Secrets Chilkat2 PHP Reference Documentation
Secrets
Current Version: 11.7.0
Markdown version of this page for AI tools (v 11.7.0) · all AI docs
Chilkat.Secrets
Use in-memory secrets when values should exist only for the lifetime of
the running process.
Store and retrieve secrets as strings, binary data, or structured JSON.
Start with the
Conceptual Overview
and
Components of a Secret Name.
For an extended overview, see the
Secrets Class Overview.
Manage application secrets through one consistent API.
Chilkat.Secrets provides a unified interface for storing,
retrieving, listing, and deleting secrets across local, cloud-based, and
in-memory secret stores. It supports string, binary, and JSON secrets, making
it useful for passwords, API keys, OAuth credentials, tokens, unlock codes,
certificates, and private configuration data.
Local secure storage
Cloud secret managers
Temporary secrets
Flexible content types
Object Creation
use Chilkat2\Secrets;
try {
$secrets = new Secrets();
// ... use $secrets ...
} catch (\Chilkat2\Exception $e) {
echo $e->getClass(), '::', $e->getMethod(), " failed\n";
echo $e->getMessage(), "\n"; // the LastErrorText of the failed call
}Creates the object. The optional array sets properties in order, as if assigned one by one (new Secrets(['VerboseLogging' => true, 'RaiseError' => false])); an unknown or read-only name throws Error. The class is defined by the chilkat2 extension (extension=chilkat2 in php.ini): there is no PHP file to include.
There is no close(): PHP frees the object when its last reference goes (unset($secrets), $secrets = null, or the end of the function or request). Objects returned by methods are independent and freed the same way. The class may be extended (class MySecrets extends \Chilkat2\Secrets); objects cannot be cloned or serialized.
When true (the default), a method that fails throws Chilkat2\Exception. When false, it returns false (or null) instead, and the reason is in LastErrorText. Objects returned by a method inherit the value of the object that returned them.
Errors
Chilkat2\Exception extends RuntimeException: getMessage() is the failed call's full LastErrorText, getClass() its class ('Chilkat2\Secrets') and getMethod() the method name. The object remains usable. Methods that look something up and find nothing return null without throwing (each such method says so), methods that answer a question (HasMember, IsUnlocked, ...) return a plain bool, and property reads and writes do not throw for Chilkat reasons.
Misuse always throws, whatever RaiseError is: a wrong argument type is a TypeError (exact types under declare(strict_types=1)), a missing or extra argument an ArgumentCountError, a string containing a NUL byte or an out-of-range integer a ValueError, and an unknown property (properties are case-sensitive) or a write to a read-only one an Error. Named arguments work with the parameter names shown.
Strings are passed and returned as UTF-8; binary data is a PHP string of bytes. Unlocking: call (new \Chilkat2\GlobalSettings())->UnlockBundle('...') once at startup.
Properties
AutoSplit
The AutoSplit property is specific to local_manager secrets on Windows. The Windows Credentials Manager supports a maximum of 2560 bytes per secret. If a secret exceeds this size, it will be automatically compressed and split when created or updated, and automatically recomposed when retrieved.
A secret can be split into a maximum of 10 parts.
The default value is true.
Compression
If set to true, then the contents of the secret will be stored compressed. The default value of this property is false.
DebugLogFilePath
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
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
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
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
Indicates the success or failure of the most recent method call: true means success, false 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.
Location
The location of the secrets. Possible values are:
local_manager- On Windows this is the Credentials Manager. On MacOS and iOS it is the Keychain. This is not yet an option on Linux or Android.aws_secrets_manager- AWS Secrets Managerazure_key_vault- Azure Key Vaultibm_cloud- IBM Cloud Secrets Manageroracle_cloud- Oracle Cloud Secretsdoppler- Doppler Secretsmemory- In-Memory Secrets
The default location is the local_manager. On Linux and Android, local_manager will behave the same as memory.
