diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'bip-0122.mediawiki')
-rw-r--r-- | bip-0122.mediawiki | 124 |
1 files changed, 124 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/bip-0122.mediawiki b/bip-0122.mediawiki new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5386dd2 --- /dev/null +++ b/bip-0122.mediawiki @@ -0,0 +1,124 @@ +<pre> + BIP: 122 + Title: URI scheme for Blockchain references / exploration + Author: Marco Pontello <marcopon@gmail.com> + Status: Draft + Type: Standards Track + Created: 2015-08-29 + Post-History: https://lists.linuxfoundation.org/pipermail/bitcoin-dev/2015-August/010712.html +</pre> + +==Abstract== + +This BIP proposes a URI scheme for looking up blocks, transactions and addresses on a Blockchain explorer, or in general to make proper Blockchain references. + +==Motivation== + +The purpose of this URI scheme is to enable users to handle all the requests for details about blocks, transactions, etc. with their preferred tool (being that a web service or a local application). +Currently a Bitcoin client usually points to an arbitrary blockchain explorer when the user looks for the details of a transaction or allows the user to choose from a set of alternatives. +Resorting to copy + paste into a browser is often required. +The same happens with posts and messages that reference some particular txs or blocks, if they provide links at all. + +==Specification== + +The URI follow this form: + + <nowiki>blockchain:[//<chain>]/<tx|block|address>/<hash></nowiki> + +Where: + +{| class="wikitable" +! style="text-align: center;" | Element +! colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" | Description +! Required? +|- +| chain +| colspan="2" | '''chain ID''' (see below) of the desired chain, leading 0s included. If omitted (which would be the usual case), Bitcoin main net is assumed. +| optional +|- +| rowspan="3" | type +| tx +| for transactions. +| rowspan="3" | required +|- +| block +| for blocks (supports both hash or height). +|- +| address +| for addresses. +|- +| hash +| colspan="2" | the relevant hash to refer to (leading zeros included), or block height. +| required +|} + +====ABNF grammar==== + +<pre> +blockchainuri = "blockchain:" ["//" chain] "/" object +object = ("tx" "/" hash) / ("block" "/" (hash / blockheight)) / + ("address" "/" address) +chain = hash +hash = 64HEXDIG +blockheight = 1*15DIGIT ; 15 is somehow arbitrary, i.e. a "small" int. +address = base58 ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Base58 +</pre> + +---- +===Definition of chain ID=== + +The '''chain ID''' of a chain is the block hash of the corresponding genesis block. For forked chains, it's the block hash of the first block after fork. + +So, for example: +<pre> +Bitcoin main : 000000000019d6689c085ae165831e934ff763ae46a2a6c172b3f1b60a8ce26f +Bitcoin test : 000000000933ea01ad0ee984209779baaec3ced90fa3f408719526f8d77f4943 +Bitcoin regtest: 0f9188f13cb7b2c71f2a335e3a4fc328bf5beb436012afca590b1a11466e2206 +</pre> + +An example of forked chain (Feathercoin, that forked Litecoin): + +<img src=bip-0122/chainid.png></img> + +<pre> +Litecoin : 12a765e31ffd4059bada1e25190f6e98c99d9714d334efa41a195a7e7e04bfe2 +Feathercoin: fdbe99b90c90bae7505796461471d89ae8388ab953997aa06a355bbda8d915cb +</pre> + + +==Examples== + +A transaction on Bitcoin main net: + blockchain:/tx/b462ae6eb8bdae2e060239a2a3ea5d9c3e0f9ef34d9717beb2dcf0ed42cee7da + +A block on Bitcoin main net: + blockchain:/block/00000000000000000119af5bcae2926df54ae262e9071a94a99c913cc217cc72 +or + blockchain:/block/372338 + +An address on Bitcoin main net: + blockchain:/address/16EW6Rv9P9AxFDBrZV816dD4sj1EAYUX3f + +A transaction on Bitcoin test net: + blockchain://000000000933ea01ad0ee984209779baaec3ced90fa3f408719526f8d77f4943/tx/3b95a766d7a99b87188d6875c8484cb2b310b78459b7816d4dfc3f0f7e04281a + +==Rationale== + +From the point of view of a wallet (or other Blockchain related tool) developers which need to reference Blockchain data, using this scheme mean that he can simply make it a `blockchain:` link without having to worry about any specific Blockchain explorer or provide a means for the user to select one. + +Blockchain explorers in turn will simply offer to handle the `blockchain:` URI schema, the first time the user visit their website, or launch/install the application, or even set themselves if there isn't already one. + +Users can link directly to their preferred block explorer (avoiding copy + paste which can be awkward on mobile devices). + +== Sample implementation == + +[https://github.com/MarcoPon/blockchain-exploration Demo Blockchain: URI handler on GitHub] + +==Acknowledgements== + +Thanks to Btc Drak for suggesting support for different networks and Jorge Timon for the suggestion that we could identify each network by its genesis block hash. +Thanks to Richard Moore, Matt Whitlock, Andreas Schildbach for help with the structure and hierarchy of the URI scheme. + +==Copyright== + +This document is placed in the public domain. |