# Hashlib Functionality in Hail

**URL:** <https://discuss.hail.is/t/hashlib-functionality-in-hail/1771>\
**Category:** Feature Requests\
**Created:** [November 4, 2020, 4:57pm UTC](https://discuss.hail.is/t/hashlib-functionality-in-hail/1771 "2020-11-04T16:57:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![IqviaGarrettBromley](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discuss.hail.is/iqviagarrettbromley/32/375_2.png) [@IqviaGarrettBromley](https://discuss.hail.is/u/IqviaGarrettBromley)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2020, 4:57pm UTC](https://discuss.hail.is/t/hashlib-functionality-in-hail/1771/1 "2020-11-04T16:57:51Z")

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It would be beneficial for our use case to support hashlib functionality in hail. Currently the only way to hash a column of strings is to export to pandas, then do the hashing and bring it back into hail after which isn’t totally ideal given the amount of data it needs to be done for.

This is what I am trying to do in hail with no luck:

```auto
hashed = hta2.annotate(ALT_HASH = hashlib.md5(str.encode(str(hta2.ALT))).hexdigest())

```

Tim mentioned it would fit nicely into the expr module.

Thanks!