Building a Stateless VIDA

Stateless VIDAs are lightweight, fast, and simple applications that do not require validating or maintaining historical data or consistent state across its execution instances. They are ideal for non-critical use cases such as chat rooms, simple games, or other applications where speed and ease of development are prioritized over strict consistency.

Steps to Build a Stateless VIDA

1. Select an ID for Your VIDA

Every VIDA requires a unique identifier, which is an 8-byte variable. This ID ensures the PWR Chain knows which transactions belong to your application.

Why 8 bytes? It minimizes storage requirements while allowing for 18 quintillion unique IDs.

//generate a random long value
long vidaId = new SecureRandom().nextLong();
System.out.println(vidaId);
        
//Save the vidaId

package main

import (
    "crypto/rand"
    "encoding/binary"
    "fmt"
)

func main() {
    var vedaId int64
    err := binary.Read(rand.Reader, binary.LittleEndian, &vedaId)
    if err != nil {
	fmt.Println("Error generating random number:", err)
	return
    }

    fmt.Println(vedaId)
}

2. Import the PWR SDK

The PWR SDK is your toolkit for interacting with the PWR Chain. It allows you to create wallets, send transactions, and read data from the blockchain.

<repositories>
    <repository>
        <id>jitpack.io</id>
        <url>https://jitpack.io</url>
    </repository>
</repositories>

<dependencies>
    <dependency>
        <groupId>com.github.pwrlabs</groupId>
        <artifactId>pwrj</artifactId>
        <version>11.4.1</version>
    </dependency>
</dependencies>

Make sure to use the latest version. Check https://github.com/pwrlabs/pwrj for the latest release

import com.github.pwrlabs.pwrj.protocol.PWRJ;

dependencyResolutionManagement {
	repositoriesMode.set(RepositoriesMode.FAIL_ON_PROJECT_REPOS)
	repositories {
		mavenCentral()
		maven { url 'https://jitpack.io' }
	}
}

dependencies {
	implementation 'com.github.pwrlabs:pwrj:8.7.0'
}

Make sure to use the latest version. Check https://github.com/pwrlabs/pwrj for the latest release

import com.github.pwrlabs.pwrj.protocol.PWRJ;

3. Initializing PWR with an RPC Endpoint

To interact with the PWR Chain, initialize a PWR object (e.g., PWRJ for Java, PWRPY for Python). This object serves as your gateway to the blockchain.

What is an RPC Node?

An RPC (Remote Procedure Call) node processes blockchain requests, such as transactions and data queries. You can use a public node (e.g., https://pwrrpc.pwrlabs.io) or run your own for better control and security.

PWRJ pwrj = new PWRJ("https://pwrrpc.pwrlabs.io");

This setup enables seamless interaction with the PWR Chain for your VIDA.

4. Create and Fund a Wallet

A wallet is essential for signing transactions and paying minimal fees on the PWR Chain.

Steps:
1. Create a new wallet or load an existing one.
2. Save the wallet securely in an encrypted file.
3. Fund it using the PWR Chain faucet (for test coins). You can check your PWR coins balance on the PWR Chain Explorer by putting your address in the search bar.

    private static PWRFalconWallet createWallet(PWRJ pwrj, String password) {
        try {
            //Try to load an existing wallet
            PWRFalconWallet wallet = PWRFalconWallet.loadWallet(pwrj, "wallet", password);
            
            // If the wallet is null, it means it was not found or could not be loaded
            // Create new wallet
            if(wallet == null) {
                wallet = new PWRFalconWallet(12, pwrj);
                wallet.storeWallet("wallet", password);
            }
            
            return wallet;
        } catch (Exception e) {
            System.err.println("Failed to create or load wallet: " + e.getMessage());
            e.printStackTrace();
            return null;
        }
    }

const { PWRWallet, PWRJS} = require('@pwrjs/core');

const pwrjs = new PWRJS("https://pwrrpc.pwrlabs.io/");

// generate and save wallet
const wallet = new PWRWallet();
console.log("Address: " + wallet.getAddress());
wallet.storeWallet("wallet.dat", "password");

