@dashevo/dashcore-lib/docs/usage/privatekey.md

A pure and powerful JavaScript Dash library.

**Usage**: `new PrivateKey(data, network)`  
**Description**: Instantiate a PrivateKey from a BN, Buffer and WIF.

| parameters  | type           | required | Description                                                                   |
| ----------- | -------------- | -------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **data**    | String         | no       | The encoded data in various formats. When excluded, a random key is generated |
| **network** | Network/string | no       | a Network object, or a string with the network name                           |

**Returns**: {PrivateKey} A new valid instance of a PrivateKey

## PrivateKey.fromBuffer(buff, network)

**Description**: Instantiate a PublicKey from a Buffer

**Parameters**:

| parameters  | type           | required | Description                                                              |
| ----------- | -------------- | -------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **buff**    | Buffer         | yes      | A Buffer of the private key                                              |
| **network** | Network/String | no       | a Network object, or a string with the network name. Default on livenet. |

**Returns**: {PrivateKey} A new valid instance of PrivateKey

## PrivateKey.fromString(str)

**Description**: Instantiate a PrivateKey from a WIF string

**Parameters**:

| parameters | type   | required | Description                        |
| ---------- | ------ | -------- | ---------------------------------- |
| **str**    | String | yes      | The WIF encoded private key string |

**Returns**: {PublicKey} A new valid instance of PublicKey

## PrivateKey.fromObject(obj)

**Description**: Instantiate a PrivateKey from a plain JavaScript object

**Parameters**:

| parameters | type   | required | Description                           |
| ---------- | ------ | -------- | ------------------------------------- |
| **obj**    | Object | yes      | The output from privateKey.toObject() |

**Returns**: {PublicKey} A new valid instance of PublicKey

## PrivateKey.fromRandom(network)

**Description**: Instantiate a PublicKey from random bytes

**Parameters**:

| parameters  | type           | required | Description                                                              |
| ----------- | -------------- | -------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **network** | Network/String | no       | a Network object, or a string with the network name. Default on livenet. |

**Returns**: {PrivateKey} A new valid instance of PrivateKey

## PrivateKey.getValidationError(data, network)

**Description**: Check if there would be any errors when initializing a PrivateKey

**Parameters**:

| parameters  | type           | required | Description                                                              |
| ----------- | -------------- | -------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **data**    | String         | yes      | The encoded data in various formats                                      |
| **network** | Network/String | no       | a Network object, or a string with the network name. Default on livenet. |

**Returns**: {null|Error} An error if exists

## PrivateKey.isValid(data, network)

**Description**: Check if the parameters are valid

**Parameters**:

| parameters  | type           | required | Description                                                              |
| ----------- | -------------- | -------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **data**    | String         | yes      | The encoded data in various formats                                      |
| **network** | Network/String | no       | a Network object, or a string with the network name. Default on livenet. |

**Returns**: {Boolean} If the private key is would be valid

## .toPublicKey()

**Description**: Will return the corresponding public key

**Parameters**: None.

**Returns**: {PublicKey} - A public key generated from the private key

## .toAddress(network)

**Description**: Will return an address for the private key

**Parameters**:

| parameters  | type           | required | Description                                                              |
| ----------- | -------------- | -------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **network** | Network/String | no       | a Network object, or a string with the network name. Default on livenet. |

**Returns**: {Address} - An address generated from the private key

## .toWIF()

**Description**: Will output the PrivateKey to a WIF string

**Parameters**: None.

**Returns**: {string} A WIP representation of the private key

## .toBigNumber()

**Description**: Will return the private key as a BN instance

**Parameters**: None.

**Returns**: {BN} A BN instance of the private key

## .toBuffer()

**Description**: Will return a buffer representation of the private key

**Parameters**: None.

**Returns**: {Buffer} A buffer of the private key

## .toObject() / .toJSON()

**Description**: Will return an object representation of the private key

**Parameters**: None.

**Returns**: {Object} A plain object with the private key properties

## .toString()

**Description**: Will output the PrivateKey encoded as hex string

**Parameters**: None.

**Returns**: {string} A hex encoded string

## .inspect()

**Description**: Will return a string formatted for the console

**Parameters**: None.

**Returns**: {string} Private Key hex representation

```js
const privateKey = new PrivateKey(...);
privateKey.toInspect() // <PrivateKey: 041ff0fe0f7b15ffaa....>
```