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CryptographicKey Class

  • Reference

Definition

Namespace:
Windows.Security.Cryptography.Core
Edit

Represents a symmetric key or an asymmetric key pair.

public ref class CryptographicKey sealed
/// [Windows.Foundation.Metadata.ContractVersion(Windows.Foundation.UniversalApiContract, 65536)]
/// [Windows.Foundation.Metadata.MarshalingBehavior(Windows.Foundation.Metadata.MarshalingType.Agile)]
class CryptographicKey final
[Windows.Foundation.Metadata.ContractVersion(typeof(Windows.Foundation.UniversalApiContract), 65536)]
[Windows.Foundation.Metadata.MarshalingBehavior(Windows.Foundation.Metadata.MarshalingType.Agile)]
public sealed class CryptographicKey
Public NotInheritable Class CryptographicKey
Inheritance
Object Platform::Object IInspectable CryptographicKey
Attributes
ContractVersionAttribute MarshalingBehaviorAttribute

Windows requirements

Device family
Windows 10 (introduced in 10.0.10240.0)
API contract
Windows.Foundation.UniversalApiContract (introduced in v1.0)

Examples

using Windows.Security.Cryptography;
using Windows.Security.Cryptography.Core;
using Windows.Storage.Streams;

namespace SampleCryptographicKey
{
    sealed partial class CryptographicKeyApp : Application
    {
        static IBuffer buffKeyPair;

        public CryptographicKeyApp()
        {
            // Initialize the application.
            this.InitializeComponent();

            // Create an asymmetric key pair.
            String strAsymmetricAlgName = AsymmetricAlgorithmNames.RsaPkcs1;
            UInt32 asymmetricKeyLength = 512;
            IBuffer buffPublicKey = this.SampleCreateAsymmetricKeyPair(
                strAsymmetricAlgName,
                asymmetricKeyLength);
        }

        public IBuffer SampleCreateAsymmetricKeyPair(
            String strAsymmetricAlgName,
            UInt32 keyLength)
        {
            // Open the algorithm provider for the specified asymmetric algorithm.
            AsymmetricKeyAlgorithmProvider objAlgProv = AsymmetricKeyAlgorithmProvider.OpenAlgorithm(strAsymmetricAlgName);

            // Create an asymmetric key pair.
            CryptographicKey keyPair = objAlgProv.CreateKeyPair(keyLength);

            // Export the public key to a buffer for use by others.
            IBuffer buffPublicKey = keyPair.ExportPublicKey();

            // You should keep your private key (embedded in the key pair) secure. For  
            // the purposes of this example, however, we're just copying it into a
            // static class variable for later use during decryption.
            CryptographicKeyApp.buffKeyPair = keyPair.Export();

            // Retrieve the size of the key pair.
            UInt32 lengthKeyPair = keyPair.KeySize;

            // Return the public key.
            return buffPublicKey;
        }
    }
}

Remarks

A CryptographicKey object is created when you use methods that create or import keys in the following classes:

Properties

KeySize

Gets the size, in bits, of the key.

Methods

Export()

Exports the key pair to a buffer.
Export(CryptographicPrivateKeyBlobType)

Exports the key pair to a buffer given a specified format.
ExportPublicKey()

Exports a public key to a buffer.
ExportPublicKey(CryptographicPublicKeyBlobType)

Exports a public key to a buffer given a specified format.

Applies to

See also