12.6. Hashing
Hashing is the process of creating an index for a value using the value itself. The index is called a hash. Sometimes hashes are unique to values, but not always. Hashes can be used to make fast lookups, a method that PHP uses for keeping track of variables. Other times hashes are used like encryption. If the hashes of two strings match, you can assume the two strings match, as long as hash values are unique. In this way, you can check passwords without ever decrypting the original password.
Some of the functions in this section are built into PHP. The others are part of Sascha Shumann's Mhash library. This library presents a universal interface to many hashing algorithms. Visit the home site to learn more about it <http://schumann.cx/mhash/ ...
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