@ethersproject/abstract-provider

What is @ethersproject/abstract-provider?

@ethersproject/abstract-provider is a part of the ethers.js library, which provides a collection of utilities for interacting with the Ethereum blockchain. This specific package defines the abstract interface for a provider, which is responsible for communicating with the Ethereum network. It includes methods for querying the blockchain, sending transactions, and listening for events.

What are @ethersproject/abstract-provider's main functionalities?

Querying the Blockchain

This feature allows you to query the current block number from the Ethereum blockchain using a JSON-RPC provider.

const { JsonRpcProvider } = require('@ethersproject/providers');
const provider = new JsonRpcProvider('https://mainnet.infura.io/v3/YOUR_INFURA_PROJECT_ID');

async function getBlockNumber() {
  const blockNumber = await provider.getBlockNumber();
  console.log('Current block number:', blockNumber);
}

getBlockNumber();

Sending Transactions

This feature demonstrates how to send a transaction on the Ethereum network using a wallet connected to a provider.

const { JsonRpcProvider } = require('@ethersproject/providers');
const { Wallet } = require('@ethersproject/wallet');

const provider = new JsonRpcProvider('https://mainnet.infura.io/v3/YOUR_INFURA_PROJECT_ID');
const wallet = new Wallet('YOUR_PRIVATE_KEY', provider);

async function sendTransaction() {
  const tx = {
    to: '0xRecipientAddress',
    value: ethers.utils.parseEther('0.01')
  };
  const transactionResponse = await wallet.sendTransaction(tx);
  console.log('Transaction hash:', transactionResponse.hash);
}

sendTransaction();

Listening for Events

This feature shows how to listen for new blocks being mined on the Ethereum blockchain.

const { JsonRpcProvider } = require('@ethersproject/providers');
const provider = new JsonRpcProvider('https://mainnet.infura.io/v3/YOUR_INFURA_PROJECT_ID');

provider.on('block', (blockNumber) => {
  console.log('New block mined:', blockNumber);
});

Other packages similar to @ethersproject/abstract-provider

web3

web3.js is a popular library for interacting with the Ethereum blockchain. It provides similar functionalities to @ethersproject/abstract-provider, such as querying the blockchain, sending transactions, and listening for events. However, web3.js has a larger footprint and can be more complex to use compared to ethers.js.

ethjs

ethjs is a lightweight JavaScript library for interacting with the Ethereum blockchain. It provides similar functionalities to @ethersproject/abstract-provider but is designed to be minimalistic and easy to use. It is a good alternative for developers looking for a smaller library.

README

Abstract Provider

This sub-module is part of the ethers project.

It is responsible for defining the common interface for a Provider, which in ethers differs quite substantially from Web3.js.

A Provider is an abstraction of non-account-based operations on a blockchain and is generally not directly involved in signing transaction or data.

For signing, see the Abstract Signer or Wallet sub-modules.

For more information, see the documentation.

Importing

Most users will prefer to use the umbrella package, but for those with more specific needs, individual components can be imported.

const {

    Provider,

    ForkEvent,
    BlockForkEvent,
    TransactionForkEvent,
    TransactionOrderForkEvent,

    // Types
    BlockTag,

    Block,
    BlockWithTransactions,

    TransactionRequest,
    TransactionResponse,
    TransactionReceipt,

    Log,
    EventFilter,

    Filter,
    FilterByBlockHash,

    EventType,
    Listener

} = require("@ethersproject/abstract-provider");

License

MIT License