CertStore Chilkat2 Perl Reference Documentation
Chilkat2::CertStore
Current Version: 11.7.0
Markdown version of this page for AI tools (v 11.7.0) · all AI docs
Chilkat.CertStore
Access certificates from Windows certificate stores, Apple Keychain,
files, memory stores, PEM bundles, PFX/P12 files, and hardware tokens.
Find certificates by subject, issuer, serial number, thumbprint, email,
private-key availability, or other identifying information.
Enumerate certificates in a store and retrieve each certificate as a
Add certificates to writable stores, remove certificates where supported,
and manage store contents from application code.
Work with certificates that have associated private keys from PFX/P12,
operating-system stores, smart cards, USB tokens, or other providers.
Pass retrieved certificates to other Chilkat classes for TLS client
authentication, S/MIME, signing, encryption, decryption, and verification.
For an extended overview, see
CertStore Class Overview.
Open, search, manage, and use certificate collections from many sources.
Chilkat.CertStore is the Chilkat class for working with
collections of X.509 certificates. It can open and manage certificates from
system stores, Apple Keychain, Windows registry or file stores, memory
stores, PEM files, PFX/P12 files, and smart card or USB token devices. It
supports loading, searching, iterating, adding, removing, and closing
certificate stores, with platform-specific behavior for Windows and Apple
Keychain.
Open certificate stores
Search and retrieve certs
Iterate collections
Chilkat.Cert object for inspection or use.
Add and remove certificates
Private-key backed certs
Use across Chilkat
Chilkat.Cert, and then pass that
certificate to the Chilkat class that needs it. Use certificate stores when
the application should select from existing system, file-based, keychain, or
hardware-backed certificates.
Object Creation
use Chilkat2;
my $certStore = Chilkat2::CertStore->new;
# or set properties (and RaiseError) at creation:
# my $certStore = Chilkat2::CertStore->new(VerboseLogging => 1, RaiseError => 1);Creates the object. The optional pairs set writable properties (and RaiseError) in order, as if set one by one; an unknown or read-only name croaks. use Chilkat2; loads every class; the Chilkat2/CertStore.pm file holds only this class's documentation (perldoc Chilkat2::CertStore).
Perl frees the object when its last reference goes (undef $certStore, or the variable going out of scope); there is nothing to close. Objects returned by methods are independent and freed the same way. The class may be subclassed (use parent -norequire, 'Chilkat2::CertStore';): an object is a blessed hash reference whose hash is free for the subclass's own fields.
When false (the default), a method that fails returns false (or undef), and the reason is in LastErrorText. When true, it dies with a Chilkat2::Error instead, as DBI does with its RaiseError. Objects returned by a method inherit the value of the object that returned them.
Errors
A Chilkat2::Error stringifies to the failed call's full LastErrorText, and has the methods text, class ('Chilkat2::CertStore'), method (the method name) and object. Methods that look something up and find nothing return undef without dying (each such method says so), methods that answer a question (HasMember, IsUnlocked, ...) return a plain boolean, and property reads and writes never fail for Chilkat reasons.
Misuse always croaks, with your file and line, whatever RaiseError is: a wrong number of arguments, a reference or undef where a string or number is expected, an object of the wrong class, an out-of-range integer, a string containing a NUL character, a wide character in a byte string, or a write to a read-only property.
Strings are Perl character strings in both directions (length, regexes and :encoding layers see characters); binary data (BinData) is a byte string. Unlocking: call Chilkat2::Global->new->UnlockBundle('...') once at startup.
Properties
AvoidWindowsPkAccess
my $boolVal = $certStore->AvoidWindowsPkAccess;
$certStore->AvoidWindowsPkAccess($boolVal);
Applies only when running on a Microsoft Windows operating system. If 1, then any method that returns a certificate will not try to also access the associated private key, assuming one exists. This is useful if the certificate was installed with high-security such that a private key access would trigger the Windows OS to display a security warning dialog. The default value of this property is 0.
DebugLogFilePath
my $strVal = $certStore->DebugLogFilePath;
$certStore->DebugLogFilePath($strVal);
If set to a file path, this property logs the LastErrorText of each Chilkat method or property call to the specified file. This logging helps identify the context and history of Chilkat calls leading up to any crash or hang, aiding in debugging.
Enabling the VerboseLogging property provides more detailed information. This property is mainly used for debugging rare instances where a Chilkat method call causes a hang or crash, which should generally not happen.
Possible causes of hangs include:
- A timeout property set to 0, indicating an infinite timeout.
