Sample code for 30+ languages & platforms
Java

Load a Private Key from BinData (Any Format)

See more Private Key Examples

Demonstrates the Chilkat PrivateKey.LoadAnyFormat method, which loads a private key by inspecting the bytes in a BinData. The first argument is the BinData and the second is the password (used if the detected key is encrypted).

Note: The file path is relative to the application's current working directory. Absolute paths may also be used. Supply the path to your own key file.

Background: When you have key bytes in memory but do not know their exact format — downloaded, decrypted, or pulled from a database — this figures it out for you, recognizing PKCS #1/#8 DER, encrypted PKCS #8, PEM, JWK, Chilkat XML, Microsoft formats, and more. It removes the guesswork of choosing a specific loader, at the small cost of the detection step. Supply the password so it can decrypt an encrypted key without a second call.

Chilkat Java Downloads

Chilkat2 Java
import com.chilkatsoft.chilkat2.BinData;
import com.chilkatsoft.chilkat2.ChilkatException;
import com.chilkatsoft.chilkat2.PrivateKey;

public class ChilkatExample {

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        // Demonstrates the PrivateKey.LoadAnyFormat method, which loads a private key by inspecting the
        // bytes in a BinData.  The 1st argument is the BinData and the 2nd is the password (used if the
        // detected key is encrypted).

        BinData bd = new BinData();
        try {
            bd.loadFile("qa_data/some_private_key");
        } catch (ChilkatException e) {
            System.out.println(e.getLastErrorText());
            return;
        }

        PrivateKey privKey = new PrivateKey();

        // The key password is not hard-coded in a real application; obtain it from an interactive
        // prompt, environment variable, or a secrets vault.
        String password = "myKeyPassword";

        // Chilkat auto-detects the representation: PKCS #1/#8 DER, encrypted PKCS #8, PEM, JWK,
        // Chilkat XML, Microsoft formats, and more.
        try {
            privKey.loadAnyFormat(bd, password);
        } catch (ChilkatException e) {
            System.out.println(e.getLastErrorText());
            return;
        }

        System.out.println("Loaded a " + privKey.getKeyType() + " private key.");
    }
}