crypto/weakcrypto/docs/hash.dox
author Santosh Patil <santosh.v.patil@nokia.com>
Wed, 08 Jul 2009 11:25:26 +0100
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Move the Security package to EPL, and add the implementations of the cryptographic algorithms
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/**
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	@page cryptographic_hash Cryptographic Hash Functions
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	- @ref hashWhat
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	- @ref hashHow
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	- @ref hashWhich
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	- @ref hashHmac
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	@section hashWhat What is a cryptograhpic hash?  
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A cryptographic hash (also known as a message digest, a one-way function, or
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simply a hash) maps messages of arbitrary finite length to a message of a fixed
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known length.  It is often useful to think of the resulting output as a
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representation, or fingerprint, of the original input.
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Two properties are important to cryptographic hashes:
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- that it is highly unlikely that two distinct strings will hash to the same
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  output.
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- that is is extremely difficult to determine the original input given only the
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  output.
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These properties make hash functions useful in cryptography and other
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applications as they allow the representation of objects in a known fixed size.
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	@section hashHow How do I use the hash framework?
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There are a couple of ways to interact with the hash framework.  The following example 
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is probably the most common: 
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@code 
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_LIT(messagePart1, "Hello ");
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_LIT(messagePart2, "My "); 
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_LIT(messagePart3, "Name "); 
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_LIT(messagePart4, "is Fred"); 
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TBuf8<20> hash;
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CSHA1* sha1 = CSHA1::NewL(); 
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sha1->Update(messagePart1);
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sha1->Update(messagePart2); 
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sha1->Update(messagePart3);
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hash.Copy(sha1->Final(messagePart4)); 
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@endcode
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Note that \c Final() has a version that takes no data parameter which may be
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useful in certain situations.
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A few pointers:
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	- You can reuse a hash object by calling \c Reset().  
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	- Both versions of \c Final() call \c Reset() at the end of their function automatically.
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	- Be aware that the returned \c TPtrC8 from \c Final() points to an internal
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	  buffer.  Calling \c Update() or \c Final() again changes the contents of this
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	  buffer and will destroy your previously computed hash.  As in the example
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	  above, make sure you copy the data out if you need it.
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	@section hashWhich Which hash should I use?
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Unless you have a specific need to support certain hashes, use @ref SHA "SHA-1".
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	@section hashHmac What is an HMAC?
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HMAC (Hashed Message Authentication Code) is a key dependant hash.  It allows
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one to specify a key at creation of the HMAC.  Only persons with that key can
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verify the hash.  HMACs are useful when authentication but not secrecy of a
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message is required.
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*/