Class: Defuse\Crypto\Key
=========================

The `Key` class represents a secret key used for encrypting and decrypting. Once
you have a `Key` instance, you can use it with the `Crypto` class to encrypt and
decrypt strings and with the `File` class to encrypt and decrypt files.

Instance Methods
-----------------

### saveToAsciiSafeString()

**Description:**

Saves the encryption key to a string of printable ASCII characters, which can be
loaded again into a `Key` instance using `Key::loadFromAsciiSafeString()`.

**Parameters:**

This method does not take any parameters.

**Return value:**

Returns a string of printable ASCII characters representing this `Key` instance,
which can be loaded back into an instance of `Key` using
`Key::loadFromAsciiSafeString()`.

**Exceptions:**

- `Defuse\Crypto\Exception\EnvironmentIsBrokenException` is thrown either when
  the platform the code is running on cannot safely perform encryption for some
  reason (e.g. it lacks a secure random number generator), or the runtime tests
  detected a bug in this library.

**Side-effects and performance:**

None.

**Cautions:**

This method currently returns a hexadecimal string. You should not rely on this
behavior. For example, it may be improved in the future to return a base64
string.

Static Methods
---------------

### Key::createNewRandomKey()

**Description:**

Generates a new random key and returns an instance of `Key`.

**Parameters:**

This method does not take any parameters.

**Return value:**

Returns an instance of `Key` containing a randomly-generated encryption key.

**Exceptions:**

- `Defuse\Crypto\Exception\EnvironmentIsBrokenException` is thrown either when
  the platform the code is running on cannot safely perform encryption for some
  reason (e.g. it lacks a secure random number generator), or the runtime tests
  detected a bug in this library.

**Side-effects and performance:**

None.

**Cautions:**

None.

### Key::loadFromAsciiSafeString($saved\_key\_string, $do\_not\_trim = false)

**Description:**

Loads an instance of `Key` that was saved to a string by
`saveToAsciiSafeString()`.

By default, this function will call `Encoding::trimTrailingWhitespace()`
to remove trailing CR, LF, NUL, TAB, and SPACE characters, which are commonly
appended to files when working with text editors.

**Parameters:**

1. `$saved_key_string` is the string returned from `saveToAsciiSafeString()`
   when the original `Key` instance was saved.
2. `$do_not_trim` should be set to `TRUE` if you do not wish for the library
   to automatically strip trailing whitespace from the string. 

**Return value:**

Returns an instance of `Key` representing the same encryption key as the one
that was represented by the `Key` instance that got saved into
`$saved_key_string` by a call to `saveToAsciiSafeString()`.

**Exceptions:**

- `Defuse\Crypto\Exception\EnvironmentIsBrokenException` is thrown either when
  the platform the code is running on cannot safely perform encryption for some
  reason (e.g. it lacks a secure random number generator), or the runtime tests
  detected a bug in this library.

- `Defuse\Crypto\Exception\BadFormatException` is thrown whenever
  `$saved_key_string` does not represent a valid `Key` instance.

**Side-effects and performance:**

None.

**Cautions:**

None.

• [F] Crypto.md
  Delete
• [F] File.md
  Delete
• [F] Key.md
  Delete
• [F] KeyProtectedByPassword.md
  Delete

Blog Section

Discover the Latest in Digital Payments and NFC Technology

Dive into our blog to explore the cutting-edge trends in digital payments and NFC technology. Stay updated on the innovations that are revolutionizing transactions, boosting security, and making payments quicker and more convenient. Learn how these advancements are shaping the future of financial interactions and driving the global transition towards a cashless world.

The Rise of Contactless Payments:...

In recent years, contactless payments have surged in popularity, driven...

Visit Blog

March 27, 2024

Enhancing Payment Security: The Role...

As digital transactions proliferate, ensuring robust payment security is more critical than ever. Two foundational...

Visit Blog

March 27, 2024

The Future of Digital Wallets:...

Digital wallets have fundamentally transformed how we manage money, offering a streamlined, secure, and highly...

Visit Blog

March 27, 2024