X500DistinguishedName.Decode(X500DistinguishedNameFlags) Method

Definition

Namespace:

System.Security.Cryptography.X509Certificates

Assembly:

System.Security.Cryptography.dll

Source:

X500DistinguishedName.cs

Decodes a distinguished name using the characteristics specified by the flag parameter.

public:
 System::String ^ Decode(System::Security::Cryptography::X509Certificates::X500DistinguishedNameFlags flag);

public string Decode (System.Security.Cryptography.X509Certificates.X500DistinguishedNameFlags flag);

member this.Decode : System.Security.Cryptography.X509Certificates.X500DistinguishedNameFlags -> string

Public Function Decode (flag As X500DistinguishedNameFlags) As String

Parameters

flag

X500DistinguishedNameFlags

A bitwise combination of the enumeration values that specify the characteristics of the distinguished name.

Returns

String

The decoded distinguished name.

Exceptions

CryptographicException

The certificate has an invalid name.

Examples

The following code example shows how to use the X500DistinguishedName class.

using System;
using System.Security.Cryptography;
using System.Security.Cryptography.X509Certificates;

class X500Sample
{
    static void Main()
    {
        try
        {
            X509Store store = new("MY", StoreLocation.CurrentUser);
            store.Open(OpenFlags.ReadOnly | OpenFlags.OpenExistingOnly);
            X509Certificate2Collection collection = store.Certificates;
            X509Certificate2Collection fcollection = collection.Find(
                X509FindType.FindByTimeValid,
                DateTime.Now, false
                );
            X509Certificate2Collection scollection = X509Certificate2UI.SelectFromCollection(
                fcollection,
                "Test Certificate Select",
                "Select a certificate from the following list to get information on that certificate",
                X509SelectionFlag.MultiSelection
                );
            Console.WriteLine($"Number of certificates: {scollection.Count}{Environment.NewLine}");
            foreach (X509Certificate2 x509 in scollection)
            {
                X500DistinguishedName dname = new(
                    x509.SubjectName.Name,
                    X500DistinguishedNameFlags.Reversed | X500DistinguishedNameFlags.UseSemicolons
                    );
                Console.WriteLine("X500DistinguishedName: {0}{1}", dname.Name, Environment.NewLine);
                x509.Reset();
            }
            store.Close();
        }
        catch (CryptographicException)
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Information could not be written out for this certificate.");
        }
    }
}

Imports System.Security.Cryptography.X509Certificates

Class X500Sample
    Shared s_msg As String
    Shared Sub Main()

        Try
            Dim store As New X509Store("MY", StoreLocation.CurrentUser)
            store.Open(OpenFlags.ReadOnly Or OpenFlags.OpenExistingOnly)
            Dim collection As X509Certificate2Collection = store.Certificates
            Dim fcollection As X509Certificate2Collection = collection.Find(X509FindType.FindByTimeValid, Date.Now, False)
            Dim scollection As X509Certificate2Collection = X509Certificate2UI.SelectFromCollection(
                fcollection,
                "Test Certificate Select",
                "Select a certificate from the following list to get information on that certificate",
                X509SelectionFlag.MultiSelection
                )
            s_msg = "Number of certificates: " & scollection.Count & Environment.NewLine
            Console.WriteLine(s_msg)
            Dim x509 As X509Certificate2
            For Each x509 In scollection
                Dim dname As New X500DistinguishedName(
                x509.SubjectName.Name,
                X500DistinguishedNameFlags.Reversed Or X500DistinguishedNameFlags.UseSemicolons
                )
                s_msg = "X500DistinguishedName: " & dname.Name & Environment.NewLine
                Console.WriteLine(s_msg)
                x509.Reset()
            Next x509
            store.Close()
        Catch e As Exception
            s_msg = "Error: Information could not be written out for this certificate."
            Console.WriteLine(s_msg)
        End Try
    End Sub
End Class

Remarks

This method decodes the ASN encoded distinguished name into a string value.