This API supports the product infrastructure and is not intended to be used directly from your code. Implements the SGen task. Use the SGen element in your project file to create and execute this task. For usage and parameter information, see SGen Task.
What is a cryptographic hash? A hash (also called a digest, and informally a checksum) is a kind of signature for a stream of data that represents the contents. The closest real-life analog we can think is a tamper-evident seal on a software package: if you open the box (change the file), it's detected.
One of the possible uses for this function is as a hash key. See the notes at the beginning of this section about storing hash values efficiently. You can also use SHA1() as a cryptographic function for storing passwords. SHA() is synonymous with SHA1() .