KeyContainer C Library Reference
KeyContainer
* This is a freeware class/C library/library.
Represents a key container on a Windows operating system. Each Windows system has a "machine keyset" where named key containers are potentially accessible to all processes. The "machine keyset" is a machine-wide container for key containers. Each user account also has it's own set of key containers. Therefore, when you open or create a key container by name, you must also indicate whether it's the "machine keyset" or the user account's keyset.
The KeyContainer object provides methods opening, creating, and deleting key containers by name. It also provides the ability to import public/private keys into a key container, or to export public/private keys from a key container. It can generate new key pairs. It can also enumerate the names of existing key containers.
Create/Dispose
HCkKeyContainer CkKeyContainer_Create(void);
Creates an instance of the CkKeyContainer object and returns a handle (i.e. a "void *" pointer). The handle is passed in the 1st argument for the functions listed on this page.
void CkKeyContainer_Dispose(HCkKeyContainer handle);
Objects created by calling CkKeyContainer_Create must be freed by calling this method. A memory leak occurs if a handle is not disposed by calling this function.
C "Properties"
void CkKeyContainer_getContainerName(HCkKeyContainer handle, HCkString retval);
The name of the currently open key container.
BOOL CkKeyContainer_getIsMachineKeyset(HCkKeyContainer handle);
true if the currently open key container is from the machine keyset, otherwise false.
BOOL CkKeyContainer_getIsOpen(HCkKeyContainer handle);
true if the object currently has a key container open, otherwise false.
void CkKeyContainer_getLastErrorHtml(HCkKeyContainer handle, HCkString retval);
Error information in HTML format for the last method called.
void CkKeyContainer_getLastErrorText(HCkKeyContainer handle, HCkString retval);
Error information in plain-text format for the last method called.
void CkKeyContainer_getLastErrorXml(HCkKeyContainer handle, HCkString retval);
Error information in XML format for the last method called.
BOOL CkKeyContainer_getUtf8(HCkKeyContainer handle);
void CkKeyContainer_putUtf8(HCkKeyContainer handle, BOOL newVal);
When set to true, all "const char *" arguments are expected to be utf-8 strings. If set to false, the "const char *" arguments are expected to be ANSI strings.
C "Methods"
void CkKeyContainer_CloseContainer(HCkKeyContainer handle);
Closes the currently opened key container (if this object has one opened).
BOOL CkKeyContainer_CreateContainer(HCkKeyContainer handle, const char *name, BOOL machineKeyset);
Creates a new key container with a given name in the machine or user keyset. If a key container having the same name already exists, it is opened. Returns TRUE for success, FALSE for failure.
BOOL CkKeyContainer_DeleteContainer(HCkKeyContainer handle);
Deletes a key container with a given name in the machine or user keyset. Returns TRUE for success, FALSE for failure.
BOOL CkKeyContainer_FetchContainerNames(HCkKeyContainer handle, BOOL bMachineKeyset);
Fetches the container names for the machine or user keyset. After this method has been called successfully, the GetNumContainers method can be called to get the number of key containers in the given keyset, and the GetContainerName method can be called to retrieve each key container's name by index. Returns TRUE for success, FALSE for failure.
BOOL CkKeyContainer_GenerateKeyPair(HCkKeyContainer handle, BOOL bKeyExchangePair, int keyLengthInBits);
Generates a new key pair in the currently open key container. Each key container can contain two public/private key pairs: one for key exchange, and one for signature creation. The 1st argument determines which key pair is generated. A value of true causes a new key-exchange key pair to be generated, a value of false causes a new signature key pair to be generated. The size of the key (in bits) can range from 384 to 16384, with a typical value being 1024 or 2048 bits. Returns TRUE for success, FALSE for failure.
void CkKeyContainer_GenerateUuid(HCkKeyContainer handle, HCkString guid);
This method is provided as a convenient way of generating unique key container names. There are no set rules for naming key containers. However, if your application is to generate a large number of keys, using a UUID for the key container name is wise to ensure uniqueness.
void CkKeyContainer_GetContainerName(HCkKeyContainer handle, BOOL bMachineKeyset, int index, HCkString name);
Returns the Nth key container name. The FetchContainerNames method must have been previously called with the same keyset (machine or user). The index ranges from 0 to GetNumContainers() - 1. A null reference is returned if the index is out-of-range or if FetchContainerNames was not previously called.
int CkKeyContainer_GetNumContainers(HCkKeyContainer handle, BOOL bMachineKeyset);
Returns the number of key containers in existence for the given keyset (machine or user). The FetchContainerNames method must have been previously called with the same keyset (machine or user).
HCkPrivateKey CkKeyContainer_GetPrivateKey(HCkKeyContainer handle, BOOL bKeyExchangePair);
A key container can hold two public/private key pairs -- a key-exchange pair and a signature pair. This method returns the private key for one of the key pairs. Passing a true returns the key-exchange pair, passing false returns the signature pair. A null reference is returned on failure.
HCkPublicKey CkKeyContainer_GetPublicKey(HCkKeyContainer handle, BOOL bKeyExchangePair);
A key container can hold two public/private key pairs -- a key-exchange pair and a signature pair. This method returns the public key for one of the key pairs. Passing a true returns the key-exchange pair, passing false returns the signature pair. A null reference is returned on failure.
BOOL CkKeyContainer_ImportPrivateKey(HCkKeyContainer handle, HCkPrivateKey key, BOOL bKeyExchangePair);
Imports a private key into the key container. The 1st argument is the private key to be imported, and the 2nd argument determines if the key-exchange private key (true) or signature private key (false) is replaced. Note: A private key actually contains the key material for both the public and private key. When you have a private key, you effectively have both the public and private key of a key pair. Returns TRUE for success, FALSE for failure.
BOOL CkKeyContainer_ImportPublicKey(HCkKeyContainer handle, HCkPublicKey key, BOOL bKeyExchangePair);
Imports a public key into the key container. The 1st argument is the public key to be imported, and the 2nd argument determines if the key-exchange public key (true) or signature public key (false) is replaced. Returns TRUE for success, FALSE for failure.
BOOL CkKeyContainer_OpenContainer(HCkKeyContainer handle, const char *name, BOOL needPrivateKeyAccess, BOOL machineKeyset);
Opens an existing key container in either the machine or user keyset. Returns TRUE for success, FALSE for failure.
BOOL CkKeyContainer_SaveLastError(HCkKeyContainer handle, const char *filename);
Saves the last error information to an XML formatted file.
const char *CkKeyContainer_containerName(HCkKeyContainer handle);
The name of the currently open key container.
const char *CkKeyContainer_generateUuid(HCkKeyContainer handle);
This method is provided as a convenient way of generating unique key container names. There are no set rules for naming key containers. However, if your application is to generate a large number of keys, using a UUID for the key container name is wise to ensure uniqueness.
const char *CkKeyContainer_getContainerName(HCkKeyContainer handle, BOOL bMachineKeyset, int index);
Returns the Nth key container name. The FetchContainerNames method must have been previously called with the same keyset (machine or user). The index ranges from 0 to GetNumContainers() - 1. A null reference is returned if the index is out-of-range or if FetchContainerNames was not previously called.
const char *CkKeyContainer_lastErrorHtml(HCkKeyContainer handle);
Error information in HTML format for the last method called.
const char *CkKeyContainer_lastErrorText(HCkKeyContainer handle);
Error information in plain-text format for the last method called.
const char *CkKeyContainer_lastErrorXml(HCkKeyContainer handle);
Error information in XML format for the last method called.
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