# rawValue The 32 raw bytes (256 bits) of the SHA-256 output. ``` let rawValue: Data ``` ## Return Value A `Data` of length 32. See [`hexString`](/documentation/OpenSSL/SHA256/SHA256Digest/hexString) for the lowercase hex form. ## Discussion The bytes are in MSB-first order, identical to the output of the C `SHA256_Final` routine and the test vectors in [RFC 6234 §8.5](https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc6234#section-8.5). Length is guaranteed to be exactly 32 by the initializers on this type; no shipping code path can produce a `SHA256Digest` whose `rawValue.count != 32`. Typical consumers: storing the digest in a database column, base64-encoding it for transport, or feeding it as input keying material to an HMAC/HKDF step. If you only need the human-readable form for logs or URLs, prefer [`hexString`](/documentation/OpenSSL/SHA256/SHA256Digest/hexString) which avoids an intermediate allocation at the call site. > Note: This property exposes the underlying storage directly. > `Data` value semantics keep mutation by the caller safe, but > do not treat the returned bytes as constant-time-comparable.