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bas-vk edited this page Jun 13, 2017 · 90 revisions

JavaScript Runtime Environment

Ethereum implements a javascript runtime environment (JSRE) that can be used in either interactive (console) or non-interactive (script) mode.

Ethereum's Javascript console exposes the full web3 JavaScript Dapp API and the admin API.

Interactive use: the JSRE REPL Console

The ethereum CLI executable geth has a JavaScript console (a Read, Evaluate & Print Loop = REPL exposing the JSRE), which can be started with the console or attach subcommand. The console subcommands starts the geth node and then opens the console. The attach subcommand will not start the geth node but instead tries to open the console on a running geth instance.

$ geth console
$ geth attach

The attach node accepts an endpoint in case the geth node is running with a non default ipc endpoint or you would like to connect over the rpc interface.

$ geth attach ipc:/some/custom/path
$ geth attach http://191.168.1.1:8545
$ geth attach ws://191.168.1.1:8546

Note that by default the geth node doesn't start the http and weboscket service and not all functionality is provided over these interfaces due to security reasons. These defaults can be overridden when the --rpcapi and --wsapi arguments when the geth node is started, or with admin.startRPC and admin.startWS.

If you need log information, start with:

$ geth --verbosity 5 console 2>> /tmp/eth.log

Otherwise mute your logs, so that it does not pollute your console:

$ geth console 2>> /dev/null

or

$ geth --verbosity 0 console

Geth has support to load custom JavaScript files into the console through the --preload argument. This can be used to load often used functions, setup web3 contract objects, or ...

geth --preload "/my/scripts/folder/utils.js,/my/scripts/folder/contracts.js" console

Non-interactive use: JSRE script mode

It's also possible to execute files to the JavaScript interpreter. The console and attach subcommand accept the --exec argument which is a javascript statement.

$ geth --exec "eth.blockNumber" attach

This prints the current block number of a running geth instance.

Or execute a local script with more complex statements on a remote node over http:

$ geth --exec 'loadScript("/tmp/checkbalances.js")' attach http://123.123.123.123:8545
$ geth --jspath "/tmp" --exec 'loadScript("checkbalances.js")' attach http://123.123.123.123:8545

Find an example script here

Use the --jspath <path/to/my/js/root> to set a libdir for your js scripts. Parameters to loadScript() with no absolute path will be understood relative to this directory.

You can exit the console cleanly by typing exit or simply with CTRL-C.

Caveat

The go-ethereum JSRE uses the Otto JS VM which has some limitations:

  • "use strict" will parse, but does nothing.
  • The regular expression engine (re2/regexp) is not fully compatible with the ECMA5 specification.

Note that the other known limitation of Otto (namely the lack of timers) is taken care of. Ethereum JSRE implements both setTimeout and setInterval. In addition to this, the console provides admin.sleep(seconds) as well as a "blocktime sleep" method admin.sleepBlocks(number).

Since web3.js uses the bignumber.js library (MIT Expat Licence), it is also autoloded.

Timers

In addition to the full functionality of JS (as per ECMA5), the ethereum JSRE is augmented with various timers. It implements setInterval, clearInterval, setTimeout, clearTimeout you may be used to using in browser windows. It also provides implementation for admin.sleep(seconds) and a block based timer, admin.sleepBlocks(n) which sleeps till the number of new blocks added is equal to or greater than n, think "wait for n confirmations".

Management APIs

Beside the official DApp API interface the go ethereum node has support for additional management API's. These API's are offered using JSON-RPC and follow the same conventions as used in the DApp API. The go ethereum package comes with a console client which has support for all additional API's.

How to

It is possible to specify the set of API's which are offered over an interface with the --${interface}api command line argument for the go ethereum daemon. Where ${interface} can be rpc for the http interface or ipc for an unix socket on unix or named pipe on Windows.

For example, geth --ipcapi "admin,eth,miner" --rpcapi "eth,web3" will

  • enable the admin, official DApp and miner API over the IPC interface
  • enable the eth and web3 API over the RPC interface

Please note that offering an API over the rpc interface will give everyone access to the API who can access this interface (e.g. DApp's). So be careful which API's you enable. By default geth enables all API's over the ipc interface and only the eth,net and web3 API's over the rpc and ws interface.

