# Key
Date: 2012-02-24

## com.google.appengine.api.datastore
Class Key

    java.lang.Object
      com.google.appengine.api.datastore.Key

All Implemented Interfaces:
  java.io.Serializable, java.lang.Comparable<Key>

    public final class Key

extends java.lang.Object
implements java.io.Serializable, java.lang.Comparable<Key>

The primary key for a datastore entity. A datastore GUID. A Key instance uniquely identifies an entity across all apps, and includes all information necessary to fetch the entity from the datastore with `DatastoreService.get(Key)`.

You can create `Key` objects directly by using `KeyFactory.createKey(java.lang.String, long)` or `getChild(java.lang.String, long)`.

You can also retrieve the `Key` automatically created when you create a new `Entity`, or serialize `Key` objects, or use `KeyFactory` to convert them to and from websafe String values.

See Also:
  `KeyFactory`, Serialized Form

Method Summary
`int` `compareTo(Key other)` Compares two `Key` objects.
`boolean` `equals(java.lang.Object object)` Compares two `Key` objects by comparing ids, kinds, parent and appIdNamespace.
`Key` `getChild(java.lang.String kind, long id)` Creates a new key having `this` as parent and the given numeric identifier.
`Key` `getChild(java.lang.String kind, java.lang.String name)` Creates a new key having `this` as parent and the given name.
`long` `getId()` Returns the numeric identifier of this `Key`.
`java.lang.String` `getKind()` Returns the kind of the `Entity` represented by this `Key`.
`java.lang.String` `getName()` Returns the name of this `Key`.
`java.lang.String` `getNamespace()` Returns the namespace for this `Key`.
`Key` `getParent()` If this `Key` has a parent, return a `Key` that represents it.
`int` `hashCode()`
`boolean` `isComplete()` Returns true if this Key has a name specified or has been assigned an identifier.
`java.lang.String` `toString()`

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object
`getClass, notify, notifyAll, wait, wait, wait`

Method Detail

### getKind

    public java.lang.String getKind()

  Returns the kind of the `Entity` represented by this `Key`.

### getParent

    public Key getParent()

  If this `Key` has a parent, return a `Key` that represents it. If not, simply return null.

### hashCode

    public int hashCode()

  Overrides:
    `hashCode` in class `java.lang.Object`

### toString

    public java.lang.String toString()

  Overrides:
    `toString` in class `java.lang.Object`

### equals

    public boolean equals(java.lang.Object object)

  Compares two `Key` objects by comparing ids, kinds, parent and appIdNamespace. If both keys are assigned names rather than ids, compares names instead of ids. If neither key has an id or a name, the keys are only equal if they reference the same object.

  Overrides:
    `equals` in class `java.lang.Object`

### getNamespace

    public java.lang.String getNamespace()

  Returns the namespace for this `Key`.

### getId

    public long getId()

  Returns the numeric identifier of this `Key`.

### getName

    public java.lang.String getName()

  Returns the name of this `Key`.

### getChild

    public Key getChild(java.lang.String kind,
                        long id)

  Creates a new key having `this` as parent and the given numeric identifier. The parent key must be complete.

  Parameters:
    `kind` - the kind of the child key to create
    `id` - the numeric identifier of the key in `kind`, unique for this parent

### getChild

    public Key getChild(java.lang.String kind,
                        java.lang.String name)

  Creates a new key having `this` as parent and the given name. The parent key must be complete.

  Parameters:
    `kind` - the kind of the child key to create
    `name` - the name of the key in `kind`, as an arbitrary string unique for this parent

### isComplete

    public boolean isComplete()

  Returns true if this Key has a name specified or has been assigned an identifier.

### compareTo

    public int compareTo(Key other)

  Compares two `Key` objects. The algorithm proceeds as follows: Turn each `Key` into an iterator where the first element returned is the top-most ancestor, the next element is the child of the previous element, and so on. The last element will be the `Key` we started with. Once we have assembled these two iterators (one for 'this' and one for the `Key` we're comparing to), consume them in parallel, comparing the next element from each iterator. If at any point the comparison of these two elements yields a non-zero result, return that as the result of the overall comparison. If we exhaust the iterator built from 'this' before we exhaust the iterator built from the other `Key`, we return less than. An example: app1.type1.4.app1.type2.9 < app1.type1.4.app1.type2.9.app1.type3.2 If we exhaust the iterator built from the other `Key` before we exhaust the iterator built from 'this', we return greater than. An example: app1.type1.4.app1.type2.9.app1.type3.2 > app1.type1.4.app1.type2.9 The relationship between individual `Key Keys` is performed by comparing app followed by kind followed by id. If both keys are assigned names rather than ids, compares names instead of ids. If neither key has an id or a name we return an arbitrary but consistent result. Assuming all other components are equal, all ids are less than all names.

  Specified by:
    `compareTo` in interface `java.lang.Comparable<Key>`