# [](https://www.bigchaindb.com)
> Official JavaScript driver for [BigchainDB](https://github.com/bigchaindb/bigchaindb) with some naive helpers to get you on your way making transactions in Node.js and the browser.
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- Documentation: https://docs.bigchaindb.com/projects/js-driver/en/latest/usage.html
## Compatibility
| BigchainDB Server | BigchainDB JavaScript Driver |
| ----------------- |------------------------------|
| `0.10` | `0.1.x` |
| `1.0.0` | `0.3.x` |
| `>= 1.3.0` | `3.x.x` |
## Breaking changes
Version 3.2 of BigchainDB JavaScript Driver introduces a new way of creating transfer transactions. Check [older versions](https://docs.bigchaindb.com/projects/js-driver/en/latest/readme.html#features)
## Contents
* [Installation and Usage with package managers (npm/yarn)](#installation-and-usage-with-package-managers-npmyarn)
* [Example: Create a transaction](#example-create-a-transaction)
* [Use a pre-built image (browser only)](#use-a-pre-built-image-browser-only)
* [Documentation](#bigchaindb-documentation)
* [Authors](#authors)
* [License](#license)
## Installation and Usage with package managers (npm/yarn)
```bash
npm install bigchaindb-driver
```
### Example: Create a transaction
```js
const driver = require('bigchaindb-driver')
// BigchainDB server instance or IPDB (e.g. https://test.ipdb.io/api/v1/)
const API_PATH = 'http://localhost:9984/api/v1/'
// Create a new keypair.
const alice = new driver.Ed25519Keypair()
// Construct a transaction payload
const tx = driver.Transaction.makeCreateTransaction(
// Define the asset to store, in this example it is the current temperature
// (in Celsius) for the city of Berlin.
{ city: 'Berlin, DE', temperature: 22, datetime: new Date().toString() },
// Metadata contains information about the transaction itself
// (can be `null` if not needed)
{ what: 'My first BigchainDB transaction' },
// A transaction needs an output
[ driver.Transaction.makeOutput(
driver.Transaction.makeEd25519Condition(alice.publicKey))
],
alice.publicKey
)
// Sign the transaction with private keys
const txSigned = driver.Transaction.signTransaction(tx, alice.privateKey)
// Send the transaction off to BigchainDB
const conn = new driver.Connection(API_PATH)
conn.postTransaction(txSigned)
.then(() => conn.pollStatusAndFetchTransaction(txSigned.id))
.then(retrievedTx => console.log('Transaction', retrievedTx.id, 'successfully posted.'))
```
## Use a pre-built image (browser only)
```html
BigchainDB boilerplate
Hello BigchainDB
Your transaction id is: processing
```
## BigchainDB Documentation
- [HTTP API Reference](https://docs.bigchaindb.com/projects/server/en/latest/http-client-server-api.html)
- [The Transaction Model](https://docs.bigchaindb.com/projects/server/en/latest/data-models/transaction-model.html?highlight=crypto%20conditions)
- [Inputs and Outputs](https://docs.bigchaindb.com/projects/server/en/latest/data-models/inputs-outputs.html)
- [Asset Transfer](https://docs.bigchaindb.com/projects/py-driver/en/latest/usage.html#asset-transfer)
- [All BigchainDB Documentation](https://docs.bigchaindb.com/)
## Speed Optimizations
This implementation plays "safe" by using JS-native (or downgradable) libraries for its crypto-related functions to keep compatibilities with the browser. If you do want some more speed, feel free to explore the following:
* [chloride](https://github.com/dominictarr/chloride), or its underlying [sodium](https://github.com/paixaop/node-sodium) library
* [node-sha3](https://github.com/phusion/node-sha3) -- **MAKE SURE** to use [steakknife's fork](https://github.com/steakknife/node-sha3) if [the FIPS 202 upgrade](https://github.com/phusion/node-sha3/pull/25) hasn't been merged (otherwise, you'll run into all kinds of hashing problems)
## Authors
* inspired by [`js-bigchaindb-quickstart`](https://github.com/sohkai/js-bigchaindb-quickstart) of @sohkhai [thanks]
* BigchainDB
## License
```
Copyright 2017 BigchainDB GmbH
Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
You may obtain a copy of the License at
http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
limitations under the License.
```