java.security
Class KeyFactorySpi

java.lang.Object
  extended by java.security.KeyFactorySpi

public abstract class KeyFactorySpi
extends Object

This class defines the Service Provider Interface (SPI) for the KeyFactory class. All the abstract methods in this class must be implemented by each cryptographic service provider who wishes to supply the implementation of a key factory for a particular algorithm.

Key factories are used to convert keys (opaque cryptographic keys of type Key) into key specifications (transparent representations of the underlying key material), and vice versa.

Key factories are bi-directional. That is, they allow you to build an opaque key object from a given key specification (key material), or to retrieve the underlying key material of a key object in a suitable format.

Multiple compatible key specifications may exist for the same key. For example, a DSA public key may be specified using DSAPublicKeySpec or X509EncodedKeySpec. A key factory can be used to translate between compatible key specifications.

A provider should document all the key specifications supported by its key factory.

Since:
1.2
Version:
1.8, 02/02/00
Author:
Jan Luehe
See Also:
KeyFactory, Key, PublicKey, PrivateKey, KeySpec, DSAPublicKeySpec, X509EncodedKeySpec

Constructor Summary
KeyFactorySpi()
           
 
Method Summary
 
Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object
equals, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, toString, wait, wait, wait
 

Constructor Detail

KeyFactorySpi

public KeyFactorySpi()