To determine which API's an interface provides the modules transaction can be used, e.g. over an ipc interface on unix systems:

echo '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"rpc_modules","params":[],"id":1}' | socat -,ignoreeof  UNIX-CONNECT:$HOME/.ethereum/geth.ipc

will give all enabled modules including the version number:

{
  "id": 1,
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "result": {
    "admin": "1.0",
    "debug": "1.0",
    "eth": "1.0",
    "miner": "1.0",
    "net": "1.0",
    "personal": "1.0",
    "rpc": "1.0",
    "txpool": "1.0",
    "web3": "1.0"
  }
}

Integration

These additional API's follow the same conventions as the official DApp API. Web3 can be extended and used to consume these additional API's.

The different functions are split into multiple smaller logically grouped API's. Examples are given for the Javascript console but can easily be converted to a rpc request.

2 examples:

  • Console: miner.start()

  • IPC: echo '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"miner_start","params":[],"id":1}' | socat -,ignoreeof UNIX-CONNECT:$HOME/.ethereum/geth.ipc

  • RPC: curl -X POST --data '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"miner_start","params":[],"id":74}' localhost:8545

With the number of THREADS as an arguments:

  • Console: miner.start(4)

  • IPC: echo '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"miner_start","params":["0x04"],"id":1}' | socat -,ignoreeof UNIX-CONNECT:$HOME/.ethereum/geth.ipc

  • RPC: curl -X POST --data '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"miner_start","params":["0x04"],"id":74}' localhost:8545

Management API Reference

Personal

The personal api exposes method for personal the methods to manage, control or monitor your node. It allows for limited file system access.

personal.listAccounts

personal.listAccounts

List all accounts

Return

collection with accounts

Example

personal.listAccounts

personal.newAccount

personal.newAccount(passwd)

Create a new password protected account

Return

string address of the new account

Example

personal.newAccount("mypasswd")

personal.newAccount() # will prompt for the password

personal.unlockAccount

personal.unlockAccount(addr, passwd, duration)

Unlock the account with the given address, password and an optional duration (in seconds). If password is not given you will be prompted for it.

Return

boolean indication if the account was unlocked

Example

personal.unlockAccount(eth.coinbase, "mypasswd", 300)

TxPool

txpool.status

txpool.status

Number of pending/queued transactions

Return

pending all processable transactions

queued all non-processable transactions

Example

txpool.status

admin

The admin exposes the methods to manage, control or monitor your node. It allows for limited file system access.

admin.nodeInfo

admin.nodeInfo
Returns

information on the node.

Example
> admin.nodeInfo
{
   Name: 'Ethereum(G)/v0.9.36/darwin/go1.4.1',
   NodeUrl: 'enode://c32e13952965e5f7ebc85b02a2eb54b09d55f553161c6729695ea34482af933d0a4b035efb5600fc5c3ea9306724a8cbd83845bb8caaabe0b599fc444e36db7e@89.42.0.12:30303',
   NodeID: '0xc32e13952965e5f7ebc85b02a2eb54b09d55f553161c6729695ea34482af933d0a4b035efb5600fc5c3ea9306724a8cbd83845bb8caaabe0b599fc444e36db7e',
   IP: '89.42.0.12',
   DiscPort: 30303,
   TCPPort: 30303,
   Td: '0',
   ListenAddr: '[::]:30303'
}

To connect to a node, use the enode-format nodeUrl as an argument to addPeer or with CLI param bootnodes.

admin.addPeer

admin.addPeer(nodeURL)

Pass a nodeURL to connect a to a peer on the network. The nodeURL needs to be in enode URL format. geth will maintain the connection until it shuts down and attempt to reconnect if the connection drops intermittently.

You can find out your own node URL by using nodeInfo or looking at the logs when the node boots up e.g.:

[P2P Discovery] Listening, enode://6f8a80d14311c39f35f516fa664deaaaa13e85b2f7493f37f6144d86991ec012937307647bd3b9a82abe2974e1407241d54947bbb39763a4cac9f77166ad92a0@54.169.166.226:30303
Returns

true on success.

