Request for Standardization

[ThePiachu]

A very interesting topic to follow.

@Forp:

I am looking forward to seeing the translated version.

@Gavin Andresen

I've been making slow but steady progress on my at-the-network-level testing tool. [...]

What's working:  python-based code that serializes/deserializes messages in both bitcoin's binary format (to talk to the node being tested) and JSON (so it is easy for us humans to tweak/examine test data). Connecting and requesting all blocks.

Where can I get my hands on that? I was looking for something like this for a long while.

[1713885376]

1713885376

[1713885376]

1713885376

[1713885376]

1713885376

[1713885376]

1713885376

[1713885376]

1713885376

[1713885376]

1713885376

[Gavin Andresen]

@Gavin Andresen

I've been making slow but steady progress on my at-the-network-level testing tool. [...]

What's working:  python-based code that serializes/deserializes messages in both bitcoin's binary format (to talk to the node being tested) and JSON (so it is easy for us humans to tweak/examine test data). Connecting and requesting all blocks.

Where can I get my hands on that? I was looking for something like this for a long while.

https://github.com/gavinandresen/Bitcoin-protocol-test-harness
Start with dumpblocks.py

[Vandroiy]

I agree fully that C++ is not a suitable language to maintain the main BTC client in. Yes, I was doing C++ programming in the past, and I see there is some kind of "coolness" in being the "advanced" hacker who juggles in the subtleties of template programming or the insanity of pointer magic, implicit type casts and the likes.

But this is totally out of place for Bitcoin. Aspect-oriented programming is the way to go here. We need contracts, and anything else that improves security and makes outcomes crystal-clear. This is not some toy project where one can just fix a bug after it became apparent, and the "security" offered in C++ is beyond outdated. Most people have probably never seen a competition on harmless-looking backdoor programming. It's just marvelous what possibilities C alone offers in terms of "oops, this pointer is going somewhere else now". Attacks on Bitcoin will be a whole different level than what anyone has faced in the past.

That said, it is a very good thing to have multiple clients. If one gets wiped out, then maybe Bitcoin survives if enough others remain (or were offline at the point of the attack).

[2112]

But this is totally out of place for Bitcoin. Aspect-oriented programming is the way to go here.

Yeah, totally out of place. What Bitcoin needs is nothing less than silver-bullet-oriented programming. I mean what is the better proven stable store of value: the silver quarter minted in 1960 still buys you a gallon of gasoline. And silver is the best conductor of electricity thus assuring the success in the modern world of fast-paced e-commerce.

But seriously: CS curricula everywhere need to be extended to include mandatory satire-writing classes. It is just a requirement for a well-rounded education in computer science.

[ThePiachu]

If you have a group of devoted people that choose to maintain the code in a given language, it doesn't really matter what the language is. End-user cares only if the program is easy to install, does what it needs to and if it efficient at it (all are yes for the main client). Developers need a language that they are comfortable using, and is suitable for the job (has the right libraries, can be altered quickly in case of a bug, etc).

It is nice to see different versions of Bitcoin being written in different languages by different people, as it gives every programmer who wishes to understand the nitty-gritty details different reference material they can use, and some readily available code they can use to alter the behaviour of the client to their needs in the programming language they understand.