Gavin Andresen (OP)
Legendary
Offline
Activity: 1652
Merit: 2297
Chief Scientist
|
![](https://bitcointalk.org/Themes/custom1/images/post/xx.gif) |
August 13, 2010, 07:28:23 PM |
|
I'm proposing one small change to Bitcoin's JSON-RPC api: return a transaction ID when Bitcoins are successfully sent.
Why? Because I want to keep a complete audit trail for any coins going into or coming out of my application's wallet; I want to keep track of the particular transactions in the bitcoin network that correspond to actions my application takes. The alternative is to call sendtoaddress and then call listtransactions, but that won't work properly if two similar transactions (same amount to same address) occur at about the same time.
So I propose doing the simplest thing possible: modify the JSON-RPC sendtoaddress call so it returns the string 'sent:' followed by the 256-bit-hexadecimal transactions id.
This could break any applications that look for exactly the string 'sent' (which is what sendtoaddress does now). The fix would be to modify the apps to see if the string began with 'sent'.
Alternatives I thought about but think I don't like: + make it a new api call so old apps do not break (sendtoaddress2 ? yuck) + return just the transaction id on successful send instead of 'sent:...' + return an array with more information (maybe [ "tx_id": "...", "fee" : 0.0 ] )
Comments/criticisms?
|
How often do you get the chance to work on a potentially world-changing project?
|
|
|
jgarzik
Legendary
Offline
Activity: 1596
Merit: 1099
|
![](https://bitcointalk.org/Themes/custom1/images/post/xx.gif) |
August 13, 2010, 07:40:20 PM |
|
100% agreed with your suggestion, about the need for txn_id association.
However, it seems better to avoid API breakage, because this API is so heavily used. It is almost guaranteed that anyone automating bitcoins is using sendtoaddress.
Either create a "send2" RPC call, or add an "[extended-JSON=0]" parameter to the existing sendtoaddress RPC call, or something similar that preserves existing application data flows.
|
Jeff Garzik, Bloq CEO, former bitcoin core dev team; opinions are my own. Visit bloq.com / metronome.io Donations / tip jar: 1BrufViLKnSWtuWGkryPsKsxonV2NQ7Tcj
|
|
|
knightmb
|
![](https://bitcointalk.org/Themes/custom1/images/post/xx.gif) |
August 13, 2010, 07:41:14 PM |
|
Just add a flag (like true/false) to the function with the default "false" so it works with older uses of the function call.
Like
sendtoaddress <bitcoinaddress> <amount> [comment] [comment-to] [return transaction ID, default false]
So sendtoaddress 1FtDzyajiHKa9QbXiNxqztB 1.00 "Blah Comment" "Blah From" true returns sent XYZ....
But sendtoaddress 1FtDzyajiHKa9QbXiNxqztB 1.00 "Blah Comment" "Blah From" returns sent Also without having to break compatibility.
I think it would be a handy addition.
