gnu.crypto.keyring

Interface IKeyring

public interface IKeyring

The top-level interface to a keyring: a file that is used to store and protect public and private cryptographic keys.

A keyring is modelled as a mapping of one alias to one or more entries (optionally of different types).

See also the sub-interfaces IPublicKeyring and IPrivateKeyring for special types of keyrings --the difference being in the type of entries they contain.

Version: $Revision: 1.5 $

Field Summary
static StringKEYRING_DATA_IN

Property name for the source of data to load the keyring from.

static StringKEYRING_DATA_OUT

Property name for the data sink to store the keyring to.

static StringKEYRING_PASSWORD

Property name for the keyring's top-level password, used to authenticate and/or transform the store itself.

Method Summary
voidadd(Entry entry)

Adds a designated Entry to this keyring.

What happens if there is already an entry with the same alias?

Enumerationaliases()

Returns an Enumeration of all aliases (instances of String) in this keyring.

booleancontainsAlias(String alias)
Tests whether or not this keyring contains the given alias.
Listget(String alias)

Returns a List of entries (instances of Entry) for the given alias, or null if there no such entry exists.

voidload(Map attributes)

Loads a keyring into memory.

What happens to the current contents of this keyring?

voidremove(String alias)

Removes an entry with the designated alias from this keyring.

voidreset()

Resets this keyring, clearing all sensitive data.

intsize()

Returns the number of entries in this keyring.

voidstore(Map attributes)

Stores the contents of this keyring to persistent storage as specified by the designated attributes.

Field Detail

KEYRING_DATA_IN

public static final String KEYRING_DATA_IN

Property name for the source of data to load the keyring from. The value mapped must be a java.io.InputStream.

KEYRING_DATA_OUT

public static final String KEYRING_DATA_OUT

Property name for the data sink to store the keyring to. The value mapped must be a java.io.OutputStream.

KEYRING_PASSWORD

public static final String KEYRING_PASSWORD

Property name for the keyring's top-level password, used to authenticate and/or transform the store itself. The mapped value must be a char array.

Method Detail

add

public void add(Entry entry)

Adds a designated Entry to this keyring.

What happens if there is already an entry with the same alias?

Parameters: entry The entry to put in this keyring.

aliases

public Enumeration aliases()

Returns an Enumeration of all aliases (instances of String) in this keyring.

Returns: The enumeration of Strings each representing an alias found in this keyring.

containsAlias

public boolean containsAlias(String alias)
Tests whether or not this keyring contains the given alias.

Parameters: alias The alias to check.

Returns: true if this keyring contains the alias.

get

public List get(String alias)

Returns a List of entries (instances of Entry) for the given alias, or null if there no such entry exists.

Parameters: alias The alias of the entry(ies) to return.

Returns: A list of all entries (instances of Entry that have the given alias, or null if no one Entry can be found with the designated alias.

load

public void load(Map attributes)

Loads a keyring into memory.

What happens to the current contents of this keyring? are the new ones merged with the current ones or do they simply replace them?

Parameters: attributes The attributes that designate the source where the store is to be loaded from. What happens

Throws: IllegalArgumentException If the attributes are inappropriate. IOException If the keyring file cannot be read. SecurityException If the given password is incorrect, or if the top-level authentication or decryption fails.

remove

public void remove(String alias)

Removes an entry with the designated alias from this keyring. Does nothing if there was no such entry.

What happens if there are more than one?

Parameters: alias The alias of the entry to remove.

reset

public void reset()

Resets this keyring, clearing all sensitive data. This method always suceeds.

size

public int size()

Returns the number of entries in this keyring.

Returns: The number of current entries in this keyring.

store

public void store(Map attributes)

Stores the contents of this keyring to persistent storage as specified by the designated attributes.

Parameters: attributes the attributes that define where the contents of this keyring will be stored.

Throws: IOException if an exception occurs during the process.

Copyright © 2001, 2002, 2003 Free Software Foundation, Inc. All Rights Reserved.