//load wallet
const loadedWallet = PWRWallet.loadWallet("wallet.dat", "password", pwrjs);
console.log("Address: " + loadedWallet.getAddress());

from pwrpy.pwrwallet import PWRWallet

# generate and save wallet
wallet = PWRWallet()
print(f"Address: {wallet.get_address()}")
PWRWallet(private_key).store_wallet("wallet.dat", "password")

# load wallet
loaded_wallet = PWRWallet.load_wallet("wallet.dat", "password")
print(f"Address: {loaded_wallet.get_address()}")

use pwr_rs::Wallet;

fn main() {
    // generate and save wallet
    let wallet = Wallet::random();
    println!("Address: {:?}", wallet.get_address());
    wallet.store_wallet("wallet.dat", "password")
        .expect("Failed to store wallet");

    // load wallet
    let loaded_wallet = Wallet::load_wallet("wallet.dat", "password")
        .expect("Failed to load wallet");
    println!("Address: {:?}", loaded_wallet.get_address());
}

import (
    "fmt"
    "github.com/pwrlabs/pwrgo/wallet"
)

func main() {
    // generate and save wallet
    var new_wallet = wallet.NewWallet()
    fmt.Printf("Address: %s\n", new_wallet.GetAddress())
    new_wallet.StoreWallet("wallet.dat", "password")

    // load wallet
    var loaded_wallet, _ = wallet.LoadWallet("wallet.dat", "password")
    fmt.Printf("Address: %s\n", loaded_wallet.GetAddress())
}

5. Define Transaction Data Structure

While PWR Chain stores all transaction data as raw byte arrays, VIDAs can encode this data into structured formats like JSON. Defining a schema for your transactions ensures consistency, simplifies development, and enables collaboration across teams.

Why Define a Schema?

Consistency: Ensures all transactions follow a predictable format.
Documentation: Serves as a reference for developers interacting with your VIDA.
Validation: Helps catch malformed data early.

Example:

[
    {
        "action": "send-message-v1",
        "message": "Hello World!"
    },
    
    {
        "action": "add-reaction-v1",
        "message-hash": "0x54ef...",
        "reaction": "thumbs-up"
    }
]

6. Send Data to PWR Chain

After defining your transaction's data structure, you can start sending transactions to PWR Chain. Submit transactions to the PWR Chain to record user actions or data.

//Write transaction data
JSONObject jsonObject = new JSONObject();
jsonObject.put("action", "send-message-v1");
jsonObject.put("message", "Hello World!");
byte[] data = jsonObject.toString().getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8);

//Send transaction
Response response = wallet.sendVmDataTransaction(vidaId, data, loadedWallet.getNonce());
if(response.isSuccess()) {
    System.out.println("Transaction sent successfully!");
    System.out.println("Transaction hash: " + response.getTransactionHash());
}
else System.out.println("Transaction failed: " + response.getError());

// Write transaction data
const obj = {
    action: 'send-message-v1',
    message: 'Hello World!',
};

const data = new TextEncoder().encode(obj);

//Send transaction
const response = wallet.sendVMDataTxn(vidaId, data);

if(response.sucuccess) {
    console.log("Transaction sent successfully!");
    console.log("Transaction hash: " + response.transactionHash);
}
else console.log("Transaction failed: " + response.message);

# Write transaction data
json_object = {
    "action": "send-message-v1",
    "message": "Hello World!"
}
data = json.dumps(json_object).encode("utf-8")

# Send transaction
response = wallet.send_vm_data_transaction(vidaId, data)
if response.success:
    print("Transaction sent successfully!")
    print(f"Transaction hash: 0x{response.data.hex()}")
else:
    print(f"Transaction failed: {response.message}")

// Write transaction data
let json_object = json!({
    "action": "send-message-v1",
    "message": "Hello World!"
});
let data: Vec<u8> = serde_json::to_string(&json_object).unwrap().into_bytes();

// Send transaction
let response_tx = wallet.send_vm_data(vidaId, data).await;
if response_tx.success {
    println!("Transaction sent successfully!");
    println!("Transaction hash: {:?}", response_tx.data.unwrap());
} else {
    println!("Transaction failed: {:?}", response_tx.message);
}

// Write transaction data
jsonObject := map[string]string{
    "action":  "send-message-v1",
    "message": "Hello World!",
}
data, _ := json.Marshal(jsonObject)

// Send transaction
response := wallet.SendVMData(vidaId, data)
if response.Success {
   fmt.Println("Transaction sent successfully!")
   fmt.Printf("Transaction hash: %s\n", response.TxHash)
} else {
   fmt.Printf("Transaction failed: %s\n", response.Error)
}

7. Read Data from PWR Chain & Handle it.

The PWR SDK provides functions to easily read and handle data from PWR Chain.

