web3-providers-ipc

What is web3-providers-ipc?

The web3-providers-ipc package is part of the Web3.js library and provides an IPC (Inter-Process Communication) provider for connecting to Ethereum nodes. This allows for communication with an Ethereum node over IPC, which is generally faster and more secure than HTTP or WebSocket connections.

What are web3-providers-ipc's main functionalities?

Create an IPC Provider

This feature allows you to create an IPC provider to connect to an Ethereum node using IPC. The path to the IPC file and the net module are required to establish the connection.

const Web3 = require('web3');
const net = require('net');
const web3 = new Web3(new Web3.providers.IpcProvider('/path/to/geth.ipc', net));

Send a Synchronous Request

This feature demonstrates how to send a synchronous request to get the latest block number from the Ethereum node using the IPC provider.

const Web3 = require('web3');
const net = require('net');
const web3 = new Web3(new Web3.providers.IpcProvider('/path/to/geth.ipc', net));

web3.eth.getBlockNumber().then(console.log);

Handle Provider Events

This feature shows how to handle events such as 'connect' and 'error' when using the IPC provider. This is useful for monitoring the connection status and handling errors.

const Web3 = require('web3');
const net = require('net');
const provider = new Web3.providers.IpcProvider('/path/to/geth.ipc', net);

provider.on('connect', () => {
  console.log('Connected to IPC provider');
});

provider.on('error', (error) => {
  console.error('IPC provider error:', error);
});

Other packages similar to web3-providers-ipc

web3-providers-http

The web3-providers-http package provides an HTTP provider for connecting to Ethereum nodes. Unlike IPC, HTTP is more widely supported and easier to set up but may be slower and less secure. It is suitable for scenarios where IPC is not available or practical.

web3-providers-ws

The web3-providers-ws package provides a WebSocket provider for connecting to Ethereum nodes. WebSocket connections offer real-time communication and are more efficient than HTTP for certain use cases. However, they may not be as secure as IPC connections.

ethers

The ethers package is a complete and compact library for interacting with the Ethereum blockchain. It provides various providers, including JSON-RPC over HTTP and WebSocket, but does not natively support IPC. It is known for its simplicity and ease of use compared to Web3.js.

README

web3.js - IPC Provider

This is a sub-package of web3.js.

web3-providers-ipc contains the Web3.js provider for Inter Process Communication (IPC).

Installation

You can install the package either using NPM or using Yarn

Using NPM

npm install web3-providers-ipc

Using Yarn

yarn add web3-providers-ipc

Getting Started

• :writing_hand: If you have questions submit an issue or join us on Discord

Prerequisites

• :gear: NodeJS (LTS/Fermium)
• :toolbox: Yarn/Lerna

Package.json Scripts

Script	Description
clean	Uses rimraf to remove dist/
build	Uses tsc to build package and dependent packages
lint	Uses eslint to lint package
lint:fix	Uses eslint to check and fix any warnings
format	Uses prettier to format the code
test	Uses jest to run unit tests
test:integration	Uses jest to run tests under /test/integration
test:unit	Uses jest to run tests under /test/unit