# Translating Java encoding/hashing code to Ruby in a rails ap

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/translating-java-encoding-hashing-code-to-ruby-in-a-rails-ap/135379>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [April 21, 2008, 5:52pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/translating-java-encoding-hashing-code-to-ruby-in-a-rails-ap/135379 "2008-04-21T17:52:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jasonallen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/5e9695/32.png) [@jasonallen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jasonallen)\
**Post date:** [April 21, 2008, 5:52pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/translating-java-encoding-hashing-code-to-ruby-in-a-rails-ap/135379/1 "2008-04-21T17:52:44Z")

</div>

Good Day to all!

I am trying desperately to solve the following problem and need the help  
of a Rails/Ruby guru. I am receiving data via a POST request from a  
remote web application. The information is composed of 5 fields of data  
plus a sixth field that’s the encoded version of the first 5 bits plus  
a shared secret. The problem I am having is converting the sample code I  
was given (Java) to Ruby so that I can re-hash the data in my Rails app  
to confirm the validity of the data.

The allDataElements string is the same for both sets of code - a string  
of key, value pairs from the POST plus the shared secret

“userID=123456&timeStamp=04/21/2008&firstName=myfirstname&lastName=mylastname&firm=G  
mycompanyName&sharedSecret=SOMEREALLYCRYPTICTEXT”

Once I hash this text I should be able to compare it to the hashed value  
I was passed in the POST request.

Here’s the Java code:  
//Generate hash from profile data in hashmap object  
MessageDigest md = MessageDigest.getInstance(“MD5”);  
byte[] mashedHash = md.digest(allDataElements.getBytes(“UTF-8”));  
BASE64Encoder encoder = new BASE64Encoder();  
//Encode to pass as a printable String to The Hartford website  
yourhashedKey = encoder.encode(mashedHash);

Here’s my ruby code:

```
yourhashedKey = =

```

Base64.encode64(Digest::MD5.digest(allDataElements))

The return value from my code does not match what I receive from the  
Java code. I believe it has to do with teh UTF-8 parameter in the  
getBytes function. Can someone help? I’m desperate!!!

Thank you for your help.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jasonallen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/5e9695/32.png) [@jasonallen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jasonallen)\
**Post date:** [April 21, 2008, 6:52pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/translating-java-encoding-hashing-code-to-ruby-in-a-rails-ap/135379/2 "2008-04-21T18:52:52Z")

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On 21 Apr 2008, at 16:52, Jason Aslakson wrote:

> BASE64Encoder encoder = new BASE64Encoder();  
> //Encode to pass as a printable String to The Hartford website  
> yourhashedKey = encoder.encode(mashedHash);
> 
> Here’s my ruby code:
> 
> yourhashedKey = =  
> Base64.encode64(Digest::MD5.digest(allDataElements))

Does it work if all of your data is just plain ascii? in that case the  
utf-8 ness wouldn’t make any difference.  
How is allDataElements computed ? (both ruby & java )

Fred

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jasonallen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/5e9695/32.png) [@jasonallen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jasonallen)\
**Post date:** [April 21, 2008, 7:57pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/translating-java-encoding-hashing-code-to-ruby-in-a-rails-ap/135379/3 "2008-04-21T19:57:18Z")

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Everyone,

So, it turns out that the sample code from the client was wrong. Even  
though I had questioned the naming of the ‘firmName’ variable as ‘firm’  
I had not tried changing the variable name until just now. I have  
notified the client that they should update their sample code.

I thank Fred for his generous willingness to help and I hope that  
someone finds the code useful down the road as it does turn out that:

```
MessageDigest md = MessageDigest.getInstance("MD5");
byte[] mashedHash = md.digest(allDataElements.getBytes("UTF-8"));
BASE64Encoder encoder = new BASE64Encoder();
//Encode to pass as a printable String to The Hartford website
yourhashedKey = encoder.encode(mashedHash);

```

can be translated into ruby as

yourhashedKey = Base64.encode64(Digest::MD5.digest(allDataElements))  
You probably want to formalize the code more, but you get the idea.

Best,

Jason

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jasonallen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/5e9695/32.png) [@jasonallen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jasonallen)\
**Post date:** [April 21, 2008, 7:03pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/translating-java-encoding-hashing-code-to-ruby-in-a-rails-ap/135379/4 "2008-04-21T19:03:12Z")

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Fred,

Thanks for getting back to me on this one. Unfortunately I don’t have  
any insight/ability to test out what happens in the Java code as it’s on  
another company’s system. I have a request into them to try it without  
the UTF-8 part so I’ll have to wait and see on that front.

However, here’s how the allDataElements string is built. Basically, I  
just string together the 5 key/value pairs as if it were a GET request  
and then tack on the sharedSecret value. Here’s the sample Java code I  
received (sytax errors and all). I have verified that only the variables  
listed in allDataElements are included in the hash even though there are  
other variables listed in the sample code.

String secretKey = “”; //key we share  
String userID = “”; //HIFP user id  
String timeStamp = “”; //timeStamp must be in MM/DD/YYYY  
String firstName = “”;  
String lastName = “”;  
String firm = “”;  
String emailAddress = “”;  
String address1 = “”;  
String address2 = “”;  
String city = “”;  
String state = “”;  
String zip = “”;  
String Phone = “”;  
String hashedKey = “”;

String allDataElements = “userID=” + userID  
+ “&timeStamp=” + timeStamp  
+ “&firstName=” + firstName);}  
+ “&lastName=” + lastName);}  
+ “&firm=” + firm);}  
+ “&sharedSecret=” + secretKey);  
try  
{  
//Generate hash from profile data in hashmap object  
MessageDigest md = MessageDigest.getInstance(“MD5”);  
byte[] mashedHash = md.digest(allDataElements.getBytes(“UTF-8”));  
BASE64Encoder encoder = new BASE64Encoder();  
//Encode to pass as a printable String to The Hartford website  
yourhashedKey = encoder.encode(mashedHash);  
}  
catch (Exception e)  
{  
System.out.println("EMIvul.jsp - Exception: " + e.toString() );  
yourhashedKey = null;  
}

Somehow I need to turn this into Ruby. I had thought I would be fine  
with Base64.encode64(Digest::MD5.digest(allDataElements)) as I have done  
this type of thing from C# to Ruby before and it seemed to work out. The  
only difference is the getBytes(“UTF-8”) part.

Thank you for your help. I sincerely appreciate any insight you may have  
to offer.

Frederick C. wrote:

> On 21 Apr 2008, at 16:52, Jason Aslakson wrote:
> 
> > BASE64Encoder encoder = new BASE64Encoder();  
> > //Encode to pass as a printable String to The Hartford website  
> > yourhashedKey = encoder.encode(mashedHash);
> > 
> > Here’s my ruby code:
> > 
> > yourhashedKey = =  
> > Base64.encode64(Digest::MD5.digest(allDataElements))
> 
> Does it work if all of your data is just plain ascii? in that case the  
> utf-8 ness wouldn’t make any difference.  
> How is allDataElements computed ? (both ruby & java )
> 
> Fred