Example
> admin.addPeer('enode://6f8a80d14311c39f35f516fa664deaaaa13e85b2f7493f37f6144d86991ec012937307647bd3b9a82abe2974e1407241d54947bbb39763a4cac9f77166ad92a0@54.169.166.226:30303')

admin.peers

admin.peers
Returns

an array of objects with information about connected peers.

Example
> admin.peers
[ { ID: '0x6cdd090303f394a1cac34ecc9f7cda18127eafa2a3a06de39f6d920b0e583e062a7362097c7c65ee490a758b442acd5c80c6fce4b148c6a391e946b45131365b', Name: 'Ethereum(G)/v0.9.0/linux/go1.4.1', Caps: 'eth/56, shh/2', RemoteAddress: '54.169.166.226:30303', LocalAddress: '10.1.4.216:58888' } { ID: '0x4f06e802d994aaea9b9623308729cf7e4da61090ffb3615bc7124c5abbf46694c4334e304be4314392fafcee46779e506c6e00f2d31371498db35d28adf85f35', Name: 'Mist/v0.9.0/linux/go1.4.2', Caps: 'eth/58, shh/2', RemoteAddress: '37.142.103.9:30303', LocalAddress: '10.1.4.216:62393' } ]

admin.importChain

admin.importChain(file)

Imports the blockchain from a marshalled binary format. Note that the blockchain is reset (to genesis) before the imported blocks are inserted to the chain.

Returns

true on success, otherwise false.

Example
admin.importChain('path/to/file')
// true

admin.exportChain

admin.exportChain(file)

Exports the blockchain to the given file in binary format.

Returns

true on success, otherwise false.

Example
admin.exportChain('path/to/file')

admin.startRPC

 admin.startRPC(host, portNumber, corsheader, modules)

Starts the HTTP server for the JSON-RPC.

Returns

true on success, otherwise false.

Example
admin.startRPC("127.0.0.1", 8545, "*", "web3,net,eth")
// true

admin.stopRPC

admin.stopRPC()

Stops the HTTP server for the JSON-RPC.

Returns

true on success, otherwise false.

Example
admin.stopRPC()
// true

admin.startWS

 admin.startWS(host, portNumber, allowedOrigins, modules)

Starts the websocket server for the JSON-RPC.

Returns

true on success, otherwise false.

Example
admin.startWS("127.0.0.1", 8546, "*", "web3,net,eth")
// true

admin.stopWS

admin.stopWS()

Stops the websocket server for the JSON-RPC.

Returns

true on success, otherwise false.

Example
admin.stopWS()
// true

admin.sleep

admin.sleep(s)

Sleeps for s seconds.

admin.sleepBlocks

admin.sleepBlocks(n)

Sleeps for n blocks.

admin.datadir

admin.datadir

the directory this nodes stores its data

Returns

directory on success

Example
admin.datadir
'/Users/username/Library/Ethereum'

admin.setSolc

admin.setSolc(path2solc)

Set the solidity compiler

Returns

a string describing the compiler version when path was valid, otherwise an error

Example
admin.setSolc('/some/path/solc')
'solc v0.9.29
Solidity Compiler: /some/path/solc
'

admin.startNatSpec

 admin.startNatSpec()

activate NatSpec: when sending a transaction to a contract, Registry lookup and url fetching is used to retrieve authentic contract Info for it. It allows for prompting a user with authentic contract-specific confirmation messages.

admin.stopNatSpec

 admin.stopNatSpec()

deactivate NatSpec: when sending a transaction, the user will be prompted with a generic confirmation message, no contract info is fetched

admin.getContractInfo

 admin.getContractInfo(address)

this will retrieve the contract info json for a contract on the address

Returns

returns the contract info object

Examples
> info = admin.getContractInfo(contractaddress)
> source = info.source
> abi = info.abiDefinition

admin.saveInfo

admin.saveInfo(contract.info, filename);

will write contract info json into the target file, calculates its content hash. This content hash then can used to associate a public url with where the contract info is publicly available and verifiable. If you register the codehash (hash of the code of the contract on contractaddress).

