(PHP ActiveX) Get Certificate Distinguished Name in .NET Format

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Certificate distinguished names (DN's), in the real world, can be constructed in various ways. Some systems expect certain ways of doing things. This example demonstrates how to get a DN (or SimpleName) exactly as .NET would return it.

This example requires Chilkat v9.5.0.96.

Chilkat ActiveX Downloads ActiveX for 32-bit and 64-bit Windows Note: The php_com_dotnet.dll may need to be enabled inside of php.ini.

<?php

// For versions of Chilkat < 10.0.0, use new COM('Chilkat_9_5_0.Chilkat.Cert')
$cert = new COM("Chilkat.Cert");

$success = $cert->LoadFromFile('qa_data/certs/testCert.cer');
if ($success == 0) {
    print $cert->LastErrorText . "\n";
    exit;
}

// In 99% of all cases, Chilkat already returns the Distinguished Name in the identical format as .NET.
// 
// In most cases, (internal to the certificate) the ASN.1 for the certificate's Subject 
// contains a sesquence of OIDs and values, where each OID is the single item in a SET.
// For example:

// SEQUENCE (3 elem)
//       SET (1 elem)
//         SEQUENCE (2 elem)
//           OBJECT IDENTIFIER 2.5.4.6 countryName (X.520 DN component)
//           PrintableString FR
//       SET (1 elem)
//         SEQUENCE (2 elem)
//           OBJECT IDENTIFIER 2.5.4.12 title (X.520 DN component)
//           UTF8String M�decin
//       SET (3 elem)
//         SEQUENCE (2 elem)
//           OBJECT IDENTIFIER 2.5.4.42 givenName (X.520 DN component)
//           UTF8String ALAIN
//       SET (3 elem)
//         SEQUENCE (2 elem)
//           OBJECT IDENTIFIER 2.5.4.4 surname (X.520 DN component)
//           UTF8String DUBOIS RPPS
//       SET (3 elem)
//         SEQUENCE (2 elem)
//           OBJECT IDENTIFIER 2.5.4.3 commonName (X.520 DN component)
//           UTF8String 389900098933

// If we look at the DN, we get this:
$subjectDN = $cert->SubjectDN;
print $subjectDN . "\n";

// Chilkat produces this:
// C=FR, Title=M�decin, G=ALAIN, SN=DUBOIS RPPS, CN=389900098933

// However, if the certificate's internal ASN.1 groups several items in a single SET,
// such as shown below, Microsoft .NET will produce a DN like this:
// G=ALAIN + SN=DUBOIS RPPS + CN=389900098933, T=M�decin, C=FR

// Notice how the items in the SET are grouped with " + ".
// Also notice the order is reverse, and "T" is used instead of using "Title.
// These are all variations of how a DN might be formatted.
// In practice, there is no correct way because what is needed depends on what is
// required as input to whatever is receiving the DN.

// SEQUENCE (3 elem)
//       SET (1 elem)
//         SEQUENCE (2 elem)
//           OBJECT IDENTIFIER 2.5.4.6 countryName (X.520 DN component)
//           PrintableString FR
//       SET (1 elem)
//         SEQUENCE (2 elem)
//           OBJECT IDENTIFIER 2.5.4.12 title (X.520 DN component)
//           UTF8String M�decin
//       SET (3 elem)
//         SEQUENCE (2 elem)
//           OBJECT IDENTIFIER 2.5.4.42 givenName (X.520 DN component)
//           UTF8String ALAIN
//         SEQUENCE (2 elem)
//           OBJECT IDENTIFIER 2.5.4.4 surname (X.520 DN component)
//           UTF8String DUBOIS RPPS
//         SEQUENCE (2 elem)
//           OBJECT IDENTIFIER 2.5.4.3 commonName (X.520 DN component)
//           UTF8String 389900098933

// To ensure Chilkat produces the same DN format as .NET, you can specify
// the keyword "DotNetSimpleName" in the UncommonOptions.
// For example:

$cert->UncommonOptions = 'DotNetSimpleName';

// If the above option is used (which was added in Chilkat v9.5.0.96), then Chilkat
// will produce the DN in the same format as .NET

$subjectDN = $cert->SubjectDN;
print $subjectDN . "\n";

// Now Chilkat produces this:
// G=ALAIN + SN=DUBOIS RPPS + CN=389900098933, T=M�decin, C=FR

?>