPrivateCrtKey, RSAPrivateKey, RSAPublicKey, SecretKey

All Known Implementing Classes:

SecretKeySpec

public interface Key
extends Serializable

Defines the basic properties of all key objects.

See Also:

PublicKey

Field Summary

static long

serialVersionUID

Method Summary

String	getAlgorithm() Returns the name of the algorithm that this key will work with.
byte[]	getEncoded() Returns the encoded form of the receiver.
String	getFormat() Returns the name of the format used to encode the key, or null if it can not be encoded.

Field Detail

serialVersionUID

static final long serialVersionUID

See Also:

Constant Field Values

Method Detail

getAlgorithm

String getAlgorithm()

Returns the name of the algorithm that this key will work with. If the algorithm is unknown, it returns null.

Returns:

String the receiver's algorithm

getFormat

String getFormat()

Returns the name of the format used to encode the key, or null if it can not be encoded.

Returns:

String the receiver's encoding format

getEncoded

byte[] getEncoded()

Returns the encoded form of the receiver.

Returns:

byte[] the encoded form of the receiver