Delphi ActiveX

Load a Private Key from PEM Text

Demonstrates the Chilkat PrivateKey.LoadPem method, which loads a private key from PEM text. The only argument is the PEM string. It has no password argument, so it cannot load an encrypted PEM — use LoadEncryptedPem for that.

Background: PEM is the Base64 text format (delimited by -----BEGIN----- lines) that most tooling uses for keys. This method is for the plain, unencrypted case where the key material sits in the clear inside the PEM — convenient, but it means the file itself is the only thing protecting the key. When the PEM is password-protected (a BEGIN ENCRYPTED PRIVATE KEY block or a legacy encrypted header), reach for the Encrypted loader instead.

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var
success: Integer;
privKey: TPrivateKey;
pemText: WideString;

begin
success := 0;

//  Demonstrates the PrivateKey.LoadPem method, which loads a private key from PEM text.  The only
//  argument is the PEM string.  This method has no password argument, so it cannot load an
//  encrypted PEM -- use LoadEncryptedPem for that.

privKey := TPrivateKey.Create(Self);

//  The PEM text of an unencrypted private key.
pemText := '-----BEGIN PRIVATE KEY-----' + #10 + 'MIIEvAIBADANBgkq...' + #10 + '-----END PRIVATE KEY-----';

success := privKey.LoadPem(pemText);
if (success = 0) then
  begin
    Memo1.Lines.Add(privKey.LastErrorText);
    Exit;
  end;

Memo1.Lines.Add('Loaded a ' + privKey.KeyType + ' private key.');