An alternative method of getting a single key via its fingerprint is available directly within a Context with Context().get_key. This is the preferred method of selecting a key in order to modify it, sign or certify it and for obtaining relevant data about a single key as a part of other functions; when verifying a signature made by that key, for instance.

By default this method will select public keys, but it can select secret keys as well.

This first example demonstrates selecting the current key of Werner Koch, which is due to expire at the end of 2018:

import gpg fingerprint = "80615870F5BAD690333686D0F2AD85AC1E42B367" key = gpg.Context().get_key(fingerprint)

Whereas this example demonstrates selecting the author's current key with the secret key word argument set to True:

import gpg fingerprint = "DB4724E6FA4286C92B4E55C4321E4E2373590E5D" key = gpg.Context().get_key(fingerprint, secret=True)

It is, of course, quite possible to select expired, disabled and revoked keys with this function, but only to effectively display information about those keys.

It is also possible to use both unicode or string literals and byte literals with the fingerprint when getting a key in this way.