UncommonOptions
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
If set to true, then the contents of LastErrorText (or LastErrorXml, or LastErrorHtml) may contain more verbose information. The default value is false. Verbose logging should only be used for debugging. The potentially large quantity of logged information may adversely affect peformance.
Version
Methods
DeleteSecret
Deletes a secret. Cloud secrets managers will typically disable the secret and schedule the secret for deletion after some number of days.
Returns true on success. On failure it throws Chilkat2\Exception (or, with RaiseError set to false, returns false). $e->getMessage() (or the object's LastErrorText) explains why, and the object remains usable.
GetSecretBd
Fetches a binary secret and returns the content in $bd.
Returns true on success. On failure it throws Chilkat2\Exception (or, with RaiseError set to false, returns false). $e->getMessage() (or the object's LastErrorText) explains why, and the object remains usable.
GetSecretJson
Fetches a JSON secret and returns the content in $jsonOut.
Returns true on success. On failure it throws Chilkat2\Exception (or, with RaiseError set to false, returns false). $e->getMessage() (or the object's LastErrorText) explains why, and the object remains usable.
GetSecretSb
Fetches a string secret and returns the content in $sb.
Returns true on success. On failure it throws Chilkat2\Exception (or, with RaiseError set to false, returns false). $e->getMessage() (or the object's LastErrorText) explains why, and the object remains usable.
GetSecretStr
Fetches a string secret and returns the content of the secret.
On failure it throws Chilkat2\Exception (or, with RaiseError set to false, returns null). $e->getMessage() (or the object's LastErrorText) explains why, and the object remains usable.
ListSecrets
Lists secrets matching the wildcarded or exact values passed in $json. The results of the query are returned in $jsonOut.
Returns true on success. On failure it throws Chilkat2\Exception (or, with RaiseError set to false, returns false). $e->getMessage() (or the object's LastErrorText) explains why, and the object remains usable.
SecretSpecToJson
Converts a secret specification string ($secretSpec) to JSON. A secret specification string is formatted as "!!part1|part2|part3|part4" where parts 3 and 4 are optional. $json is the output argument.
Returns true on success. On failure it throws Chilkat2\Exception (or, with RaiseError set to false, returns false). $e->getMessage() (or the object's LastErrorText) explains why, and the object remains usable.
SetBootstrapSecret
Accessing a cloud-based secrets manager requires authentication credentials, which cannot be stored in the manager itself. Instead, they must be securely stored locally.
One solution is to store the authentication credentials as a secret in the Windows Credentials Manager or Apple Keychain. These credentials serve as the bootstrap secret for authenticating with the cloud-based secrets manager.
$jsonId contains the name of the bootstrap secret. $secretContent contains the bootstrap's secret content.
Returns true on success. On failure it throws Chilkat2\Exception (or, with RaiseError set to false, returns false). $e->getMessage() (or the object's LastErrorText) explains why, and the object remains usable.
UpdateSecretBd
Creates a binary secret if it does not yet exist, or updates an existing secret. The name of the secret is specified in $jsonId, and the binary content of the secret in $secret.
Returns true on success. On failure it throws Chilkat2\Exception (or, with RaiseError set to false, returns false). $e->getMessage() (or the object's LastErrorText) explains why, and the object remains usable.
UpdateSecretJson
Creates a JSON secret if it does not yet exist, or updates an existing secret. The name of the secret is specified in $jsonId, and the JSON content of the secret in $secret.
Returns true on success. On failure it throws Chilkat2\Exception (or, with RaiseError set to false, returns false). $e->getMessage() (or the object's LastErrorText) explains why, and the object remains usable.
UpdateSecretSb
Creates a string secret if it does not yet exist, or updates an existing secret. The name of the secret is specified in $jsonId, and the string content of the secret in $sb.
Returns true on success. On failure it throws Chilkat2\Exception (or, with RaiseError set to false, returns false). $e->getMessage() (or the object's LastErrorText) explains why, and the object remains usable.