- A hang occurring within an event callback in the application code.
- An internal bug in the Chilkat code causing the hang.
LastErrorHtml
my $strVal = $certStore->LastErrorHtml;
Provides HTML-formatted information about the last called method or property. If a method call fails or behaves unexpectedly, check this property for details. Note that information is available regardless of the method call's success.
topLastErrorText
my $strVal = $certStore->LastErrorText;
Provides plain text information about the last called method or property. If a method call fails or behaves unexpectedly, check this property for details. Note that information is available regardless of the method call's success.
LastErrorXml
my $strVal = $certStore->LastErrorXml;
Provides XML-formatted information about the last called method or property. If a method call fails or behaves unexpectedly, check this property for details. Note that information is available regardless of the method call's success.
topLastMethodSuccess
my $boolVal = $certStore->LastMethodSuccess;
$certStore->LastMethodSuccess($boolVal);
Indicates the success or failure of the most recent method call: 1 means success, 0 means failure. This property remains unchanged by property setters or getters. This method is present to address challenges in checking for null or Nothing returns in certain programming languages. Note: This property does not apply to methods that return integer values or to boolean-returning methods where the boolean does not indicate success or failure.
NumCertificates
my $intVal = $certStore->NumCertificates;
The number of certificates held in the certificate store.
topSmartCardPin
my $strVal = $certStore->SmartCardPin;
$certStore->SmartCardPin($strVal);
Can be set to the PIN value for a certificate / private key stored on a smart card.
topUncommonOptions
my $strVal = $certStore->UncommonOptions;
$certStore->UncommonOptions($strVal);
This is a catch-all property to be used for uncommon needs. This property defaults to the empty string, and should typically remain empty.
topVerboseLogging
my $boolVal = $certStore->VerboseLogging;
$certStore->VerboseLogging($boolVal);
If set to 1, then the contents of LastErrorText (or LastErrorXml, or LastErrorHtml) may contain more verbose information. The default value is 0. Verbose logging should only be used for debugging. The potentially large quantity of logged information may adversely affect peformance.
Version
my $strVal = $certStore->Version;
Methods
AddCertificate
# $success is true or false
my $success = $certStore->AddCertificate($cert);
On Windows, this updates or adds $cert to the open Windows certificate store. Note: This imports the certificate without the private key. The Chilkat.Pfx.ImportToWindows method must be called to import a certificate with a private key.
Beginning with Chilkat v10.0.0, on macOS and iOS, this adds the certificate, including any private keys and intermediate CA certificates, to the Apple Keychain.
Returns true on success, false on failure; LastErrorText says why. With RaiseError on, a failure dies with a Chilkat2::Error instead (it stringifies to the LastErrorText); the object remains usable either way.
CloseCertStore
my $success = $certStore->CloseCertStore();
This method closes any open certificate stores, removes all certificates from the object, and sets the NumCertificates property back to 0.
Returns true on success, false on failure; LastErrorText says why. With RaiseError on, a failure dies with a Chilkat2::Error instead (it stringifies to the LastErrorText); the object remains usable either way.
CreateFileStore
# $success is true or false
my $success = $certStore->CreateFileStore($filename);
This method, available only on Microsoft Windows, creates a new file-based certificate store. You can save certificates to this store by using the AddCertificate function.
Internally, the Microsoft function CertOpenStore is called with the provider type CERT_STORE_PROV_FILE and the flag CERT_STORE_CREATE_NEW_FLAG, to create a new, empty certificate store that is backed by a file.
Returns true on success, false on failure; LastErrorText says why. With RaiseError on, a failure dies with a Chilkat2::Error instead (it stringifies to the LastErrorText); the object remains usable either way.
CreateMemoryStore
my $success = $certStore->CreateMemoryStore();
This method, available only on Microsoft Windows, creates an in-memory certificate store. Certificates may be added by calling AddCertificate.
Internally, the Microsoft function CertOpenStore is called with the provider type CERT_STORE_PROV_MEMORY to create a new in-memory certificate store. This store acts as a temporary container for managing certificates during runtime. The store exists only in memory and is not backed by a file or persistent storage. Certificates can be added, retrieved, or removed, but the store is lost when the application ends unless explicitly saved elsewhere.
Returns true on success, false on failure; LastErrorText says why. With RaiseError on, a failure dies with a Chilkat2::Error instead (it stringifies to the LastErrorText); the object remains usable either way.
CreateRegistryStore
# $regPath is a string
# $success is true or false
my $success = $certStore->CreateRegistryStore($regRoot, $regPath);
This method, available only on Microsoft Windows, creates a new registry-based certificate store. You can save certificates to this store by using the AddCertificate function.