Returns

contenthash on success, otherwise undefined.

Examples
source = "contract test {\n" +
"   /// @notice will multiply `a` by 7.\n" +
"   function multiply(uint a) returns(uint d) {\n" +
"      return a * 7;\n" +
"   }\n" +
"} ";
contract = eth.compile.solidity(source).test;
txhash = eth.sendTransaction({from: primary, data: contract.code });
// after it is uncluded
contractaddress = eth.getTransactionReceipt(txhash);
filename = "/tmp/info.json";
contenthash = admin.saveInfo(contract.info, filename);

admin.register

admin.register(address, contractaddress, contenthash);

will register content hash to the codehash (hash of the code of the contract on contractaddress). The register transaction is sent from the address in the first parameter. The transaction needs to be processed and confirmed on the canonical chain for the registration to take effect.

Returns

true on success, otherwise false.

Examples
source = "contract test {\n" +
"   /// @notice will multiply `a` by 7.\n" +
"   function multiply(uint a) returns(uint d) {\n" +
"      return a * 7;\n" +
"   }\n" +
"} ";
contract = eth.compile.solidity(source).test;
txhash = eth.sendTransaction({from: primary, data: contract.code });
// after it is uncluded
contractaddress = eth.getTransactionReceipt(txhash);
filename = "/tmp/info.json";
contenthash = admin.saveInfo(contract.info, filename);
admin.register(primary, contractaddress, contenthash);

admin.registerUrl

admin.registerUrl(address, codehash, contenthash);

this will register a contant hash to the contract' codehash. This will be used to locate contract info json files. Address in the first parameter will be used to send the transaction.

Returns

true on success, otherwise false.

Examples
source = "contract test {\n" +
"   /// @notice will multiply `a` by 7.\n" +
"   function multiply(uint a) returns(uint d) {\n" +
"      return a * 7;\n" +
"   }\n" +
"} ";
contract = eth.compile.solidity(source).test;
txhash = eth.sendTransaction({from: primary, data: contract.code });
// after it is uncluded
contractaddress = eth.getTransactionReceipt(txhash);
filename = "/tmp/info.json";
contenthash = admin.saveInfo(contract.info, filename);
admin.register(primary, contractaddress, contenthash);
admin.registerUrl(primary, contenthash, "file://"+filename);

Miner

miner.start

miner.start(threadCount)

Starts [mining](see https://github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/wiki/Mining) on with the given threadNumber of parallel threads. This is an optional argument.

Returns

true on success, otherwise false.

Example
miner.start()
// true

miner.stop

miner.stop()
Returns

true on success, otherwise false.

Example
miner.stop()
// true

miner.startAutoDAG

miner.startAutoDAG()

Starts automatic pregeneration of the ethash DAG. This process make sure that the DAG for the subsequent epoch is available allowing mining right after the new epoch starts. If this is used by most network nodes, then blocktimes are expected to be normal at epoch transition. Auto DAG is switched on automatically when mining is started and switched off when the miner stops.

Returns

true on success, otherwise false.

miner.stopAutoDAG

miner.stopAutoDAG()

Stops automatic pregeneration of the ethash DAG. Auto DAG is switched off automatically when mining is stops.

Returns

true on success, otherwise false.

miner.makeDAG

miner.makeDAG(blockNumber, dir)

Generates the DAG for epoch blockNumber/epochLength. dir specifies a target directory, If dir is the empty string, then ethash will use the default directories ~/.ethash on Linux and MacOS, and ~\AppData\Ethash on Windows. The DAG file's name is full-<revision-number>R-<seedhash>

Returns

true on success, otherwise false.

miner.setExtra

miner.setExtra("extra data")

Sets the extra data for the block when finding a block. Limited to 32 bytes.

miner.setGasPrice

miner.setGasPrice(gasPrice)

Sets the the gasprice for the miner

miner.setEtherbase

miner.setEtherbase(account)

Sets the the ether base, the address that will receive mining rewards.

Debug

debug.setHead

debug.setHead(blockNumber)

Sets the current head of the blockchain to the block referred to by blockNumber. See web3.eth.getBlock for more details on block fields and lookup by number or hash.

