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package java.security.cert;

import java.io.IOException;
import java.io.OutputStream;
import java.io.Serializable;

This interface represents an X.509 extension.

Extensions provide a means of associating additional attributes with users or public keys and for managing a certification hierarchy. The extension format also allows communities to define private extensions to carry information unique to those communities.

Each extension contains an object identifier, a criticality setting indicating whether it is a critical or a non-critical extension, and and an ASN.1 DER-encoded value. Its ASN.1 definition is:

    Extension ::= SEQUENCE {
        extnId        OBJECT IDENTIFIER,
        critical      BOOLEAN DEFAULT FALSE,
        extnValue     OCTET STRING
                -- contains a DER encoding of a value
                -- of the type registered for use with
                -- the extnId object identifier value
    }

This interface is designed to provide access to a single extension, unlike X509Extension which is more suitable for accessing a set of extensions.

Since:1.7
/** * This interface represents an X.509 extension. * * <p> * Extensions provide a means of associating additional attributes with users * or public keys and for managing a certification hierarchy. The extension * format also allows communities to define private extensions to carry * information unique to those communities. * * <p> * Each extension contains an object identifier, a criticality setting * indicating whether it is a critical or a non-critical extension, and * and an ASN.1 DER-encoded value. Its ASN.1 definition is: * * <pre> * * Extension ::= SEQUENCE { * extnId OBJECT IDENTIFIER, * critical BOOLEAN DEFAULT FALSE, * extnValue OCTET STRING * -- contains a DER encoding of a value * -- of the type registered for use with * -- the extnId object identifier value * } * * </pre> * * <p> * This interface is designed to provide access to a single extension, * unlike {@link java.security.cert.X509Extension} which is more suitable * for accessing a set of extensions. * * @since 1.7 */
public interface Extension {
Gets the extensions's object identifier.
Returns:the object identifier as a String
/** * Gets the extensions's object identifier. * * @return the object identifier as a String */
String getId();
Gets the extension's criticality setting.
Returns:true if this is a critical extension.
/** * Gets the extension's criticality setting. * * @return true if this is a critical extension. */
boolean isCritical();
Gets the extensions's DER-encoded value. Note, this is the bytes that are encoded as an OCTET STRING. It does not include the OCTET STRING tag and length.
Returns:a copy of the extension's value, or null if no extension value is present.
/** * Gets the extensions's DER-encoded value. Note, this is the bytes * that are encoded as an OCTET STRING. It does not include the OCTET * STRING tag and length. * * @return a copy of the extension's value, or {@code null} if no * extension value is present. */
byte[] getValue();
Generates the extension's DER encoding and writes it to the output stream.
Params:
  • out – the output stream
Throws:
/** * Generates the extension's DER encoding and writes it to the output * stream. * * @param out the output stream * @exception IOException on encoding or output error. * @exception NullPointerException if {@code out} is {@code null}. */
void encode(OutputStream out) throws IOException; }