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Class java.security.KeyGenerator 

java.lang.Object
   |
   +----java.security.KeyGenerator
public abstract class KeyGenerator
extends Object
The KeyGenerator class is used to generate keys for a given algorithm. Key generators are constructed using the getInstance factory methods (static methods that return instances of a given class).

The KeyGenerator interface is entirely algorithm independent, and, as for the KeyPairGenerator instances, KeyGenerator instances may be cast to algorithm-specific interfaces defined elsewhere in the Java Cryptography Architecture.

A typical set of calls would be: 

 import java.security.KeyGenerator;
 SecureRandom random = new SecureRandom();
 KeyGenerator keygen = KeyGenerator.getInstance("DES");
 keygen.initialize(random);
 Key key = keygen.generateKey();

Constructor Index

o KeyGenerator(String)
Creates a KeyGenerator object for the specified algorithm.

Method Index

o generateKey()
Generates a key.
o getAlgorithm()
Returns the standard name of the algorithm for this key generator.
o getInstance(String)
Generates a KeyGenerator object that implements the algorithm requested, as available in the environment.
o getInstance(String, String)
Generates a KeyGenerator object implementing the specified algorithm, as supplied from the specified provider, if such an algorithm is available from the provider.
o initialize(SecureRandom)
Initialize the key generator.

Constructors

o KeyGenerator 
 protected KeyGenerator(String algorithm)
Creates a KeyGenerator object for the specified algorithm.

Parameters:
algorithm - the standard string name of the algorithm. See Appendix A in the Java Cryptography Architecture API Specification & Reference for information about standard algorithm names.

Methods

o getAlgorithm 
 public String getAlgorithm()
Returns the standard name of the algorithm for this key generator. See Appendix A in the Java Cryptography Architecture API Specification & Reference for information about standard algorithm names.

Returns:
the standard string name of the algorithm.
o getInstance 
 public static KeyGenerator getInstance(String algorithm) throws NoSuchAlgorithmException
Generates a KeyGenerator object that implements the algorithm requested, as available in the environment.

Parameters:
algorithm - the standard string name of the algorithm. See Appendix A in the Java Cryptography Architecture API Specification & Reference for information about standard algorithm names.
Returns:
the new KeyGenerator object.
Throws: NoSuchAlgorithmException
if the algorithm is not available in the environment.
o getInstance 
 public static KeyGenerator getInstance(String algorithm,
                                        String provider) throws NoSuchAlgorithmException, NoSuchProviderException
Generates a KeyGenerator object implementing the specified algorithm, as supplied from the specified provider, if such an algorithm is available from the provider.

Parameters:
algorithm - the standard string name of the algorithm. See Appendix A in the Java Cryptography Architecture API Specification & Reference for information about standard algorithm names.
provider - the string name of the provider.
Returns:
the new KeyGenerator object.
Throws: NoSuchAlgorithmException
if the algorithm is not available from the provider.
Throws: NoSuchProviderException
if the provider is not available in the environment.
See Also:
Provider
o initialize 
 public abstract void initialize(SecureRandom random)
Initialize the key generator.

Parameters:
random - the source of randomness for this generator.
o generateKey 
 public abstract SecretKey generateKey()
Generates a key. This method generates a new key every time it is called.

Returns:
the new key. 
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