Returns

true on success, otherwise false.

Example
debug.setHead(eth.blockNumber-1000)

debug.seedHash

debug.seedHash(blockNumber)

Returns the hash for the epoch the given block is in.

Returns

hash in hex format

Example
> debug.seedHash(eth.blockNumber)
'0xf2e59013a0a379837166b59f871b20a8a0d101d1c355ea85d35329360e69c000'

debug.getBlockRlp

debug.getBlockRlp(blockNumber)

Returns the hexadecimal representation of the RLP encoding of the block. See web3.eth.getBlock for more details on block fields and lookup by number or hash.

Returns

The hex representation of the RLP encoding of the block.

Example
> debug.getBlockRlp(131805)    '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'

debug.printBlock

debug.printBlock(blockNumber)

Prints information about the block such as size, total difficulty, as well as header fields properly formatted.

See web3.eth.getBlock for more details on block fields and lookup by number or hash.

Returns

formatted string representation of the block

Example
> debug.printBlock(131805)
BLOCK(be465b020fdbedc4063756f0912b5a89bbb4735bd1d1df84363e05ade0195cb1): Size: 531.00 B TD: 643485290485 {
NoNonce: ee48752c3a0bfe3d85339451a5f3f411c21c8170353e450985e1faab0a9ac4cc
Header:
[

        ParentHash:         ea4dcb53fe575e23742aa30266722a15429b7ba3d33ba8c87012881d7a77e81e
        UncleHash:          1dcc4de8dec75d7aab85b567b6ccd41ad312451b948a7413f0a142fd40d49347
        Coinbase:           a4d8e9cae4d04b093aac82e6cd355b6b963fb7ff
        Root:               1f892bfd6f8fb2ec69f30c8799e371c24ebc5a9d55558640de1fb7ca8787d26d
        TxSha               56e81f171bcc55a6ff8345e692c0f86e5b48e01b996cadc001622fb5e363b421
        ReceiptSha:         56e81f171bcc55a6ff8345e692c0f86e5b48e01b996cadc001622fb5e363b421
        Bloom:              00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
        Difficulty:         12292710
        Number:             131805
        GasLimit:           3141592
        GasUsed:            0
        Time:               1429487725
        Extra:              ΞTHΞЯSPHΞЯΞ
        MixDigest:          4cf6d2c4022dfab72af44e9a58d7ac9f7238ffce31d4da72ed6ec9eda60e1850
        Nonce:              3f9e9ce6a261381c
]
Transactions:
[]
Uncles:
[]
}

debug.dumpBlock

debug.dumpBlock(blockNumber)
Returns

the raw dump of a block referred to by block number or block hash or undefined if the block is not found. see web3.eth.getBlock for more details on block fields and lookup by number or hash.

Example
> debug.dumpBlock(eth.blockNumber)

debug.metrics

debug.metrics(raw)
Returns

Collection of metrics, see for more information this wiki page.

Example
> metrics(true)

loadScript

 loadScript('/path/to/myfile.js');

Loads a JavaScript file and executes it. Relative paths are interpreted as relative to jspath which is specified as a command line flag, see Command Line Options.

setInterval

setInterval(s, func() {})

clearInterval

setTimeout

clearTimeout

web3

The web3 exposes all methods of the JavaScript API.

net

The net is a shortcut for web3.net.

eth

The eth is a shortcut for web3.eth. In addition to the web3 and eth interfaces exposed by web3.js a few additional calls are exposed.

eth.sign

eth.sign(signer, data)

eth.pendingTransactions

eth.pendingTransactions

Returns pending transactions that belong to one of the users eth.accounts.

eth.resend

eth.resend(tx, <optional gas price>, <optional gas limit>)

Resends the given transaction returned by pendingTransactions() and allows you to overwrite the gas price and gas limit of the transaction.

Example
eth.sendTransaction({from: eth.accounts[0], to: "...", gasPrice: "1000"})
var tx = eth.pendingTransactions[0]
eth.resend(tx, web3.toWei(10, "szabo"))

shh

The shh is a shortcut for web3.shh.

inspect

The inspect method pretty prints the given value (supports colours)

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