MessageDigest

public abstract class MessageDigest
extends MessageDigestSpi

java.lang.Object
   ↳ java.security.MessageDigestSpi
     ↳ java.security.MessageDigest


This MessageDigest class provides applications the functionality of a message digest algorithm, such as SHA-1 or SHA-256. Message digests are secure one-way hash functions that take arbitrary-sized data and output a fixed-length hash value.

A MessageDigest object starts out initialized. The data is processed through it using the update methods. At any point reset can be called to reset the digest. Once all the data to be updated has been updated, one of the digest methods should be called to complete the hash computation.

The digest method can be called once for a given number of updates. After digest has been called, the MessageDigest object is reset to its initialized state.

Implementations are free to implement the Cloneable interface. Client applications can test cloneability by attempting cloning and catching the CloneNotSupportedException:

MessageDigest md = MessageDigest.getInstance("SHA-256");

 try {
     md.update(toChapter1);
     MessageDigest tc1 = md.clone();
     byte[] toChapter1Digest = tc1.digest();
     md.update(toChapter2);
     ...etc.
 } catch (CloneNotSupportedException cnse) {
     throw new DigestException("couldn't make digest of partial content");
 }
 

Note that if a given implementation is not cloneable, it is still possible to compute intermediate digests by instantiating several instances, if the number of digests is known in advance.

Note that this class is abstract and extends from MessageDigestSpi for historical reasons. Application developers should only take notice of the methods defined in this MessageDigest class; all the methods in the superclass are intended for cryptographic service providers who wish to supply their own implementations of message digest algorithms.

Android provides the following MessageDigest algorithms:

Algorithm Supported API Levels
MD5 1+
SHA-1 1+
SHA-224 1-8,22+
SHA-256 1+
SHA-384 1+
SHA-512 1+
These algorithms are described in the MessageDigest section of the Java Cryptography Architecture Standard Algorithm Name Documentation.

Summary

Protected constructors

MessageDigest(String algorithm)

Creates a message digest with the specified algorithm name.

Public methods

Object clone()

Returns a clone if the implementation is cloneable.

int digest(byte[] buf, int offset, int len)

Completes the hash computation by performing final operations such as padding.

byte[] digest()

Completes the hash computation by performing final operations such as padding.

byte[] digest(byte[] input)

Performs a final update on the digest using the specified array of bytes, then completes the digest computation.

final String getAlgorithm()

Returns a string that identifies the algorithm, independent of implementation details.

final int getDigestLength()

Returns the length of the digest in bytes, or 0 if this operation is not supported by the provider and the implementation is not cloneable.

static MessageDigest getInstance(String algorithm)

Returns a MessageDigest object that implements the specified digest algorithm.

static MessageDigest getInstance(String algorithm, String provider)

Returns a MessageDigest object that implements the specified digest algorithm.

static MessageDigest getInstance(String algorithm, Provider provider)

Returns a MessageDigest object that implements the specified digest algorithm.

final Provider getProvider()

Returns the provider of this message digest object.

static boolean isEqual(byte[] digesta, byte[] digestb)

Compares two digests for equality.

void reset()

Resets the digest for further use.

String toString()

Returns a string representation of this message digest object.

void update(byte[] input)

Updates the digest using the specified array of bytes.

void update(byte[] input, int offset, int len)

Updates the digest using the specified array of bytes, starting at the specified offset.

final void update(ByteBuffer input)

Update the digest using the specified ByteBuffer.

void update(byte input)

Updates the digest using the specified byte.

Inherited methods

Protected constructors

MessageDigest

Added in API level 1
protected MessageDigest (String algorithm)

Creates a message digest with the specified algorithm name.

Parameters
algorithm String: the standard name of the digest algorithm. See the MessageDigest section in the Java Security Standard Algorithm Names Specification for information about standard algorithm names.

Public methods

clone

Added in API level 1
public Object clone ()

Returns a clone if the implementation is cloneable.

Returns
Object a clone if the implementation is cloneable.

Throws
CloneNotSupportedException if this is called on an implementation that does not support Cloneable.

digest

Added in API level 1
public int digest (byte[] buf, 
                int offset, 
                int len)

Completes the hash computation by performing final operations such as padding. The digest is reset after this call is made.

Parameters
buf byte: output buffer for the computed digest

offset int: offset into the output buffer to begin storing the digest

len int: number of bytes within buf allotted for the digest

Returns
int the number of bytes placed into buf

Throws
DigestException if an error occurs.

digest

Added in API level 1
public byte[] digest ()

Completes the hash computation by performing final operations such as padding. The digest is reset after this call is made.

Returns
byte[] the array of bytes for the resulting hash value.

digest

Added in API level 1
public byte[] digest (byte[] input)

Performs a final update on the digest using the specified array of bytes, then completes the digest computation. That is, this method first calls update(input), passing the input array to the update method, then calls digest().

Parameters
input byte: the input to be updated before the digest is completed.