Internally, the Microsoft function CertOpenStore is called with the provider type CERT_STORE_PROV_REG and a registry key to create a new, empty certificate store in the Windows registry.
$regRoot can be the string CurrentUser or LocalMachine. $regPath is a registry key path such as Software/MyApplication/Certificates.
Returns true on success, false on failure; LastErrorText says why. With RaiseError on, a failure dies with a Chilkat2::Error instead (it stringifies to the LastErrorText); the object remains usable either way.
FindCert
# $cert is a Chilkat2::Cert
# $success is true or false
my $success = $certStore->FindCert($json, $cert);
Searches for a certificate using criteria from $json and stores the result in $cert. If multiple criteria are provided, it searches each one sequentially and returns the first match.
Preference is given to non-expired certificates, so if both expired and non-expired certificates match, the non-expired one is selected.
See the examples below for details.
Returns true on success, false on failure; LastErrorText says why. With RaiseError on, a failure dies with a Chilkat2::Error instead (it stringifies to the LastErrorText); the object remains usable either way.
GetCert
# $cert is a Chilkat2::Cert
# $success is true or false
my $success = $certStore->GetCert($index, $cert);
Loads the Nth certificate into $cert. The first certificate is at index 0.
Returns true on success, false on failure; LastErrorText says why. With RaiseError on, a failure dies with a Chilkat2::Error instead (it stringifies to the LastErrorText); the object remains usable either way.
LoadPemFile
# $success is true or false
my $success = $certStore->LoadPemFile($pemPath);
Loads the certificates contained within a PEM formatted file.
Returns true on success, false on failure; LastErrorText says why. With RaiseError on, a failure dies with a Chilkat2::Error instead (it stringifies to the LastErrorText); the object remains usable either way.
LoadPemStr
# $success is true or false
my $success = $certStore->LoadPemStr($pemString);
Loads the certificates contained within an in-memory PEM formatted string.
Returns true on success, false on failure; LastErrorText says why. With RaiseError on, a failure dies with a Chilkat2::Error instead (it stringifies to the LastErrorText); the object remains usable either way.
LoadPfxBd
# $password is a string
# $success is true or false
my $success = $certStore->LoadPfxBd($bd, $password);
Loads the PFX/P12 bytes contained in $bd. $password is the password to the PFX.
Returns true on success, false on failure; LastErrorText says why. With RaiseError on, a failure dies with a Chilkat2::Error instead (it stringifies to the LastErrorText); the object remains usable either way.
LoadPfxFile
# $password is a string
# $success is true or false
my $success = $certStore->LoadPfxFile($pfxFilename, $password);
Loads a PFX file. Once loaded, the certificates within the PFX may be searched via the Find* methods. It is also possible to iterate from 0 to NumCertficates-1, calling GetCertificate for each index, to retrieve each certificate within the PFX.
Note: This method does not import certificates into the Windows certificate stores. The purpose of this method is to load a .pfx/.p12 into this object so that other API methods can be called to explore or search the contents of the PFX. The Chilkat Pfx class also provides similar functionality.
Returns true on success, false on failure; LastErrorText says why. With RaiseError on, a failure dies with a Chilkat2::Error instead (it stringifies to the LastErrorText); the object remains usable either way.
OpenCurrentUserStore
# $success is true or false
my $success = $certStore->OpenCurrentUserStore($bReadOnly);
On Windows, this method opens the Current-User\Personal certificate store in the registry. Set $bReadOnly to 1 to open the store in read-only mode, which allows you to fetch certificates without adding or removing them. This prevents permission denied errors that require read-write access.
Starting in version 10.0.0, this method opens the Apple Keychain on MacOS and iOS systems. The $bReadOnly is ignored.
After opening the store, you can search for certificates using the Find* methods. Alternatively, you can iterate through the certificates by indexing from 0 to NumCertificates-1, using GetCertificate to access each one.
Returns true on success, false on failure; LastErrorText says why. With RaiseError on, a failure dies with a Chilkat2::Error instead (it stringifies to the LastErrorText); the object remains usable either way.
OpenFileStore
# $bReadOnly is a boolean
# $success is true or false
my $success = $certStore->OpenFileStore($filename, $bReadOnly);
(This method only available on Microsoft Windows operating systems.)
Opens a file-based certificate store.
Once loaded, the certificates within the store may be searched via the Find* methods. An application may also iterate from 0 to NumCertficates-1 and call GetCertificate to access each certificate by index.