|
Timekoin - The World's Most Energy Efficient Encrypted Digital Currency
|
|
|
Gavin Andresen (OP)
Legendary
Offline
Activity: 1652
Merit: 2297
Chief Scientist
|
![](https://bitcointalk.org/Themes/custom1/images/post/xx.gif) |
August 13, 2010, 08:01:17 PM |
|
RE: adding a flag: great idea! If you set the flag, I don't see any reason to prepend 'sent' to the transaction ID; better to just return the transaction ID on successful send. Patches: diff --git a/rpc.cpp b/rpc.cpp index 920fe90..8714b7e 100644 --- a/rpc.cpp +++ b/rpc.cpp @@ -342,10 +342,11 @@ Value getaddressesbylabel(const Array& params, bool fHelp) Value sendtoaddress(const Array& params, bool fHelp) { - if (fHelp || params.size() < 2 || params.size() > 4) + if (fHelp || params.size() < 2 || params.size() > 5) throw runtime_error( - "sendtoaddress <bitcoinaddress> <amount> [comment] [comment-to]\n" - "<amount> is a real and is rounded to the nearest 0.01"); + "sendtoaddress <bitcoinaddress> <amount> [comment] [comment-to] [return-tx-id-flag]\n" + "<amount> is a real and is rounded to the nearest 0.01\n" + "returns string 'sent' if return-tx-id-flag is false (default), otherwise returns transaction id."); string strAddress = params[0].get_str(); @@ -361,9 +362,15 @@ Value sendtoaddress(const Array& params, bool fHelp) if (params.size() > 3 && params[3].type() != null_type && !params[3].get_str().empty()) wtx.mapValue["to"] = params[3].get_str(); + bool fReturnTxID = false; + if (params.size() > 4) + fReturnTxID = params[4].get_bool(); + string strError = SendMoneyToBitcoinAddress(strAddress, nAmount, wtx); if (strError != "") throw runtime_error(strError); + if (fReturnTxID) + return wtx.GetHash().ToString(); return "sent"; } @@ -1103,6 +1110,7 @@ int CommandLineRPC(int argc, char *argv[]) if (strMethod == "setgenerate" && n > 0) ConvertTo<bool>(params[0]); if (strMethod == "setgenerate" && n > 1) ConvertTo<boost::int64_t>(params[1]); if (strMethod == "sendtoaddress" && n > 1) ConvertTo<double>(params[1]); + if (strMethod == "sendtoaddress" && n > 4) ConvertTo<bool>(params[4]); if (strMethod == "listtransactions" && n > 0) ConvertTo<boost::int64_t>(params[0]); if (strMethod == "listtransactions" && n > 1) ConvertTo<bool>(params[1]); if (strMethod == "getamountreceived" && n > 1) ConvertTo<boost::int64_t>(params[1]); // deprecated
|
How often do you get the chance to work on a potentially world-changing project?
|
|
|
jgarzik
Legendary
Offline
Activity: 1596
Merit: 1099
|
![](https://bitcointalk.org/Themes/custom1/images/post/xx.gif) |
August 13, 2010, 08:13:30 PM |
|
What happens when we desire to return additional information, beyond tx-id?
For the sake of future compatibility, it seems like the flag should present a choice between returning (a) just the current 'sent', or (b) a JSON map containing tx-id, and perhaps other things.
|
Jeff Garzik, Bloq CEO, former bitcoin core dev team; opinions are my own. Visit bloq.com / metronome.io Donations / tip jar: 1BrufViLKnSWtuWGkryPsKsxonV2NQ7Tcj
|
|
|
Gavin Andresen (OP)
Legendary
Offline
Activity: 1652
Merit: 2297
Chief Scientist
|
![](https://bitcointalk.org/Themes/custom1/images/post/xx.gif) |
August 13, 2010, 08:26:06 PM |
|
What happens when we desire to return additional information, beyond tx-id?
For the sake of future compatibility, it seems like the flag should present a choice between returning (a) just the current 'sent', or (b) a JSON map containing tx-id, and perhaps other things.
A 'gettransaction tx_id' API call is on my short list. What do other folks think; should sendtoaddress .... true return just the tx_id, and you have to make another API call to get details if you need them? Or should it return an Array?
|
How often do you get the chance to work on a potentially world-changing project?
|
|
|
jgarzik
Legendary
Offline
Activity: 1596
Merit: 1099
|
![](https://bitcointalk.org/Themes/custom1/images/post/xx.gif) |
August 13, 2010, 11:01:14 PM |
|
Do you need 'gettransaction', given the existence of 'getblock'?
|
Jeff Garzik, Bloq CEO, former bitcoin core dev team; opinions are my own. Visit bloq.com / metronome.io Donations / tip jar: 1BrufViLKnSWtuWGkryPsKsxonV2NQ7Tcj
|
|
|
satoshi
Founder
Sr. Member
Offline
Activity: 364
Merit: 7060
|
![](https://bitcointalk.org/Themes/custom1/images/post/xx.gif) |
August 13, 2010, 11:39:14 PM |
|
It's too soon to start junking up the API for backward compatibility at all costs.
