# peer-id
[](http://ipn.io)
[](http://webchat.freenode.net/?channels=%23ipfs)
[](https://travis-ci.org/diasdavid/js-peer-id)
[](https://coveralls.io/github/diasdavid/js-peer-id?branch=master)
[](https://david-dm.org/diasdavid/js-peer-id)
[](https://github.com/feross/standard)
> [IPFS](https://github.com/ipfs/ipfs) Peer ID implementation in JavaScript.
# Description
Generate, import, and export PeerIDs, for use with [IPFS](https://github.com/ipfs/ipfs).
*A Peer ID is the SHA-256 [multihash](https://github.com/jbenet/multihash) of a
public key.*
*The public key is a base64 encoded string of a protobuf containing an RSA DER
buffer. This uses a node buffer to pass the base64 encoded public key protobuf
to the multihash for ID generation.*
# Example
```js
var PeerId = require('peer-id')
var bs58 = require('bs58')
var id = PeerId.create({ bits: 32 })
console.log('id ', id.toB58String())
console.log('priv key ', bs58.encode(id.privKey))
console.log('pub key ', bs58.encode(id.pubKey))
```
```
id QmeeLFb92nkZJGj3gXLqXrEMzCMYs6uBgQLVNbrcXEvYXk
priv key 6ibrcPAbevzvPpkq6EA6XmLyuhmUrJrEvUfgQDtEiSEPzGnGU8Ejwf6b11DVm6opnFGo
pub key 2BeBZVKJ9RQs4i4LbGv4ReEeuBA5dck2Gje3wt67e44XuyyPq5jE
```
# Installation
## npm
```sh
> npm i peer-id
```
# Setup
## Node.js
```JavaScript
var PeerId = require('peer-id')
```
## Browser: Browserify, Webpack, other bundlers
The code published to npm that gets loaded on require is in fact a ES5
transpiled version with the right shims added. This means that you can require
it and use with your favourite bundler without having to adjust asset management
process.
```JavaScript
var PeerId = require('peer-id')
```
## Browser: `
```
# API
```js
const PeerId = require('peer-id')
```
## Create
### PeerId.create()
Generates a new Peer ID, complete with public/private keypair. A Peer ID has the
following properties:
- `pubKey` - Buffer containing the public key bytes
- `privKey` - Buffer containing the private key bytes
- `id` - Buffer containing the multihash bytes
## Import
### PeerId.createFromHexString(str)
Creates a Peer ID from hex string representing the key's multihash.
### PeerId.createFromBytes(buf)
Creates a Peer ID from a buffer representing the key's multihash.
### PeerId.createFromB58String(str)
Creates a Peer ID from a Base58 string representing the key's multihash.
### PeerId.createFromPubKey(pubKey)
Creates a Peer ID from a buffer containing a public key.
### PeerId.createFromPrivKey(privKey)
Creates a Peer ID from a buffer containing a private key.
## Export
### id.toPrint()
Returns an object with the ID's properties in hex format:
```js
{
id: 'QmckZzdVd72h9QUFuJJpQqhsZqGLwjhh81qSvZ9BhB2FQi',
privKey: '080012a609308204a20201000282010100a608889914da08959d3a3db0734cee812c96...',
pubKey: '080012a60230820122300d06092a864886f70d01010105000382010f003082010a0282010...'
}
```
### id.toHexString()
Returns the Peer ID's `id` as a hex string.
```
1220d6243998f2fc56343ad7ed0342ab7886a4eb18d736f1b67d44b37fcc81e0f39f
```
### id.toBytes()
Returns the Peer ID's `id` as a buffer.
```
```
### id.toB58String()
Returns the Peer ID's `id` as a base58 string.
```
QmckZzdVd72h9QUFuJJpQqhsZqGLwjhh81qSvZ9BhB2FQi
```
# License
MIT