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## java.security.cert
Class CertStore

    java.lang.Object
      java.security.cert.CertStore

public class CertStore
extends Object

A class for retrieving `Certificate`s and `CRL`s from a repository.

This class uses a provider-based architecture, as described in the Java Cryptography Architecture. To create a `CertStore`, call one of the static `getInstance` methods, passing in the type of `CertStore` desired, any applicable initialization parameters and optionally the name of the provider desired.

Once the `CertStore` has been created, it can be used to retrieve `Certificate`s and `CRL`s by calling its `getCertificates` and `getCRLs` methods.

Unlike a `KeyStore`, which provides access to a cache of private keys and trusted certificates, a `CertStore` is designed to provide access to a potentially vast repository of untrusted certificates and CRLs. For example, an LDAP implementation of `CertStore` provides access to certificates and CRLs stored in one or more directories using the LDAP protocol and the schema as defined in the RFC service attribute. See Appendix A in the Java Certification Path API Programmer's Guide for more information about standard `CertStore` types.

Concurrent Access

All public methods of `CertStore` objects must be thread-safe. That is, multiple threads may concurrently invoke these methods on a single `CertStore` object (or more than one) with no ill effects. This allows a `CertPathBuilder` to search for a CRL while simultaneously searching for further certificates, for instance.

The static methods of this class are also guaranteed to be thread-safe. Multiple threads may concurrently invoke the static methods defined in this class with no ill effects.

Since:
  1.4

Constructor Summary
`protected` | `CertStore(CertStoreSpi storeSpi, Provider provider, String type, CertStoreParameters params)` Creates a `CertStore` object of the given type, and encapsulates the given provider implementation (SPI object) in it.

Method Summary
`Collection` | `getCertificates(CertSelector selector)` Returns a `Collection` of `Certificate`s that match the specified selector.
`CertStoreParameters` | `getCertStoreParameters()` Returns the parameters used to initialize this `CertStore`.
`Collection` | `getCRLs(CRLSelector selector)` Returns a `Collection` of `CRL`s that match the specified selector.
`static String` | `getDefaultType()` Returns the default `CertStore` type as specified in the Java security properties file, or the string "LDAP" if no such property exists.
`static CertStore` | `getInstance(String type, CertStoreParameters params)` Returns a `CertStore` object that implements the specified `CertStore` type and is initialized with the specified parameters.
`static CertStore` | `getInstance(String type, CertStoreParameters params, Provider provider)` Returns a `CertStore` object that implements the specified `CertStore` type, as supplied by the specified provider and initialized with the specified parameters.
`static CertStore` | `getInstance(String type, CertStoreParameters params, String provider)` Returns a `CertStore` object that implements the specified `CertStore` type, as supplied by the specified provider and initialized with the specified parameters.
`Provider` | `getProvider()` Returns the provider of this `CertStore`.
`String` | `getType()` Returns the type of this `CertStore`.

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

Constructor Detail

### CertStore

    protected CertStore(CertStoreSpi storeSpi,
                        Provider provider,
                        String type,
                        CertStoreParameters params)

  Creates a `CertStore` object of the given type, and encapsulates the given provider implementation (SPI object) in it.

Parameters:
  `storeSpi` - the provider implementation
  `provider` - the provider
  `type` - the type
  `params` - the initialization parameters (may be `null`)

Method Detail

### getCertificates

    public final Collection getCertificates(CertSelector selector)
                                     throws CertStoreException

  Returns a `Collection` of `Certificate`s that match the specified selector. If no `Certificate`s match the selector, an empty `Collection` will be returned.

  For some `CertStore` types, the resulting `Collection` may not contain all of the `Certificate`s that match the selector. For instance, an LDAP `CertStore` may not search all entries in the directory. Instead, it may just search entries that are likely to contain the `Certificate`s it is looking for.

  Some `CertStore` implementations (especially LDAP `CertStore`s) may throw a `CertStoreException` unless a non-null `CertSelector` is provided that includes specific criteria that can be used to find the certificates. Issuer and/or subject names are especially useful criteria.

  Parameters:
    `selector` - A `CertSelector` used to select which `Certificate`s should be returned. Specify `null` to return all `Certificate`s (if supported).
  Returns:
    A `Collection` of `Certificate`s that match the specified selector (never `null`)
  Throws:
    `CertStoreException` - if an exception occurs

### getCRLs

    public final Collection getCRLs(CRLSelector selector)
                             throws CertStoreException

  Returns a `Collection` of `CRL`s that match the specified selector. If no `CRL`s match the selector, an empty `Collection` will be returned.

  For some `CertStore` types, the resulting `Collection` may not contain all of the `CRL`s that match the selector. For instance, an LDAP `CertStore` may not search all entries in the directory. Instead, it may just search entries that are likely to contain the `CRL`s it is looking for.

  Some `CertStore` implementations (especially LDAP `CertStore`s) may throw a `CertStoreException` unless a non-null `CRLSelector` is provided that includes specific criteria that can be used to find the CRLs. Issuer names and/or the certificate to be checked are especially useful.

