The RHASH Plugin is used to generate a hash value from internal cryptographic functions. Based upon a text string value or file name, R:HASH uses one of many available hash functions to generate the hash value (also called a "message digest" or a "checksum") as a sort of "digital fingerprint" of the text string or document. The resulting fixed-size hash value is a concise representation of the source input from which it was computed. Of the output formats, Hexadecimal, Hexadecimal lowercase, MIME Base 64, UU Coding, and XX Coding are available.
The different hash functions can be used for a variety of computational purposes, including cryptography. Even small changes in the source input drastically alters the resulting output, also known as the avalanche effect.