Wallets and official client

[iNs4nePT]

Probably like most of everyone else, my starting point included downloading the official bitcoin client, creating a new wallet.

However, i immediately noticed two things:

 1) i choose a password (a lil security? yeah sure) but when i close and re-open the app, no prompt is given and the wallet is opened...
  ... so, i guess my pass got stored somewhere 

 2) No wallet export/import. Seriously, this should be a MUST.
    Yeah, i know the risks, i'll encrypt the data myself (GPG, whatever)


Ok, other wallet software exists, but each has it's own format as well... 


My question is, what exactly is the essential data a wallet must contain, and why?
I've read https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Wallet but information is scarce


Any linkage is appreciated

[Costia]

1) Are you talking about the RPC password(in the .conf file?) or wallet encryption(in the menu of the client)?
After I encrypted my wallet it did ask me every time. though now I use bitcoind without the GUI (graphical user interface) so i am not sure about this.

2) you can just backup the wallet.dat file. why does it matter how the data is stored inside?
the wallet.dat has ~100 new addresses - each time you send money a new address is used, so you should create a new backup once in a while (~each 50 transactions should be safe)
there are security risks with import that have nothing to do with encryption - there is a thread in the dev forum about this.

[iNs4nePT]

1) Are you talking about the RPC password(in the .conf file?) or wallet encryption(in the menu of the client)?
After I encrypted my wallet it did ask me every time. though now I use bitcoind without the GUI (graphical user interface) so i am not sure about this.

Not the RPC one, the actual wallet encryption, from the menu on the GUI.
Restarting my PC and opening bitcoin, still no password prompt (it does say it's encrypted and locked though...  )

2) you can just backup the wallet.dat file. why does it matter how the data is stored inside?
the wallet.dat has ~100 new addresses - each time you send money a new address is used, so you should create a new backup once in a while (~each 50 transactions should be safe)
there are security risks with import that have nothing to do with encryption - there is a thread in the dev forum about this.

Import/Export could allow me to move/copy a wallet into a different client app. Essentially, the information is important, the file format should not be.

I will investigate about the security issues though, thanks.

[Therilith]

Not the RPC one, the actual wallet encryption, from the menu on the GUI.
Restarting my PC and opening bitcoin, still no password prompt (it does say it's encrypted and locked though...  )

You only need the password to send money or create new addresses.

[Costia]

Import/Export could allow me to move/copy a wallet into a different client app. Essentially, the information is important, the file format should not be.

copy/pasting wallet.dat will have the same effect (just dont forget that it generates new addresses all the time)
and the format isn't important