Module java.base
Package java.security.cert

# Interface Extension

public interface Extension
This interface represents an X.509 extension.

Extensions provide a means of associating additional attributes with users or public keys and for managing a certification hierarchy. The extension format also allows communities to define private extensions to carry information unique to those communities.

Each extension contains an object identifier, a criticality setting indicating whether it is a critical or a non-critical extension, and an ASN.1 DER-encoded value. Its ASN.1 definition is:

         Extension ::= SEQUENCE {
             extnId        OBJECT IDENTIFIER,
             critical      BOOLEAN DEFAULT FALSE,
             extnValue     OCTET STRING
                     -- contains a DER encoding of a value
                     -- of the type registered for use with
                     -- the extnId object identifier value
         }

This interface is designed to provide access to a single extension, unlike `X509Extension` which is more suitable for accessing a set of extensions.

Since:
  1.7

## Method Summary

Modifier and Type
Method
Description
`void`
`encode(OutputStream out)`
Generates the extension's DER encoding and writes it to the output stream.
`String`
`getId()`
Gets the extensions's object identifier.
`byte[]`
`getValue()`
Gets the extensions's DER-encoded value.
`boolean`
`isCritical()`
Gets the extension's criticality setting.

## Method Details

### getId

String getId()
Gets the extensions's object identifier.

Returns:
  the object identifier as a String

### isCritical

boolean isCritical()
Gets the extension's criticality setting.

Returns:
  true if this is a critical extension.

### getValue

byte[] getValue()
Gets the extensions's DER-encoded value. Note, this is the bytes that are encoded as an OCTET STRING. It does not include the OCTET STRING tag and length.

Returns:
  a copy of the extension's value, or `null` if no extension value is present.

### encode

void encode(OutputStream out) throws IOException
Generates the extension's DER encoding and writes it to the output stream.

Parameters:
  `out` - the output stream
Throws:
  `IOException` - on encoding or output error.
  `NullPointerException` - if `out` is `null`.