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## javax.security.auth.x500
Class X500Principal

    java.lang.Object
      javax.security.auth.x500.X500Principal

All Implemented Interfaces:
  Serializable, Principal

    public final class X500Principal

extends Object
implements Principal, Serializable

This class represents an X.500 `Principal`. `X500Principal`s are represented by distinguished names such as "CN=Duke, OU=JavaSoft, O=Sun Microsystems, C=US".

This class can be instantiated by using a string representation of the distinguished name, or by using the ASN.1 DER encoded byte representation of the distinguished name. The current specification for the string representation of a distinguished name is defined in RFC 2253. This class, however, accepts string formats from both RFC 2253 and RFC 1779, and also recognizes attribute type keywords whose OIDs (Object Identifiers) are defined in RFC 2459.

The string representation for this `X500Principal` can be obtained by calling the `getName` methods.

Note that the `getSubjectX500Principal` and `getIssuerX500Principal` methods of `X509Certificate` return X500Principals representing the issuer and subject fields of the certificate.

Since:
  1.4
See Also:
  `X509Certificate`, Serialized Form

Field Summary
`static String` | `CANONICAL` Canonical String format of Distinguished Names.
`static String` | `RFC1779` RFC 1779 String format of Distinguished Names.
`static String` | `RFC2253` RFC 2253 String format of Distinguished Names.

Constructor Summary
`X500Principal(byte[] name)` Creates an `X500Principal` from a distinguished name in ASN.1 DER encoded form.
`X500Principal(InputStream is)` Creates an `X500Principal` from an `InputStream` containing the distinguished name in ASN.1 DER encoded form.
`X500Principal(String name)` Creates an `X500Principal` from a string representation of an X.500 distinguished name (ex: "CN=Duke, OU=JavaSoft, O=Sun Microsystems, C=US").

Method Summary
`boolean` | `equals(Object o)` Compares the specified `Object` with this `X500Principal` for equality.
`byte[]` | `getEncoded()` Returns the distinguished name in ASN.1 DER encoded form.
`String` | `getName()` Returns a string representation of the X.500 distinguished name using the format defined in RFC 2253.
`String` | `getName(String format)` Returns a string representation of the X.500 distinguished name using the specified format.
`int` | `hashCode()` Return a hash code for this `X500Principal`.
`String` | `toString()` Return a user-friendly string representation of this `X500Principal`.

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object
`clone, finalize, getClass, notify, notifyAll, wait, wait, wait`

Field Detail

### RFC1779

    public static final String RFC1779

  RFC 1779 String format of Distinguished Names.

  See Also:
    Constant Field Values

### RFC2253

    public static final String RFC2253

  RFC 2253 String format of Distinguished Names.

  See Also:
    Constant Field Values

### CANONICAL

    public static final String CANONICAL

  Canonical String format of Distinguished Names.

  See Also:
    Constant Field Values

Constructor Detail

### X500Principal

    public X500Principal(String name)

  Creates an `X500Principal` from a string representation of an X.500 distinguished name (ex: "CN=Duke, OU=JavaSoft, O=Sun Microsystems, C=US"). The distinguished name must be specified using the grammar defined in RFC 1779 or RFC 2253 (either format is acceptable).

  This constructor recognizes the attribute type keywords defined in RFC 1779 and RFC 2253 (and listed in `getName(String format)`), as well as the T, DNQ or DNQUALIFIER, SURNAME, GIVENNAME, INITIALS, GENERATION, EMAILADDRESS, and SERIALNUMBER keywords whose OIDs are defined in RFC 2459 and its successor. Any other attribute type must be specified as an OID.

  Parameters:
    `name` - an X.500 distinguished name in RFC 1779 or RFC 2253 format
  Throws:
    `NullPointerException` - if the `name` is `null`
    `IllegalArgumentException` - if the `name` is improperly specified

### X500Principal

    public X500Principal(byte[] name)

  Creates an `X500Principal` from a distinguished name in ASN.1 DER encoded form. The ASN.1 notation for this structure is as follows.

       Name ::= CHOICE {
         RDNSequence }

       RDNSequence ::= SEQUENCE OF RelativeDistinguishedName

       RelativeDistinguishedName ::=
         SET SIZE (1 .. MAX) OF AttributeTypeAndValue

       AttributeTypeAndValue ::= SEQUENCE {
         type     AttributeType,
         value    AttributeValue }

       AttributeType ::= OBJECT IDENTIFIER

       AttributeValue ::= ANY DEFINED BY AttributeType
       ....
       DirectoryString ::= CHOICE {
             teletexString           TeletexString (SIZE (1..MAX)),
             printableString         PrintableString (SIZE (1..MAX)),
             universalString         UniversalString (SIZE (1..MAX)),
             utf8String              UTF8String (SIZE (1.. MAX)),
             bmpString               BMPString (SIZE (1..MAX)) }

  Parameters:
    `name` - a byte array containing the distinguished name in ASN.1 DER encoded form
  Throws:
    `IllegalArgumentException` - if an encoding error occurs (incorrect form for DN)

### X500Principal

    public X500Principal(InputStream is)

  Creates an `X500Principal` from an `InputStream` containing the distinguished name in ASN.1 DER encoded form. The ASN.1 notation for this structure is supplied in the documentation for `X500Principal(byte[] name)`.