Returns
byte[] the array of bytes for the resulting hash value.

getAlgorithm

Added in API level 1
public final String getAlgorithm ()

Returns a string that identifies the algorithm, independent of implementation details. The name should be a standard Java Security name (such as "SHA-256"). See the MessageDigest section in the Java Security Standard Algorithm Names Specification for information about standard algorithm names.

Returns
String the name of the algorithm

getDigestLength

Added in API level 1
public final int getDigestLength ()

Returns the length of the digest in bytes, or 0 if this operation is not supported by the provider and the implementation is not cloneable.

Returns
int the digest length in bytes, or 0 if this operation is not supported by the provider and the implementation is not cloneable.

getInstance

Added in API level 1
public static MessageDigest getInstance (String algorithm)

Returns a MessageDigest object that implements the specified digest algorithm.

This method traverses the list of registered security Providers, starting with the most preferred Provider. A new MessageDigest object encapsulating the MessageDigestSpi implementation from the first Provider that supports the specified algorithm is returned.

Note that the list of registered providers may be retrieved via the Security.getProviders() method.

Implementation Note:
  • The JDK Reference Implementation additionally uses the jdk.security.provider.preferred Security property to determine the preferred provider order for the specified algorithm. This may be different than the order of providers returned by Security.getProviders().
Parameters
algorithm String: the name of the algorithm requested. See the MessageDigest section in the Java Security Standard Algorithm Names Specification for information about standard algorithm names.

Returns
MessageDigest a MessageDigest object that implements the specified algorithm

Throws
NoSuchAlgorithmException if no Provider supports a MessageDigestSpi implementation for the specified algorithm
NullPointerException if algorithm is null

See also:

getInstance

Added in API level 1
public static MessageDigest getInstance (String algorithm, 
                String provider)

Returns a MessageDigest object that implements the specified digest algorithm.

A new MessageDigest object encapsulating the MessageDigestSpi implementation from the specified provider is returned. The specified provider must be registered in the security provider list.

Note that the list of registered providers may be retrieved via the Security.getProviders() method.

Parameters
algorithm String: the name of the algorithm requested. See the MessageDigest section in the Java Security Standard Algorithm Names Specification for information about standard algorithm names.

provider String: the name of the provider.

Returns
MessageDigest a MessageDigest object that implements the specified algorithm

Throws
IllegalArgumentException if the provider name is null or empty
NoSuchAlgorithmException if a MessageDigestSpi implementation for the specified algorithm is not available from the specified provider
NoSuchProviderException if the specified provider is not registered in the security provider list
NullPointerException if algorithm is null

See also:

getInstance

Added in API level 1
public static MessageDigest getInstance (String algorithm, 
                Provider provider)

Returns a MessageDigest object that implements the specified digest algorithm.

A new MessageDigest object encapsulating the MessageDigestSpi implementation from the specified Provider object is returned. Note that the specified Provider object does not have to be registered in the provider list.

Parameters
algorithm String: the name of the algorithm requested. See the MessageDigest section in the Java Security Standard Algorithm Names Specification for information about standard algorithm names.

provider Provider: the provider.

Returns
MessageDigest a MessageDigest object that implements the specified algorithm

Throws
IllegalArgumentException if the specified provider is null
NoSuchAlgorithmException if a MessageDigestSpi implementation for the specified algorithm is not available from the specified Provider object
NullPointerException if algorithm is null

See also:

getProvider

Added in API level 1
public final Provider getProvider ()

Returns the provider of this message digest object.

Returns
Provider the provider of this message digest object

isEqual

Added in API level 1
public static boolean isEqual (byte[] digesta, 
                byte[] digestb)

Compares two digests for equality. Two digests are equal if they have the same length and all bytes at corresponding positions are equal.

Implementation Note:
  • All bytes in digesta are examined to determine equality. The calculation time depends only on the length of digesta. It does not depend on the length of digestb or the contents of digesta and digestb.
Parameters
digesta byte: one of the digests to compare.

digestb byte: the other digest to compare.

Returns
boolean true if the digests are equal, false otherwise.

reset

Added in API level 1
public void reset ()

Resets the digest for further use.

toString

Added in API level 1
public String toString ()

Returns a string representation of this message digest object.

Returns
String a string representation of the object.

update

Added in API level 1
public void update (byte[] input)

Updates the digest using the specified array of bytes.

Parameters
input byte: the array of bytes.

update

Added in API level 1
public void update (byte[] input, 
                int offset, 
                int len)

Updates the digest using the specified array of bytes, starting at the specified offset.

Parameters
input byte: the array of bytes.

offset int: the offset to start from in the array of bytes.

len int: the number of bytes to use, starting at offset.

update

Added in API level 1
public final void update (ByteBuffer input)

Update the digest using the specified ByteBuffer. The digest is updated using the input.remaining() bytes starting at input.position(). Upon return, the buffer's position will be equal to its limit; its limit will not have changed.

Parameters
input ByteBuffer: the ByteBuffer

update

Added in API level 1
public void update (byte input)

Updates the digest using the specified byte.

Parameters
input byte: the byte with which to update the digest.