A hash calculator is a program that creates a hash from input data using an algorithm. The resulting hash value is unique and can be used for error checking in data transmission or to determine where data records are stored in a hash table. The algorithm used and the input data can vary depending on the application.
A hash calculator can be several things but, in a very broad sense, it refers to a program or function that takes some type of input and then runs that input through an algorithm to create an output value, such as a number large or a block of symbols. The term is often used in data transmission to refer to a program that creates a type of key with an algorithm so that whoever receives the transmitted data can use the same algorithm to obtain the same key to see if the data has arrived intact and unmodified. In computer programming, the term “hash calculator” can be used to mean a hash function that transforms a type of data into a hash key which is then processed by another algorithm to create an index into an array where you can store the information. While both calculator concepts are similar, the results are very different and are usually not interchangeable. A common property of a hash calculator, regardless of its use, is that the generated hash value will always be identical for a given piece of data, no matter where or when the program is run.
Basically, a hash calculator is just a program or function that creates a hash from some data. A hash is just a word for a value and can be anything from a number to a string of hundreds of alphanumeric characters, depending on how it’s used. The data that is added to a hash calculator to create a hash can also be almost anything. When used for error checking in data transmission, the source of a hash value is usually a complete document or data file, such as an email or image file. In programming, because the hash value is used to determine where data records are stored in a hash table, the input value is usually a part of a data record that is unique, such as a person’s last name, a number telephone number or account number.
In the case of data transmission, a hash calculator uses any of hundreds of different mathematical algorithms to create the unique hash value for the transmitted information. This can be something as simple as adding all the values of all bytes in a file, in which case the hash value is the sum. It can also be much more complex, involving counting blocks of bits or redundantly processing different sequences of numbers. One of the most important aspects of any hash algorithm, however, is that the resulting hash value must always be the same if the same data is used as input. This concept means that if a file is transmitted with its own computed hash value, the recipient of the data can use a hash calculator with the same algorithm to determine if the hash values for the data match by verifying that the data has been received intact and without errors or changes.
In programming, the term “hash calculator” is often used to describe a function that converts data into a hash value. Unlike data transmission, the number generated by the computer in this case is not necessarily used for verification but to calculate an index into a hash table where the information will be stored. An intermediate hash value is calculated to allow for predictably larger numbers of data records to be inserted into a smaller hash table, with some records generating the same values under certain circumstances. Both the algorithm used to compute a hash value and the data used as input are quite arbitrary for a hash table and usually application specific.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
