# class OpenSSL::ASN1::Primitive

The parent class for all primitive encodings. Attributes are the same as for `ASN1Data`, with the addition of tagging. `Primitive` values can never be encoded with indefinite length form, thus it is not possible to set the indefinite_length attribute for `Primitive` and its sub-classes.

## `Primitive` sub-classes and their mapping to Ruby classes¶ ↑

- `OpenSSL::ASN1::EndOfContent` <=> value is always `nil`

- `OpenSSL::ASN1::Boolean` <=> value is `true` or `false`

- `OpenSSL::ASN1::Integer` <=> value is an `OpenSSL::BN`

- `OpenSSL::ASN1::BitString` <=> value is a `String`

- OpenSSL::ASN1::OctetString <=> value is a `String`

- OpenSSL::ASN1::Null <=> value is always `nil`

- `OpenSSL::ASN1::Object` <=> value is a `String`

- `OpenSSL::ASN1::Enumerated` <=> value is an `OpenSSL::BN`

- OpenSSL::ASN1::UTF8String <=> value is a `String`

- OpenSSL::ASN1::NumericString <=> value is a `String`

- OpenSSL::ASN1::PrintableString <=> value is a `String`

- OpenSSL::ASN1::T61String <=> value is a `String`

- OpenSSL::ASN1::VideotexString <=> value is a `String`

- OpenSSL::ASN1::IA5String <=> value is a `String`

- OpenSSL::ASN1::UTCTime <=> value is a `Time`

- OpenSSL::ASN1::GeneralizedTime <=> value is a `Time`

- OpenSSL::ASN1::GraphicString <=> value is a `String`

- OpenSSL::ASN1::ISO64String <=> value is a `String`

- OpenSSL::ASN1::GeneralString <=> value is a `String`

- OpenSSL::ASN1::UniversalString <=> value is a `String`

- OpenSSL::ASN1::BMPString <=> value is a `String`

## `OpenSSL::ASN1::BitString`¶ ↑

### Additional attributes¶ ↑

unused_bits: if the underlying BIT STRING’s length is a multiple of 8 then unused_bits is 0. Otherwise unused_bits indicates the number of bits that are to be ignored in the final octet of the BitString’s value.

## `OpenSSL::ASN1::ObjectId`¶ ↑

NOTE: While `OpenSSL::ASN1::ObjectId.new` will allocate a new `ObjectId`, it is not typically allocated this way, but rather that are received from parsed `ASN1` encodings.

### Additional attributes¶ ↑

- sn: the short name as defined in <openssl/objects.h>.

- ln: the long name as defined in <openssl/objects.h>.

- oid: the object identifier as a `String`, e.g. “1.2.3.4.5”

- short_name: alias for sn.

- long_name: alias for ln.

## Examples¶ ↑

With the `Exception` of `OpenSSL::ASN1::EndOfContent`, each `Primitive` class constructor takes at least one parameter, the value.

### Creating `EndOfContent`¶ ↑

    eoc = OpenSSL::ASN1::EndOfContent.new

### Creating any other `Primitive`¶ ↑

    prim = <class>.new(value) # <class> being one of the sub-classes except EndOfContent
    prim_zero_tagged_implicit = <class>.new(value, 0, :IMPLICIT)
    prim_zero_tagged_explicit = <class>.new(value, 0, :EXPLICIT)

### Public Instance Methods

to_der → DER-encoded String
Source

    static VALUE
    ossl_asn1prim_to_der(VALUE self)
    {
        ASN1_TYPE *asn1;
        long alllen, bodylen;
        unsigned char *p0, *p1;
        int j, tag, tc, state;
        VALUE str;

        if (ossl_asn1_default_tag(self) == -1) {
            str = ossl_asn1_get_value(self);
            return to_der_internal(self, 0, 0, StringValue(str));
        }

        asn1 = ossl_asn1_get_asn1type(self);
        alllen = i2d_ASN1_TYPE(asn1, NULL);
        if (alllen < 0) {
            ASN1_TYPE_free(asn1);
            ossl_raise(eASN1Error, "i2d_ASN1_TYPE");
        }
        str = ossl_str_new(NULL, alllen, &state);
        if (state) {
            ASN1_TYPE_free(asn1);
            rb_jump_tag(state);
        }
        p0 = p1 = (unsigned char *)RSTRING_PTR(str);
        if (i2d_ASN1_TYPE(asn1, &p0) < 0) {
            ASN1_TYPE_free(asn1);
            ossl_raise(eASN1Error, "i2d_ASN1_TYPE");
        }
        ASN1_TYPE_free(asn1);
        ossl_str_adjust(str, p0);

        /* Strip header since to_der_internal() wants only the payload */
        j = ASN1_get_object((const unsigned char **)&p1, &bodylen, &tag, &tc, alllen);
        if (j & 0x80)
            ossl_raise(eASN1Error, "ASN1_get_object"); /* should not happen */

        return to_der_internal(self, 0, 0, rb_str_drop_bytes(str, alllen - bodylen));
    }

See `ASN1Data#to_der` for details.