js-bigchaindb-driver/docs/source

BigchainDB JavaScript Driver
============================

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Features
--------

* Support for preparing, fulfilling, and sending transactions to a BigchainDB
  node.
* Retrieval of transactions by id.
* Getting status of a transaction by id.

Compatibility Matrix
--------------------

+-----------------------+----------------------------------+
| **BigchainDB Server** | **BigchainDB Javascript Driver** |
+=======================+==================================+
| ``0.10``              | ``0.1.x``                        |
+-----------------------+----------------------------------+
| ``1.0``               | ``0.3.x``                        |
+-----------------------+----------------------------------+
| ``1.3``               | ``3.x.x``                        |
+-----------------------+----------------------------------+
| ``2.0``               | ``4.x.x``                        |
+-----------------------+----------------------------------+



Older versions
--------------------

As part of the changes in the BigchainDB 2.0 server, some endpoint were
modified. In order to be consistent with them, the JS driver does not have 
anymore the `pollStatusAndFetchTransaction()` method as there are three
different ways of posting a transaction.
- `async` using the `postTransaction`: the response will return immediately and not wait to see if the transaction is valid.
- `sync` using the `postTransactionSync`: the response will return after the transaction is validated.
- `commit` using the `postTransactionCommit`: the response will return after the transaction is committed to a block.

By default in the docs we will use the `postTransactionCommit` as is way of
being sure that the transaction is validated and commited to a block, so 
there will not be any issue if you try to transfer the asset immediately.


For versions below 3.2, a transfer transaction looked like:

.. code-block:: js

	const createTranfer = BigchainDB.Transaction.makeTransferTransaction(
	    txCreated,
	    metadata, [BigchainDB.Transaction.makeOutput(
	        BigchainDB.Transaction.makeEd25519Condition(alice.publicKey))],
	    0
	)

	const signedTransfer = BigchainDB.Transaction.signTransaction(createTranfer,
		keypair.privateKey)


In order to upgrade and do it compatible with the new driver version, this
transaction should be now:

.. code-block:: js

	const createTranfer = BigchainDB.Transaction.makeTransferTransaction(
		[{ tx: txCreated, output_index: 0 }],
		[BigchainDB.Transaction.makeOutput(
        BigchainDB.Transaction.makeEd25519Condition(alice.publicKey))],
		metaData
	)

	const signedTransfer = BigchainDB.Transaction.signTransaction(createTranfer,
		keypair.privateKey)


The upgrade allows to create transfer transaction spending outputs that belong
to different transactions. So for instance is now possible to create a transfer 
transaction spending two outputs from two different create transactions:


.. code-block:: js

	const createTranfer = BigchainDB.Transaction.makeTransferTransaction(
		[{ tx: txCreated1, output_index: 0 },
			{ tx: txCreated2, output_index: 0}],
		[BigchainDB.Transaction.makeOutput(
        BigchainDB.Transaction.makeEd25519Condition(alice.publicKey))],
		metaData
	)

	const signedTransfer = BigchainDB.Transaction.signTransaction(createTranfer,
		keypair.privateKey)