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Class javax.crypto.KeyGenerator

java.lang.Object
  |
  +--javax.crypto.KeyGenerator

public class KeyGenerator

extends java.lang.Object

This class provides the functionality of a (symmetric) key generator.

Key generators are constructed using one of the getInstance class methods of this class.

KeyGenerator objects are reusable, i.e., after a key has been generated, the same KeyGenerator object can be re-used to generate further keys.

There are two ways to generate a key: in an algorithm-independent manner, and in an algorithm-specific manner. The only difference between the two is the initialization of the object:

• Algorithm-Independent Initialization

  All key generators share the concepts of a "strength" and a source of randomness. The measure of strength is universally shared by all algorithms, though it is interpreted differently for different algorithms. There is an init method in this KeyGenerator class that takes these two universally shared types of arguments. There is also one that takes just a strength argument, and uses a system-provided source of randomness, and one that takes just a source of randomness.

  Since no other parameters are specified when you call the above algorithm-independent init methods, it is up to the provider what to do about the algorithm-specific parameters (if any) to be associated with each of the keys.

• Algorithm-Specific Initialization

  For situations where a set of algorithm-specific parameters already exists, there are two init methods that have an AlgorithmParameterSpec argument. One also has a SecureRandom argument, while the source of randomness is system-provided for the other.

In case the client does not explicitly initialize the KeyGenerator (via a call to an init method), each provider must supply (and document) a default initialization.

See Also:

SecretKey

Constructor Summary

KeyGenerator(KeyGeneratorSpi keyGenSpi, java.security.Provider provider, java.lang.String algorithm)
Creates a KeyGenerator object.

Method Summary

SecretKey	generateKey() Generates a secret key.
java.lang.String	getAlgorithm() Returns the algorithm name of this KeyGenerator object.
static KeyGenerator	getInstance(java.lang.String algorithm) Generates a KeyGenerator object for the specified algorithm.
static KeyGenerator	getInstance(java.lang.String algorithm, java.lang.String provider) Generates a KeyGenerator object for the specified key algorithm from the specified provider.
java.security.Provider	getProvider() Returns the provider of this KeyGenerator object.
void	init(java.security.SecureRandom random) Initializes this key generator.
void	init(java.security.spec.AlgorithmParameterSpec params) Initializes this key generator with the specified parameter set, using a system-provided source of randomness.
void	init(java.security.spec.AlgorithmParameterSpec params, java.security.SecureRandom random) Initializes this key generator with the specified parameter set and a user-provided source of randomness.
void	init(int strength) Initializes this key generator for a certain strength, using a system-provided source of randomness.
void	init(int strength, java.security.SecureRandom random) Initializes this key generator for a certain strength, using a user-provided source of randomness.

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notifyAll, notify, toString, wait, wait, wait

Constructor Detail

KeyGenerator

protected KeyGenerator(KeyGeneratorSpi keyGenSpi,
                       java.security.Provider provider,
                       java.lang.String algorithm)

Creates a KeyGenerator object.

Parameters:

keyGenSpi - the delegate

provider - the provider

algorithm - the algorithm

Method Detail

getAlgorithm

public final java.lang.String getAlgorithm()

Returns the algorithm name of this KeyGenerator object.

This is the same name that was specified in one of the getInstance calls that created this KeyGenerator object.

Returns:

the algorithm name of this KeyGenerator object.

getInstance

public static final KeyGenerator getInstance(java.lang.String algorithm)
                                                  throws java.security.NoSuchAlgorithmException

Generates a KeyGenerator object for the specified algorithm. If the default provider package provides an implementation of the requested key generator, an instance of KeyGenerator containing that implementation is returned. If the requested key generator is not available in the default provider package, other provider packages are searched.

Parameters:

algorithm - the standard name of the requested key algorithm. See Appendix A in the Java Cryptography Extension API Specification & Reference for information about standard algorithm names.

Returns:

the new KeyGenerator object

Throws:

java.security.NoSuchAlgorithmException - if a key generator for the specified algorithm is not available in the default provider package or any of the other provider packages that were searched.

getInstance

public static final KeyGenerator getInstance(java.lang.String algorithm,
                                             java.lang.String provider)
                                                  throws java.security.NoSuchAlgorithmException,
                                                         java.security.NoSuchProviderException

Generates a KeyGenerator object for the specified key algorithm from the specified provider.

Parameters:

algorithm - the standard name of the requested key algorithm. See Appendix A in the Java Cryptography Extension API Specification & Reference for information about standard algorithm names.

provider - the name of the provider

Returns:

the new KeyGenerator object

Throws:

java.security.NoSuchAlgorithmException - if a key generator for the specified algorithm is not available from the specified provider.

java.security.NoSuchProviderException - if the specified provider has not been configured.

getProvider

public final java.security.Provider getProvider()

Returns the provider of this KeyGenerator object.

Returns:

the provider of this KeyGenerator object

init

public final void init(java.security.SecureRandom random)

Initializes this key generator.

Parameters:

random - the source of randomness for this generator

init

public final void init(java.security.spec.AlgorithmParameterSpec params)
               throws java.security.InvalidAlgorithmParameterException

Initializes this key generator with the specified parameter set, using a system-provided source of randomness.

Parameters:

params - the key generation parameters

Throws:

java.security.InvalidAlgorithmParameterException - if the given parameters are inappropriate for this key generator

init

public final void init(java.security.spec.AlgorithmParameterSpec params,
                       java.security.SecureRandom random)
               throws java.security.InvalidAlgorithmParameterException

Initializes this key generator with the specified parameter set and a user-provided source of randomness.

Parameters:

params - the key generation parameters

random - the source of randomness for this key generator

Throws:

java.security.InvalidAlgorithmParameterException - if params is inappropriate for this key generator

init

public final void init(int strength)

Initializes this key generator for a certain strength, using a system-provided source of randomness.

Parameters:

strength - the strength of the key. This is an algorithm-specific metric specified in number of bits.

init

public final void init(int strength,
                       java.security.SecureRandom random)

Initializes this key generator for a certain strength, using a user-provided source of randomness.

Parameters:

strength - the strength of the key. This is an algorithm-specific metric specified in number of bits.

random - the source of randomness for this key generator

generateKey

public final SecretKey generateKey()

Generates a secret key.

Returns:

the new key