# BCPGKey (Bouncy Castle Library 1.45 API Specification)
Date: 2013-08-05

org.bouncycastle.bcpg

## Interface BCPGKey

All Known Implementing Classes:
  DSAPublicBCPGKey, DSASecretBCPGKey, ElGamalPublicBCPGKey, ElGamalSecretBCPGKey, RSAPublicBCPGKey, RSASecretBCPGKey

    public interface BCPGKey

base interface for a PGP key

### Method Summary

Methods
`byte[]` `getEncoded()` return a string of bytes giving the encoded format of the key, as described by it's format.
`java.lang.String` `getFormat()` Return the base format for this key - in the case of the symmetric keys it will generally be raw indicating that the key is just a straight byte representation, for an asymmetric key the format will be PGP, indicating the key is a string of MPIs encoded in PGP format.

### Method Detail

#### getFormat

    java.lang.String getFormat()

Return the base format for this key - in the case of the symmetric keys it will generally be raw indicating that the key is just a straight byte representation, for an asymmetric key the format will be PGP, indicating the key is a string of MPIs encoded in PGP format.

Returns:
  "RAW" or "PGP"

#### getEncoded

    byte[] getEncoded()

return a string of bytes giving the encoded format of the key, as described by it's format.

Returns:
  byte[]