Create a cabal p2p database using storage storage, which must be either a string (filepath to directory on disk) or an instance of random-access-storage.

uriString is a cabal URI string, of the form cabal://<hexkey>[?param1=value1&param2=value2. A hexidecimal key on its own will also be understood.

If this is a new cabal, key can be omitted and will be generated.

You can pass opts.db as a levelup or leveldown instance to use persistent storage for indexing instead of using memory. For example:

var level = require('level')
var cabal = Cabal(storage, key, { db: level('/tmp/bot.db') })

cabal.getLocalKey(cb)

Returns the local user's key (as a hex string).

var ds = cabal.replicate(isInitiator[, opts])

Creates a new, live replication stream. This duplex stream can be piped into any transport expressed as a node stream (tcp, websockets, udp, utp, etc).

Ensure that isInitiator to true to one side, and false on the other. This is necessary for setting up the encryption mechanism.

opts are passed down into the underlying hypercore replication.

cabal.ready(cb)

Calls cb() when the underlying indexes are caught up.

cabal.close(cb)

Calls cb() when the cabal and its resources have been closed. This also leaves the swarm, if joined.

cabal.getMessage(key, cb)

Read a message from key, a string of feedKey@seq or an object of { key, seq } as cb(err, node) from the underlying hypercore.

Channels

cabal.channels.get(function (error, channels) {})

Retrieve a list of all channel names that exist in this cabal.

cabal.channels.events.on('add', function (channel) {})

Emitted when a new channel is added to the cabal.

Messages

var rs = cabal.messages.read(channel, opts)

Returns a readable stream of messages (most recent first) from a channel.

Pass opts.limit to set a maximum number of messages to read.

cabal.messages.events.on('message', fn)

Calls fn with every new message that arrives, regardless of channel.

cabal.messages.events.on(channel, fn)

Calls fn with every new message that arrives in channel.

Network

var swarm = require('cabal-core/swarm')

cabal.swarm(cb)

Joins the P2P swarm for a cabal. This seeks out peers who are also part of this cabal by various means (internet, local network), connects to them, and replicates cabal messages between them.

The returned object is an instance of discovery-swarm.

cabal.on('peer-added', function (key) {})

Emitted when you connect to a peer. key is a hex string of their public key.

cabal.on('peer-dropped', function (key) {})

Emitted when you lose a connection to a peer. key is a hex string of their public key.

Moderation

Cabal has a subjective moderation system.

The three roles are "admin", "moderator", and "ban/key".

Any admin/mod/ban operation can be per-channel, or cabal-wide (the @ group).

Every user sees themselves as an administrator across the entire cabal. This means they can grant admin or moderator powers to anyone, and ban anyone, but only they will see its affects on their own computer. That is, until someone adds them as an administrator or moderation from their perspective.

A cabal can be instantiated with a moderation key. This is an additional key to have your local node consider a user (the user whose key matches the moderation key) as a cabal-wide administrator (in addition to yourself).

This means that if a group of people all specify the same moderation key, they will collectively see the same set of administrators, moderators, and banned users.