Sha256 Hashes in Wolfram Language

Here’s the translation of the SHA256 Hashes example to Wolfram Language, formatted in Markdown suitable for Hugo:

SHA256 hashes are frequently used to compute short identities for binary or text blobs. For example, TLS/SSL certificates use SHA256 to compute a certificate’s signature. Here’s how to compute SHA256 hashes in Wolfram Language.

(* Import the necessary cryptographic functions *)
Needs["Cryptography`"]

(* Define the main function *)
ComputeSHA256Hash[] := Module[{s, hash},
  (* The string to be hashed *)
  s = "sha256 this string";
  
  (* Compute the SHA256 hash *)
  hash = Hash[s, "SHA256"];
  
  (* Print the original string *)
  Print[s];
  
  (* Print the hash in hexadecimal format *)
  Print[BaseForm[hash, 16]]
]

(* Call the main function *)
ComputeSHA256Hash[]

In Wolfram Language, we use the Cryptography package to access cryptographic functions. The Hash function is used to compute various types of hashes, including SHA256.

The Module construct is used to create a local scope for variables, similar to how functions work in other languages.

We start by defining the string to be hashed. Then, we use the Hash function to compute the SHA256 hash of the string. The first argument is the input string, and the second argument specifies the hash algorithm to use.

Finally, we print the original string and the computed hash. The BaseForm function is used to display the hash in hexadecimal format.

To run the program, you can execute it in a Wolfram Language notebook or in the Wolfram Engine:

sha256 this string
1af1dfa857bf1d8814fe1af8983c18080019922e557f15a8a0d63b8ed52fa853

You can compute other hashes using a similar pattern to the one shown above. For example, to compute SHA512 hashes, you would use Hash[s, "SHA512"].

Note that if you need cryptographically secure hashes, you should carefully research hash strength!

Wolfram Language provides a comprehensive set of cryptographic functions in its Cryptography package, allowing you to work with various hash functions and other cryptographic operations seamlessly.