UpdateSecretStr
Creates a string secret if it does not yet exist, or updates an existing secret. The name of the secret is specified in $jsonId, and the string content of the secret in $secret.
Note: Starting in Chilkat v11.3.0, if the service = "Chilkat" and the username = "unlock_code", then the secret (which is the Chilkat unlock code) can be stored and retrieved without Chilkat being unlocked. This allows for the Chilkat unlock code itself to be persisted to a secrets manager.
Returns true on success. On failure it throws Chilkat2\Exception (or, with RaiseError set to false, returns false). $e->getMessage() (or the object's LastErrorText) explains why, and the object remains usable.
Events
All Chilkat methods are synchronous: the call returns when the work is done. During a long-running call, Secrets reports progress to handlers installed with three methods, each taking any PHP callable (a closure, an arrow function, $this->method(...), an invokable object) and returning the object, so the calls chain:
$secrets->onPercentDone(function (int $pctDone): bool {
echo "$pctDone%\n";
return false; // return true to abort the method in progress
})
->onProgressInfo(function (string $name, string $value): void {
echo "$name: $value\n";
});Each installs the handler for one event, replacing the one installed before; null removes it. A callable that does not exist is a TypeError right away.
The AbortCheck handler is called periodically during long operations; PercentDone is called when an operation's completion percentage is known; ProgressInfo delivers named progress values. A truthy return from the AbortCheck or PercentDone handler aborts the running method, which then fails in the usual way (Chilkat2\Exception, or false / null with RaiseError off). PHP's set_time_limit() does not interrupt a Chilkat call; an AbortCheck handler is how a script enforces its own limit.
Handlers run during the method call, in the same request. Inside a handler, the object's properties (such as $secrets->AbortCurrent = true) and other objects may be used, but calling a method of the same object throws Error. An exception thrown by a handler aborts the running method and propagates from it; the object remains usable. A closure that captures $secrets itself makes a reference cycle, which PHP's cycle collector frees.
AbortCheck
public function onAbortCheck(?callable $callback): static
Enables a method call to be aborted by triggering the AbortCheck event at intervals defined by the HeartbeatMs property. If HeartbeatMs is set to its default value of 0, no events will occur. For instance, set HeartbeatMs to 200 to trigger 5 AbortCheck events per second.
Example
$deadline = microtime(true) + 30; // give up after 30 seconds
$secrets->onAbortCheck(fn(): bool => microtime(true) > $deadline);PercentDone
public function onPercentDone(?callable $callback): static
This provides the percentage completion for any method involving network communications or time-consuming processing, assuming the progress can be measured as a percentage. This event is triggered only when it's possible and logical to express the operation's progress as a percentage. The pctDone argument will range from 1 to 100. For methods that finish quickly, the number of PercentDone callbacks may vary, but the final callback will have pctDone equal to 100. For longer operations, callbacks will not exceed one per percentage point (e.g., 1, 2, 3, ..., 98, 99, 100).
The PercentDone callback also acts as an AbortCheck event. For fast methods where PercentDone fires, an AbortCheck event may not trigger since the PercentDone callback already provides an opportunity to abort. For longer operations, where time between PercentDone callbacks is extended, AbortCheck callbacks enable more responsive operation termination.
To abort the operation, set the abort output argument to true. This will cause the method to terminate and return a failure status or corresponding failure value.
Example
$secrets->onPercentDone(function (int $pctDone): bool {
// $pctDone ranges from 0 to 100.
echo "Percent done: $pctDone\n";
return false; // return true to abort the method in progress
});ProgressInfo
public function onProgressInfo(?callable $callback): static
This event callback provides tag name/value pairs that detail what occurs during a method call. To discover existing tag names, create code to handle the event, emit the pairs, and review them. Most tag names are self-explanatory.
Note: Some Chilkat methods don't fire any ProgressInfo events.
Example
$secrets->onProgressInfo(function (string $name, string $value): void {
echo "$name: $value\n";
});