I wrote a bunch of crypto algorithms as classes and now I want to implement encryption modes (generalized modes shown in wikipedia, not the specific ones in the algorithms' specifications). How would I write a function that can accept any of the classes?
edit:
here's what i want to accomplish
class mode{
private:
algorithm_class
public:
mode(Algorithm_class, key, mode){
algorithm_class = Algorithm_class(key, mode);
}
};
Well, how about
template<class AlgorithmType>
class mode{
private:
AlgorithmType _algo;
public:
mode(const AlgorithmType& algo)
: _algo(algo) {}
};
?
No need for mode
and key
parameters, as the algorithm can be created by the user:
mode<YourAlgorithm> m(YourAlgorithm(some_key,some_mode));
You can use abstract classes:
class CryptoAlgorithm
{
public:
// whatever functions all the algorithms do
virtual vector<char> Encrypt(vector<char>)=0;
virtual vector<char> Decrypt(vector<char>)=0;
virtual void SetKey(vector<char>)=0;
// etc
}
// user algorithm
class DES : public CryptoAlgorithm
{
// implements the Encrypt, Decrypt, SetKey etc
}
// your function
class mode{
public:
mode(CryptoAlgorithm *algo) // << gets a pointer to an instance of a algo-specific class
//derived from the abstract interface
: _algo(algo) {}; // <<- make a "Set" method to be able to check for null or
// throw exceptions, etc
private:
CryptoAlgorithm *_algo;
}
// in your code
...
_algo->Encrypt(data);
...
//
In this way when you call _algo->Encrypt
- you don't know and don't care about which specific algorithm you're using, just that it implements the interface all the crypto algorithms should be implementing.