  Parameters:
    `selector` - A `CRLSelector` used to select which `CRL`s should be returned. Specify `null` to return all `CRL`s (if supported).
  Returns:
    A `Collection` of `CRL`s that match the specified selector (never `null`)
  Throws:
    `CertStoreException` - if an exception occurs

### getInstance

    public static CertStore getInstance(String type,
                                        CertStoreParameters params)
                                 throws InvalidAlgorithmParameterException,
                                        NoSuchAlgorithmException

  Returns a `CertStore` object that implements the specified `CertStore` type and is initialized with the specified parameters.

  If the default provider package provides an implementation of the specified `CertStore` type, an instance of `CertStore` containing that implementation is returned. If the requested type is not available in the default package, other packages are searched.

  The `CertStore` that is returned is initialized with the specified `CertStoreParameters`. The type of parameters needed may vary between different types of `CertStore`s. Note that the specified `CertStoreParameters` object is cloned.

  Parameters:
    `type` - the name of the requested `CertStore` type
    `params` - the initialization parameters (may be `null`)
  Returns:
    a `CertStore` object that implements the specified `CertStore` type
  Throws:
    `NoSuchAlgorithmException` - if the requested type is not available in the default provider package or any of the other provider packages that were searched
    `InvalidAlgorithmParameterException` - if the specified initialization parameters are inappropriate for this `CertStore`

### getInstance

    public static CertStore getInstance(String type,
                                        CertStoreParameters params,
                                        String provider)
                                 throws InvalidAlgorithmParameterException,
                                        NoSuchAlgorithmException,
                                        NoSuchProviderException

  Returns a `CertStore` object that implements the specified `CertStore` type, as supplied by the specified provider and initialized with the specified parameters.

  The `CertStore` that is returned is initialized with the specified `CertStoreParameters`. The type of parameters needed may vary between different types of `CertStore`s. Note that the specified `CertStoreParameters` object is cloned.

  Parameters:
    `type` - the requested `CertStore` type
    `params` - the initialization parameters (may be `null`)
    `provider` - the name of the provider
  Returns:
    a `CertStore` object that implements the specified type, as supplied by the specified provider
  Throws:
    `NoSuchAlgorithmException` - if the requested type is not available from the specified provider
    `InvalidAlgorithmParameterException` - if the specified initialization parameters are inappropriate for this `CertStore`
    `NoSuchProviderException` - if the provider has not been configured
    `IllegalArgumentException` - if the `provider` is null

### getInstance

    public static CertStore getInstance(String type,
                                        CertStoreParameters params,
                                        Provider provider)
                                 throws NoSuchAlgorithmException,
                                        InvalidAlgorithmParameterException

  Returns a `CertStore` object that implements the specified `CertStore` type, as supplied by the specified provider and initialized with the specified parameters. Note: the `provider` doesn't have to be registered.

  The `CertStore` that is returned is initialized with the specified `CertStoreParameters`. The type of parameters needed may vary between different types of `CertStore`s. Note that the specified `CertStoreParameters` object is cloned.

  Parameters:
    `type` - the requested `CertStore` type
    `params` - the initialization parameters (may be `null`)
    `provider` - the provider
  Returns:
    a `CertStore` object that implements the specified type, as supplied by the specified provider
  Throws:
    `NoSuchAlgorithmException` - if the requested type is not available from the specified provider
    `InvalidAlgorithmParameterException` - if the specified initialization parameters are inappropriate for this `CertStore`
    `IllegalArgumentException` - if the `provider` is null

### getCertStoreParameters

    public final CertStoreParameters getCertStoreParameters()

  Returns the parameters used to initialize this `CertStore`. Note that the `CertStoreParameters` object is cloned before it is returned.

  Returns:
    the parameters used to initialize this `CertStore` (may be `null`)

### getType

    public final String getType()

  Returns the type of this `CertStore`.

  Returns:
    the type of this `CertStore`

### getProvider

    public final Provider getProvider()

  Returns the provider of this `CertStore`.

  Returns:
    the provider of this `CertStore`

### getDefaultType

    public static final String getDefaultType()

  Returns the default `CertStore` type as specified in the Java security properties file, or the string "LDAP" if no such property exists. The Java security properties file is located in the file named <JAVA_HOME>/lib/security/java.security, where <JAVA_HOME> refers to the directory where the SDK was installed.

  The default `CertStore` type can be used by applications that do not want to use a hard-coded type when calling one of the `getInstance` methods, and want to provide a default `CertStore` type in case a user does not specify its own.

  The default `CertStore` type can be changed by setting the value of the "certstore.type" security property (in the Java security properties file) to the desired type.

  Returns:
    the default `CertStore` type as specified in the Java security properties file, or the string "LDAP" if no such property exists.

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For further API reference and developer documentation, see Java 2 SDK SE Developer Documentation. That documentation contains more detailed, developer-targeted descriptions, with conceptual overviews, definitions of terms, workarounds, and working code examples.

Copyright 2003 Sun Microsystems, Inc. All rights reserved. Use is subject to license terms. Also see the documentation redistribution policy.