PWRJ pwrj = new PWRJ("https://pwrrpc.pwrlabs.io/");

long vidaId = 1; // Replace with your VIDA's ID  

/*Since our VIDA is global chat room and we don't care about historical messages,
we will start reading transactions startng from the latest PWR Chain block*/
long startingBlock = pwrj.getBlockNumber();

VidaTransactionSubscription vidaTransactionSubscription = pwrj.subscribeToVidaTransactions(pwrj, vidaId, startingBlock, (transaction) -> {
    VmDataTransaction vmDataTransaction = transaction;

    //Get the address of the transaction sender
    String sender = vmDataTransaction.getSender();

    //Get the data sent in the transaction (In Hex Format)
    String data = vmDataTransaction.getData();

    try {
        //Decode the data from Hex to byte array
        if (data.startsWith("0x")) data = data.substring(2);
        byte[] dataBytes = Hex.decode(data);

        //Convert the byte array to a JSON Object
        JSONObject jsonObject = new JSONObject(new String(dataBytes));
        String action = jsonObject.optString("action", "no-action");

        //Check the action and execute the necessary code
        if (action.equalsIgnoreCase("send-message-v1")) {
            String message = jsonObject.getString("message");
            System.out.println("Message from " + sender + ": " + message);
        } else {
            //ignore
        }
    } catch (Exception e) {
        e.printStackTrace();

        //This most likely indicates Malformed data from the sender
    }
});

//To pause, resume, and stop the subscription
vidaTransactionSubscription.pause();
vidaTransactionSubscription.resume();
vidaTransactionSubscription.stop();
vidaTransactionSubscription.start();

//To get the block number of the latest checked PWR Chain block
vidaTransactionSubscription.getLatestCheckedBlock();

const pwrj = new PWRJS("https://pwrrpc.pwrlabs.io/");

const vidaId = 1n; // Replace with your VIDA's ID

// Since our VIDA is global chat room and we don't care about historical messages, we will start reading transactions startng from the latest PWR Chain block/ long startingBlock = pwrj.getBlockNumber();
function handler(transaction: VmDataTransaction){
    
    //Get the address of the transaction sender
    const sender = VmDataTransaction.sender;
    
    //Get the data sent in the transaction (In Hex Format)
    let data = VmDataTransaction.data;
    
    try {
    
      // convert data string to bytes 
      if (data.startsWith("0x")) data = data.substring(2);
      const bytes = hexToBytes(data);
      const dataStr = new TextDecoder().decode(bytes);
      const dataJson = JSON.parse(dataStr);
      
      //Check the action and execute the necessary cod
      if (dataJson.action === "send-message-v1") {
          const message = data.message;
          console.log("Message from " + sender + ": " + message);
      }
    } catch (e) {
        console.error(e)
    }
}


const subscription = pwrjs.subscribeToVidaTransactions(
    pwrjs, 
    vidaId, 
    startingBlock, 
    {handler}
);
//To pause, resume, and stop the subscription vidaTransactionSubscription.pause(); vidaTransactionSubscription.resume(); vidaTransactionSubscription.stop(); vidaTransactionSubscription.start();
//To get the block number of the latest checked PWR Chain block vidaTransactionSubscription.getLatestCheckedBlock();

from pwrpy.pwrsdk import PWRPY
from pwrpy.models.Transaction import VmDataTransaction
import json
import time

rpc = PWRPY()
vida_id = 1

# Since our VIDA is global chat room and we don't care about historical messages,
# we will start reading transactions startng from the latest PWR Chain block
starting_block = rpc.get_latest_block_number()

