web3-providers-ws

What is web3-providers-ws?

The web3-providers-ws package is a WebSocket provider for the web3.js library, which allows for real-time communication with Ethereum nodes. It is used to connect to an Ethereum node over WebSocket, enabling functionalities such as subscribing to events and receiving updates in real-time.

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

Connecting to an Ethereum Node

This feature allows you to connect to an Ethereum node using a WebSocket provider. The code sample demonstrates how to create a WebSocket provider and use it to get the current block number.

const Web3 = require('web3');
const Web3WsProvider = require('web3-providers-ws');

const wsProvider = new Web3WsProvider('wss://mainnet.infura.io/ws/v3/YOUR_INFURA_PROJECT_ID');
const web3 = new Web3(wsProvider);

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

Subscribing to New Blocks

This feature allows you to subscribe to new block headers. The code sample demonstrates how to set up a subscription to receive updates whenever a new block is mined.

const Web3 = require('web3');
const Web3WsProvider = require('web3-providers-ws');

const wsProvider = new Web3WsProvider('wss://mainnet.infura.io/ws/v3/YOUR_INFURA_PROJECT_ID');
const web3 = new Web3(wsProvider);

web3.eth.subscribe('newBlockHeaders', (error, blockHeader) => {
  if (!error) {
    console.log(blockHeader);
  }
});

Subscribing to Pending Transactions

This feature allows you to subscribe to pending transactions. The code sample demonstrates how to set up a subscription to receive updates whenever a new transaction is pending.

const Web3 = require('web3');
const Web3WsProvider = require('web3-providers-ws');

const wsProvider = new Web3WsProvider('wss://mainnet.infura.io/ws/v3/YOUR_INFURA_PROJECT_ID');
const web3 = new Web3(wsProvider);

web3.eth.subscribe('pendingTransactions', (error, transactionHash) => {
  if (!error) {
    console.log(transactionHash);
  }
});

Other packages similar to web3-providers-ws

web3-providers-http

The web3-providers-http package is another provider for the web3.js library, but it uses HTTP instead of WebSocket. It is suitable for applications that do not require real-time updates. Compared to web3-providers-ws, it is less efficient for real-time data but simpler to set up and use.

ethers

The ethers package is a complete and compact library for interacting with the Ethereum blockchain. It includes support for WebSocket providers, similar to web3-providers-ws, but also offers a broader range of functionalities such as contract interaction, wallet management, and utilities for encoding/decoding data. It is often considered more modern and user-friendly compared to web3.js.

ethjs-provider-ws

The ethjs-provider-ws package is a WebSocket provider for the ethjs library, which is a lightweight alternative to web3.js. It offers similar functionalities for connecting to Ethereum nodes and subscribing to events. Compared to web3-providers-ws, it is more lightweight and may be preferred in environments where minimizing dependencies is important.