  The read position of the input stream is positioned to the next available byte after the encoded distinguished name.

  Parameters:
    `is` - an `InputStream` containing the distinguished name in ASN.1 DER encoded form
  Throws:
    `NullPointerException` - if the `InputStream` is `null`
    `IllegalArgumentException` - if an encoding error occurs (incorrect form for DN)

Method Detail

### getName

    public String getName()

  Returns a string representation of the X.500 distinguished name using the format defined in RFC 2253.

  This method is equivalent to calling `getName(X500Principal.RFC2253)`.

  Specified by:
    `getName` in interface `Principal`
  Returns:
    the distinguished name of this `X500Principal`

### getName

    public String getName(String format)

  Returns a string representation of the X.500 distinguished name using the specified format. Valid values for the format are "RFC1779", "RFC2253", and "CANONICAL" (case insensitive).

  If "RFC1779" is specified as the format, this method emits the attribute type keywords defined in RFC 1779 (CN, L, ST, O, OU, C, STREET). Any other attribute type is emitted as an OID.

  If "RFC2253" is specified as the format, this method emits the attribute type keywords defined in RFC 2253 (CN, L, ST, O, OU, C, STREET, DC, UID). Any other attribute type is emitted as an OID. Under a strict reading, RFC 2253 only specifies a UTF-8 string representation. The String returned by this method is the Unicode string achieved by decoding this UTF-8 representation.

  If "CANONICAL" is specified as the format, this method returns an RFC 2253 conformant string representation with the following additional canonicalizations:

  1. Leading zeros are removed from attribute types that are encoded as dotted decimal OIDs
  2. DirectoryString attribute values of type PrintableString and UTF8String are not output in hexadecimal format
  3. DirectoryString attribute values of types other than PrintableString and UTF8String are output in hexadecimal format
  4. Leading and trailing white space characters are removed from non-hexadecimal attribute values (unless the value consists entirely of white space characters)
  5. Internal substrings of one or more white space characters are converted to a single space in non-hexadecimal attribute values
  6. Relative Distinguished Names containing more than one Attribute Value Assertion (AVA) are output in the following order: an alphabetical ordering of AVAs containing standard keywords, followed by a numeric ordering of AVAs containing OID keywords.
  7. The only characters in attribute values that are escaped are those which section 2.4 of RFC 2253 states must be escaped (they are escaped using a preceding backslash character)
  8. The entire name is converted to upper case using `String.toUpperCase(Locale.US)`
  9. The entire name is converted to lower case using `String.toLowerCase(Locale.US)`
  10. The name is finally normalized using normalization form KD, as described in the Unicode Standard and UAX #15

  Additional standard formats may be introduced in the future.

  Parameters:
    `format` - the format to use
  Returns:
    a string representation of this `X500Principal` using the specified format
  Throws:
    `IllegalArgumentException` - if the specified format is invalid

### getEncoded

    public byte[] getEncoded()

  Returns the distinguished name in ASN.1 DER encoded form. The ASN.1 notation for this structure is supplied in the documentation for `X500Principal(byte[] name)`.

  Note that the byte array returned is cloned to protect against subsequent modifications.

  Returns:
    a byte array containing the distinguished name in ASN.1 DER encoded form

### toString

    public String toString()

  Return a user-friendly string representation of this `X500Principal`.

  Specified by:
    `toString` in interface `Principal`
  Overrides:
    `toString` in class `Object`
  Returns:
    a string representation of this `X500Principal`

### equals

    public boolean equals(Object o)

  Compares the specified `Object` with this `X500Principal` for equality.

  Specifically, this method returns `true` if the `Object` o is an `X500Principal` and if the respective canonical string representations (obtained via the `getName(X500Principal.CANONICAL)` method) of this object and o are equal.

  This implementation is compliant with the requirements of RFC 2459.

  Specified by:
    `equals` in interface `Principal`
  Overrides:
    `equals` in class `Object`
  Parameters:
    `o` - Object to be compared for equality with this `X500Principal`
  Returns:
    `true` if the specified `Object` is equal to this `X500Principal`, `false` otherwise
  See Also:
    `Object.hashCode()`, `Hashtable`

### hashCode

    public int hashCode()

  Return a hash code for this `X500Principal`.

  The hash code is calculated via: `getName(X500Principal.CANONICAL).hashCode()`

  Specified by:
    `hashCode` in interface `Principal`
  Overrides:
    `hashCode` in class `Object`
  Returns:
    a hash code for this `X500Principal`
  See Also:
    `Object.equals(java.lang.Object)`, `Hashtable`

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Copyright 2004 Sun Microsystems, Inc. All rights reserved. Use is subject to license terms. Also see the documentation redistribution policy.