(C# UWP/WinRT) About RSA Public/Private Keys

This example provides some additional information for understanding public/private key pairs. In demonstrates how a private key is a superset of the public key. A public key contains the modulus and exponent. The matching private key also contains the modulus and exponent, but also contains the additional private key parts.

Chilkat Universal Windows Platform (UWP) / WinRT Downloads Chilkat for the Universal Windows Platform (UWP)

Chilkat.Cert cert = new Chilkat.Cert();

bool success;

// Load a digital certificate.
success = cert.LoadFromFile("digitalCert.cer");
if (success != true) {
    Debug.WriteLine(cert.LastErrorText);
    return;
}

Chilkat.PublicKey pubKey = null;

// A .cer file does not contain the private key.  It should contain
// the public key...
pubKey = cert.ExportPublicKey();

// Let's have a look at it (in XML format).
Debug.WriteLine("Public Key from Certificate:");
Debug.WriteLine(pubKey.GetXml());

// An RSA public key consists of a modulus and exponent.

// An RSA private key includes both the modulus and exponent,
// as well as other "big" numbers: P, Q, D, etc.

// Let's load an RSA private key from a DER-encoded file:
Chilkat.PrivateKey privKey = new Chilkat.PrivateKey();

success = privKey.LoadRsaDerFile("PrivateKey.key");
if (success != true) {
    Debug.WriteLine(privKey.LastErrorText);

    return;
}

// If this private key is the matching half to the public key from
// the certificate, then the modulus and exponent should
// be identical.  (Thus, a "private key" really contains both the public part as well as the private parts...).
Debug.WriteLine("Private Key from DER:");
Debug.WriteLine(privKey.GetXml());