Re: [bitcoin-dev] RFC - BIP: URI scheme for Blockchain exploration

From: Matt Whitlock <bip@mattwhitlock•name>
To: bitcoin-dev@lists•linuxfoundation.org, Btc Drak <btcdrak@gmail•com>
Subject: Re: [bitcoin-dev] RFC - BIP: URI scheme for Blockchain exploration
Date: Sat, 29 Aug 2015 15:01:23 -0400	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <2509151.XgrrNGsCxR@crushinator> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <CADJgMztaJHDrz0+7KLouwZMCz--Za6-2pitmjjYVHG+nJjrG=Q@mail.gmail.com>

That's still not right, since "mainnet" and "testnet" are not host names.

You'd have to do something like:

blockchain:?network=testnet&txid=3b95a766d7a99b87188d6875c8484cb2b310b78459b7816d4dfc3f0f7e04281a

On Saturday, 29 August 2015, at 7:58 pm, Btc Drak via bitcoin-dev wrote:
> What about supporting different networks? What if I want to look up
> testnet for example?
> 
> blockchain://mainnet/txid/3b95a766d7a99b87188d6875c8484cb2b310b78459b7816d4dfc3f0f7e04281a
> blockchain://testnet/txid/3b95a766d7a99b87188d6875c8484cb2b310b78459b7816d4dfc3f0f7e04281a
> 
> or
> 
> blockchain://txid/3b95a766d7a99b87188d6875c8484cb2b310b78459b7816d4dfc3f0f7e04281a
> blockchain://txid/3b95a766d7a99b87188d6875c8484cb2b310b78459b7816d4dfc3f0f7e04281a?network=testnet
> 
> On Sat, Aug 29, 2015 at 5:31 PM, Richard Moore via bitcoin-dev
> <bitcoin-dev@lists•linuxfoundation.org> wrote:
> > I like the idea of having a standard for this, that all explorers (and even
> > core, eventually) would understand.
> >
> > I would recommend 2 changes though. First, using a real URI scheme,
> > blockchain:// so that we can just use normal URL parsing libraries. The
> > bitcoin: thing leads to additional code to mutate it into a proper URI
> > before passing it to URL parsing. And I think it would be fine to include
> > the type looking up. For example:
> >
> > blockchain://blockhash/00000000000000001003e880d500968d51157f210c632e08a652af3576600198
> > blockchain://txid/3b95a766d7a99b87188d6875c8484cb2b310b78459b7816d4dfc3f0f7e04281a
> > blockchain://block/189000
> > blockchain://address/1RicMooMWxqKczuRCa5D2dnJaUEn9ZJyn
> >
> > I think this would help the URI be more human understandable as well as give
> > the explorers the ability to optimize a bit what they are looking for when
> > hitting various databases.
> >
> > A possible future path could also include blockchain://tx/123000/4 for block
> > height, tx index... Another possibility could be blockchain://version which
> > would return a list of supported paths, version of the BIP supported, etc.
> >
> > The BIP should also specify little endian searching. I'm not sure, but would
> > it also make sense for this BIP to include what the return results should
> > look like? Maybe another, related BIP.
> >
> > RicMoo
> >
> > Sent from my self-aware iPhone
> >
> > .·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸><(((º>
> >
> > Richard Moore ~ Founder
> > Genetic Mistakes Software Inc.
> > phone: (778) 882-6125
> > email: ricmoo@geneticmistakes•com
> > www: http://GeneticMistakes.com
> >
> > On Aug 29, 2015, at 7:48 AM, Marco Pontello via bitcoin-dev
> > <bitcoin-dev@lists•linuxfoundation.org> wrote:
> >
> > Hi!
> > My first post here, hope I'm following the right conventions.
> > I had this humble idea for a while, so I thought to go ahead and propose
> > it.
> >
> > BIP: XX
> > Title: URI scheme for Blockchain exploration
> > Author: Marco Pontello
> > Status: Draft
> > Type: Standards Track
> > Created: 29 August 2015
> >
> > Abstract
> > ========
> > This BIP propose a simple URI scheme for looking up blocks, transactions,
> > addresses on a Blockchain explorer.
> >
> > 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 point to an arbitrary blockchain
> > explorer when the user look for the details of a transaction (es. Bitcoin
> > Wallet use BitEasy, Mycelium or Electrum use Blockchain.info, etc.).
> > Other times resorting to cut&paste is needed.
> > 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 simple form:
> >
> > blockchain: <hash/string>
> >
> > Examples:
> >
> > blockchain:00000000000000001003e880d500968d51157f210c632e08a652af3576600198
> > blockchain:001949
> > blockchain:3b95a766d7a99b87188d6875c8484cb2b310b78459b7816d4dfc3f0f7e04281a
> >
> > Rationale
> > =========
> > I thought about using some more complex scheme, or adding qualifiers to
> > distinguish blocks from txs, but in the end I think that keeping it simple
> > should be practical enough. Blockchain explorers can apply the same
> > disambiguation rules they are already using to process the usual search
> > box.
> >
> > From the point of view of a wallet developer (or other tool that need to
> > show any kind of Blockchain references), using this scheme mean that he
> > can simply make it a blockchain: link and be done with it, 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, the first time the user visit their website, or launch/install the
> > application, or even set themselves if there isn't already one.
> >
> > Users get the convenience of using always their preferred explorer, which
> > can be especially handy on mobile devices, where juggling with cut&paste
> > is far from ideal.
> >
> >
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> >
> >
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