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## java.security
Interface Key

All Superinterfaces:
  Serializable

All Known Subinterfaces:
  PrivateKey, PublicKey

public interface Key
extends Serializable

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 or PKCS#8), and is returned using the `getEncoded` method.

- 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`).

See Also:
  `PublicKey`, `PrivateKey`, `KeyPair`, `KeyPairGenerator`, `KeyFactory`, `KeySpec`, `Identity`, `Signer`

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

Method Summary
`String` | `getAlgorithm()` Returns the standard algorithm name for this key.
`byte[]` | `getEncoded()` Returns the key in its primary encoding format, or null if this key does not support encoding.
`String` | `getFormat()` Returns the name of the primary encoding format of this key, or null if this key does not support encoding.

Field Detail

### serialVersionUID

    public static final long serialVersionUID

  The class fingerprint that is set to indicate serialization compatibility with a previous version of the class.

Method Detail

### getAlgorithm

    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.
  Returns:
    the name of the algorithm associated with this key.

### getFormat

    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"`.
  Returns:
    the primary encoding format of the key.

### getEncoded

    public byte[] getEncoded()

  Returns the key in its primary encoding format, or null if this key does not support encoding.
  Returns:
    the encoded key, or null if the key does not support encoding.

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