Returns true on success, false on failure; LastErrorText says why. With RaiseError on, a failure dies with a Chilkat2::Error instead (it stringifies to the LastErrorText); the object remains usable either way.
OpenLocalSystemStore
# $success is true or false
my $success = $certStore->OpenLocalSystemStore($bReadOnly);
(This method is only available on Microsoft Windows operating systems.)
Opens the registry-based Local-Computer\Personal certificate store. Set $bReadOnly = 1 if only fetching certificates and not updating the certificate store (i.e. certificates will not be added or removed). Setting $bReadOnly = 1 causes the certificate store to be opened read-only, and will prevent permission denied errors caused by the need for read-write permission.
Once loaded, the certificates within the store may be searched via the Find* methods. An application may also iterate from 0 to NumCertficates-1 and call GetCertificate to access each certificate by index.
Returns true on success, false on failure; LastErrorText says why. With RaiseError on, a failure dies with a Chilkat2::Error instead (it stringifies to the LastErrorText); the object remains usable either way.
OpenRegistryStore
# $regPath is a string
# $bReadOnly is a boolean
# $success is true or false
my $success = $certStore->OpenRegistryStore($regRoot, $regPath, $bReadOnly);
(This method only available on Microsoft Windows operating systems.)
Opens an arbitrary registry-based certificate store. $regRoot must be CurrentUser or LocalMachine. $regPath is a registry path such as Software/MyApplication/Certificates.
Setting $bReadOnly = 1 causes the certificate store to be opened read-only, and will prevent permission denied errors caused by the need for read-write permission.
Once loaded, the certificates within the store may be searched via the Find* methods. An application may also iterate from 0 to NumCertficates-1 and call GetCertificate to access each certificate by index.
Returns true on success, false on failure; LastErrorText says why. With RaiseError on, a failure dies with a Chilkat2::Error instead (it stringifies to the LastErrorText); the object remains usable either way.
OpenSmartcard
# $success is true or false
my $success = $certStore->OpenSmartcard($csp);
This function identifies connected HSM devices such as smart cards and USB tokens, and loads the certificates from each device. It has been significantly enhanced in Chilkat v10.1.2 and is compatible with Windows, MacOS, iOS, and Linux. (Android is not yet supported.)
Note: The $csp is no longer used and is ignored. Applications should pass an empty string.
Note: If multiple HSM devices are connected, avoid setting the SmartCardPin property unless all devices share the same PIN. Otherwise, Chilkat will attempt to use that PIN for each device, which could cause issues.
Returns true on success, false on failure; LastErrorText says why. With RaiseError on, a failure dies with a Chilkat2::Error instead (it stringifies to the LastErrorText); the object remains usable either way.
OpenWindowsStore
# $storeName is a string
# $bReadOnly is a boolean
# $success is true or false
my $success = $certStore->OpenWindowsStore($storeLocation, $storeName, $bReadOnly);
(This method only available on Microsoft Windows operating systems.)
Opens a Microsoft Windows certificate store. $storeLocation must be CurrentUser or LocalMachine. $storeName is the name of the certificate store to open. It may be any of the following:
- AddressBook: Certificate store for other users.
- AuthRoot: Certificate store for third-party certification authorities (CAs).
- CertificationAuthority: Certificate store for intermediate certification authorities (CAs).
- Disallowed: Certificate store for revoked certificates.
- My: Certificate store for personal certificates.
- Root: Certificate store for trusted root certification authorities (CAs).
- TrustedPeople: Certificate store for directly trusted people and resources.
- TrustedPublisher: Certificate store for directly trusted publishers.
Setting $bReadOnly = 1 causes the certificate store to be opened read-only, and will prevent permission denied errors caused by the need for read-write permission.
Once loaded, the certificates within the store may be searched via the Find* methods. An application may also iterate from 0 to NumCertficates-1 and call GetCertificate to access each certificate by index.
Returns true on success, false on failure; LastErrorText says why. With RaiseError on, a failure dies with a Chilkat2::Error instead (it stringifies to the LastErrorText); the object remains usable either way.
RemoveCertificate
# $success is true or false
my $success = $certStore->RemoveCertificate($cert);
(This method only available on Microsoft Windows operating systems.)
Removes the passed certificate from the store. The certificate object passed as the argument can no longer be used once removed.
Returns true on success, false on failure; LastErrorText says why. With RaiseError on, a failure dies with a Chilkat2::Error instead (it stringifies to the LastErrorText); the object remains usable either way.