X509_NAME_ENTRY_GET_OBJECT(3ossl)

📦
version 15.1 · 3 versions
, in freebsd 15.1

💅 X509_NAME_ENTRY_GET_OBJECT (3ossl) — the OpenSSL one, bestie

okay so this page is literally all about X509_NAME_ENTRY utility functions ✨ from OpenSSL, and if you're here you're probably deep in certificate-land wondering what's inside one little name entry. Don't panic, it's giving tiny-but-mighty. 🎀

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

#include <openssl/x509.h>

ASN1_OBJECT *X509_NAME_ENTRY_get_object(const X509_NAME_ENTRY *ne);
ASN1_STRING *X509_NAME_ENTRY_get_data(const X509_NAME_ENTRY *ne);

int X509_NAME_ENTRY_set_object(X509_NAME_ENTRY *ne, const ASN1_OBJECT *obj);
int X509_NAME_ENTRY_set_data(X509_NAME_ENTRY *ne, int type,
                             const unsigned char *bytes, int len);

X509_NAME_ENTRY *X509_NAME_ENTRY_create_by_txt(X509_NAME_ENTRY **ne, const char *field,
                                               int type, const unsigned char *bytes,
                                               int len);
X509_NAME_ENTRY *X509_NAME_ENTRY_create_by_NID(X509_NAME_ENTRY **ne, int nid,
                                               int type, const unsigned char *bytes,
                                               int len);
X509_NAME_ENTRY *X509_NAME_ENTRY_create_by_OBJ(X509_NAME_ENTRY **ne,
                                               const ASN1_OBJECT *obj, int type,
                                               const unsigned char *bytes, int len);

like, copy-paste that header and you're already halfway there 🫶

✨ DESCRIPTION ✨

  • X509_NAME_ENTRY_get_object() — grabs the field name of ne, and hands it to you inside an ASN1_OBJECT structure. that's the "what kind of thing is this" part 👑
  • X509_NAME_ENTRY_get_data() — grabs the field value of ne, in an ASN1_STRING structure. that's the actual content, the main character energy of the entry 💖
  • X509_NAME_ENTRY_set_object() — sets the field name of ne to obj. swapping out the label, basically 🏷️
  • X509_NAME_ENTRY_set_data() — sets the field value of ne to string type type and a value determined by bytes and len. note bestie: the field name has to be set already for this one — more on that below 👀
  • X509_NAME_ENTRY_create_by_txt(), X509_NAME_ENTRY_create_by_NID() and X509_NAME_ENTRY_create_by_OBJ() — create and return an X509_NAME_ENTRY structure. brand new entry, fresh out the box 🎁

🦋 NOTES 🦋

X509_NAME_ENTRY_get_object() and X509_NAME_ENTRY_get_data() are your go-to besties for examining an X509_NAME_ENTRY — like one you got back from X509_NAME_get_entry(), for example. peek at the name, peek at the value, no cap 🔍

X509_NAME_ENTRY_create_by_txt(), X509_NAME_ENTRY_create_by_OBJ(), X509_NAME_ENTRY_create_by_NID() and X509_NAME_ENTRY_set_data() are seldom used in practice — and honestly? that tracks 😭 the reason is that X509_NAME_ENTRY structures are almost always part of X509_NAME structures, and the matching X509_NAME functions usually handle creating and adding new entries in a single operation. so these here are more like the "I need to do it manually" route 💅

The arguments of these functions support similar options to the similarly named ones of the corresponding X509_NAME functions, such as X509_NAME_add_entry_by_txt(). So for example type can be set to MBSTRING_ASC — but heads up, in the case of X509_set_data() the field name must be set first so the relevant field information can be looked up internally. order matters, bestie, fr fr ⚠️

💀 RETURN VALUES 💀

  • X509_NAME_ENTRY_get_object() — returns a valid ASN1_OBJECT structure if it is set, or NULL if an error occurred. 🫠
  • X509_NAME_ENTRY_get_data() — returns a valid ASN1_STRING structure if it is set, or NULL if an error occurred.
  • X509_NAME_ENTRY_set_object() and X509_NAME_ENTRY_set_data() — return 1 on success or 0 on error. classic.
  • X509_NAME_ENTRY_create_by_txt(), X509_NAME_ENTRY_create_by_NID() and X509_NAME_ENTRY_create_by_OBJ() — return a valid X509_NAME_ENTRY on success or NULL if an error occurred. 😭
lowkey always check for NULL / 0, okay? the errors are real and they will humble you 🙈

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

Copyright 2002-2018 The OpenSSL Project Authors. All Rights Reserved.

Licensed under the Apache License 2.0 (the "License"). You may not use this file except in compliance with the License. You can obtain a copy in the file LICENSE in the source distribution or at <https://www.openssl.org/source/license.html>.

and that's the whole vibe check 💜 this page is from OpenSSL 3.5.6, dated 2026-04-07, and it's the X509_NAME_ENTRY_GET_OBJECT(3ossl) manual — go forth and read your name entries, you absolute icon ⭐🍓

📦 where this page comes from