Just return "<txid>".
|
|
|
|
knightmb
|
![](https://bitcointalk.org/Themes/custom1/images/post/xx.gif) |
August 13, 2010, 11:40:37 PM |
|
What happens when we desire to return additional information, beyond tx-id?
For the sake of future compatibility, it seems like the flag should present a choice between returning (a) just the current 'sent', or (b) a JSON map containing tx-id, and perhaps other things.
A 'gettransaction tx_id' API call is on my short list. What do other folks think; should sendtoaddress .... true return just the tx_id, and you have to make another API call to get details if you need them? Or should it return an Array? Depends on how fancy you want to be. If you go beyond a boolean, you could just append flags for any reason or function needed. This would leave it open to more functions rather than stacking a ton of booleans on the function as it's usefulness grows. sendtoaddress <bitcoinaddress> <amount> [comment] [comment-to] -tx_id : returns the tx ID of the receiving bitcoin address -dance : returns dance high scores -moon : return current moon phase So one would simply put in sendtoaddress -tx-_id <bitcoinaddress> <amount> [comment] [comment-to] instead of sendtoaddress <bitcoinaddress> <amount> [comment] [comment-to] true false true true false if a lot of functions were added to it later.
|
Timekoin - The World's Most Energy Efficient Encrypted Digital Currency
|
|
|
Gavin Andresen (OP)
Legendary
Offline
Activity: 1652
Merit: 2297
Chief Scientist
|
![](https://bitcointalk.org/Themes/custom1/images/post/xx.gif) |
August 14, 2010, 01:46:17 PM |
|
It's too soon to start junking up the API for backward compatibility at all costs. Just return "<txid>".
You'll never hear me argue with "keep it simple." Patch for that is trivial: diff --git a/rpc.cpp b/rpc.cpp index 920fe90..35a336f 100644 --- a/rpc.cpp +++ b/rpc.cpp @@ -364,7 +364,7 @@ Value sendtoaddress(const Array& params, bool fHelp) string strError = SendMoneyToBitcoinAddress(strAddress, nAmount, wtx); if (strError != "") throw runtime_error(strError); - return "sent"; + return wtx.GetHash().ToString(); }
|
How often do you get the chance to work on a potentially world-changing project?
|
|
|
jgarzik
Legendary
Offline
Activity: 1596
Merit: 1099
|
![](https://bitcointalk.org/Themes/custom1/images/post/xx.gif) |
August 14, 2010, 06:11:20 PM |
|
I think it was implied to be
return "<" + wtx.GetHash().ToString() + ">";
?
|
Jeff Garzik, Bloq CEO, former bitcoin core dev team; opinions are my own. Visit bloq.com / metronome.io Donations / tip jar: 1BrufViLKnSWtuWGkryPsKsxonV2NQ7Tcj
|
|
|
Gavin Andresen (OP)
Legendary
Offline
Activity: 1652
Merit: 2297
Chief Scientist
|
![](https://bitcointalk.org/Themes/custom1/images/post/xx.gif) |
August 14, 2010, 11:57:01 PM |
|
Nah, satoshi uses <foo> to mean "replace this placeholder with the actual thingy."
It'd be annoying to constantly strip the < and > from the txid.
|
How often do you get the chance to work on a potentially world-changing project?
|
|
|
xane
Newbie
Offline
Activity: 51
Merit: 0
|
![](https://bitcointalk.org/Themes/custom1/images/post/xx.gif) |
July 15, 2011, 04:55:42 PM |
|
Was this ever done? Would be extremely useful to my application as well...
|
|
|
|
Gavin Andresen (OP)
Legendary
Offline
Activity: 1652
Merit: 2297
Chief Scientist
|
![](https://bitcointalk.org/Themes/custom1/images/post/xx.gif) |
July 15, 2011, 11:51:15 PM |
|
Yes, all of the send* methods return a transaction id on successful send.
|
How often do you get the chance to work on a potentially world-changing project?
|
|
|
|