def handle_transaction(txn: VmDataTransaction):
    try:
        sender = txn.sender
        data_hex = txn.data
        data_bytes = bytes.fromhex(data_hex[2:])
        obj = json.loads(data_bytes.decode('utf-8'))

        if obj["action"] == "send-message-v1":
            print(f"Message from {sender}: {obj['message']}")

    except Exception as e:
        print(f"Error processing transaction: {e}")

rpc.subscribe_to_vida_transactions(vida_id, starting_block, handler=handle_transaction)

while True:
    time.sleep(1)

use pwr_rs::{
    RPC,
    transaction::types::VMDataTransaction,
    rpc::tx_subscription::VidaTransactionHandler
};
use std::sync::Arc;
use serde_json::Value;

#[tokio::main]
async fn main() {
    let rpc = Arc::new(RPC::new("https://pwrrpc.pwrlabs.io/").await.unwrap());

    let vida_id = 1;
    let starting_block = rpc.get_latest_block_number().await.unwrap();

    struct Handler(Box<dyn Fn(VMDataTransaction) + Send + Sync>);
    impl VidaTransactionHandler for Handler {
        fn process_vida_transactions(&self, tx: VMDataTransaction) {
            (self.0)(tx)
        }
    }

    let handler = Arc::new(Handler(Box::new(|txn: VMDataTransaction| {
        let sender = txn.sender;
        let data = txn.data;
        let data_str = String::from_utf8(data).unwrap();
        let object: Value = serde_json::from_str(&data_str).unwrap();
        let obj_map = object.as_object().unwrap();

        if obj_map.get("action").and_then(|val| val.as_str()) == Some("send-message-v1")
        {
            if let Some(message_str) = obj_map
                .get("message")
                .and_then(|val| val.as_str())
            {
                println!("Message from {}: {}", sender, message_str);
            }
        }
    })));

    rpc.subscribe_to_vida_transactions(vida_id, starting_block, handler, None);

    loop {
        tokio::time::sleep(std::time::Duration::from_millis(1)).await;
    }
}

import (
    "fmt"
    "encoding/json"
    "encoding/hex"

    "github.com/pwrlabs/pwrgo/rpc"
)

type MyHandler struct{}

func (h *MyHandler) ProcessVidaTransactions(tx rpc.VMDataTransaction) {
    sender := tx.Sender
    data := tx.Data
    
    dataBytes, _ := hex.DecodeString(data[2:])
    var obj map[string]interface{}

    if err := json.Unmarshal(dataBytes, &obj); err != nil {
        fmt.Println("Error parsing JSON:", err)
    }

    if action, _ := obj["action"].(string); action == "send-message-v1" {
        message, _ := obj["message"].(string)
        fmt.Printf("Message from %s: %s\n", sender, message)
    }
}

func main() {
    vidaId := 1
    startingBlock := rpc.GetLatestBlockNumber()

    handler := &MyHandler{}

    rpc.SubscribeToVidaTransactions(
        vidaId,
        startingBlock,
        handler,
    )

    select {}
}

8. Make Your App Public

Once your VIDA is ready, share it with others by publishing it:

Option 1: Open-source your code on GitHub with clear instructions.
Option 2: Publish it on the PWR Chain registry for decentralized discovery. (Coming Soon)

Key Considerations for Stateless VIDAs

No State Management: Stateless VIDAs do not track or validate past transactions, making them fast but unsuitable for critical use cases.
Ideal Use Cases: Applications prioritizing speed and simplicity over consistency (e.g., chat apps, simple games).

By following these steps, you can build a lightweight and efficient Stateless VIDA that leverages the power of PWR Chain while keeping development simple!

PreviousStateless vs. Stateful VIDAs NextBuilding a Stateful VIDA

Last updated 10 months ago

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hashtagSteps to Build a Stateless VIDA

hashtag1. Select an ID for Your VIDA

hashtag2. Import the PWR SDK

hashtag3. Initializing PWR with an RPC Endpoint

hashtag4. Create and Fund a Wallet

hashtag5. Define Transaction Data Structure

hashtagWhy Define a Schema?

hashtag6. Send Data to PWR Chain

hashtag7. Read Data from PWR Chain & Handle it.

hashtag8. Make Your App Public

hashtagKey Considerations for Stateless VIDAs