582a3e1e6b
Created the initial top-level README documentation for the DarkFi Blockchain Explorer, with the expectation of future refinements, updates to align with the latest UI design, and the addition of more details over time. Summary of Updates: - Introduced a project description, highlighting the Explorer’s purpose and core functionalities - Added a Key Features section outlining the Explorer's capabilities - Provided a Quick Start Guide with prerequisites, installation steps, and instructions for running on localnet - Documented Explorer Components, including the explorer nodes and web interface - Included a Configuration section covering configuration files and supported networks - Detailed Feature Highlights, such as block exploration, gas analytics, and contract source navigation - Integrated initial explorer screenshots to help with clarity and user guidance
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DarkFi Blockchain Explorer
The DarkFi Blockchain Explorer facilitates the exploration of chain data and interaction with the DarkFi blockchain. It provides detailed insights into block and transaction activity, gas usage metrics, and native contract source code.
Table of Contents
Key Features
- DarkFi Blockchain Synchronization: Ensures real-time synchronization of blockchain data, providing an accurate and unified view of DarkFi activity across supported networks.
- Blockchain Data Exploration: Access detailed information about blocks and transactions.
- Gas Analytics: Analyze gas usage metrics at both the network level and on a per-transaction basis.
- Native Contract Source Code Access: Review the implementation details of native contract source code for improved transparency.
- Search Blocks and Transactions: Locate specific blocks or transactions using search.
Quick Start Guide
Prerequisites
Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed and configured:
- Rust 1.86 or later: For building and running the explorer daemon (
explorerd). - Python 3.12: Required for running the Flask-based Explorer Site (
site). - Darkfid: Installed and configured with a fully provisioned
darkfid_configuration.toml. - Minerd: Installed with a corresponding
minerd_configuration.tomlfor setups where Darkfid is configured with a miner JSON-RPC endpoint, but the configured miner is not running on the desired network.
Installation
- Explorer Daemon:
To install the explorer daemon (
explorerd), follow the instructions in the explorerd/README.md. The daemon is essential for syncing blockchain data and ensuring the Explorer stays consistent with the configured DarkFi blockchain environment. - Explorer Site: To install and set up the web UI for the Explorer, refer to the instructions in the site/README.md. The website connects with the explorer daemon to provide blockchain data, gas analytics, and contract source code to users in real time.
Running on Localnet
Once all components are installed, follow these steps to run the Explorer on localnet.
- Run Miner Node:
minerd
- Run Darkfi Node:
darkfid --network localnet
- Run Explorer Node:
explorerd --network localnet
4.Launch the Explorer Site:
FLASK_ENV=localnet python -m flask run
- Explore the Blockchain:
Open a web browser and navigate to
http://localhost:5000to view blockchain data and analytics.
Note
: To switch between networks, replace
localnetwithtestnetormainnetin the commands above:
- For
testnet, use--network testnet,FLASK_ENV=testnet- For
mainnet, use--network mainnet,FLASK_ENV=mainnet
Explorer Components
Explorer Nodes
DarkFi explorers rely on explorer nodes who are responsible for syncing with DarkFi blockchain networks. Explorer nodes function as background daemons, running continuously to ensure the Explorer database stays up-to-date. They synchronize with the latest blocks during startup and actively listen for new blocks using DarkFi's subscription interface. This ensures that the Explorer provides an accurate and consistent view of blockchain activity. Explorer nodes are implemented in Rust, designed to reliably handle real-world blockchain changes, including reorganizations (reorgs) and block updates, while maintaining data integrity.
For more details on explorer nodes and their functionality, see explorerd/README.md.
Explorer Site
The Explorer Site is a web application that serves as the user interface for viewing DarkFi blockchain data. It provides an interactive way for users to explore blockchain information, analyze gas usage, and navigate contract source code. The site connects to explorer nodes to fetch real-time data, ensuring accurate and up-to-date information is provided.
For more details on the Explorer Site, see site/README.md.
Configuration
Configuration Files
The Explorer uses configuration files to define darkfid endpoints for block synchronization, explorerd endpoints for retrieving blockchain data, and other settings such as log file locations. These configurations can be reviewed and updated as needed.
| Configuration File | Description |
|---|---|
| Darkfid Config | Contains darkfid network configurations for localnet, testnet, and mainnet. |
| Explorerd Config | Specifies the darkfid endpoint for block synchronization and the explorerd endpoint for retrieving synchronized data. |
| ExplorerSite Config | Defines the explorerd endpoints for fetching synchronized data, as well as other settings for the Explorer site. |
Supported Networks
The Explorer is configured to support the following pre-configured DarkFi blockchain networks.
| Network | Description |
|---|---|
localnet |
Ideal for development and testing in a local environment using darkfid's localnet configuration. |
testnet |
Used for testing the explorer with darkfid's testnet network (pending availability). |
mainnet |
The production environment for running the explorer on DarkFi's canonical chain (pending availability). |
Note
: Once the testnet and mainnet are fully available, the explorer will sync more than just the genesis blocks for these networks.
Feature Details
Home Page Overview
The explorer’s home page serves as the starting point for navigating blockchain data and features. It provides a high-level overview of available resources, including:
- Search Box: Search for blocks and transactions based on hash.
- At-a-Glance Summary: View summaries of network activity, like recent blocks, native contracts, and total gas consumption.
- Navigation Links: Access block details and native contract source code, as well as navigate DarkFi social media links.
Click to view the Home Page
Block and Transaction Exploration
The Explorer provides insights into blockchain activity by giving users the ability to view blocks, obtain transaction details, and analyze the relationships between blocks and transactions.
Key Features
- Block Details Overview: Provides key information about each block.
- Transaction Details: Displays details for individual transactions.
- Search Functionality: Enables users to locate specific blocks or transactions using the Explorer's search tools.
- Detail Navigation: Allows users to navigate into block-level details from the Block Explorer home page or view transaction details from within blocks.
Block Details
The Explorer presents detailed information about each block, offering insights into the transactions it contains and other metadata. Below, you’ll find an example of the block details view.
The detailed block view displays the following details.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Version | Indicates the block's version. |
| Previous Block | A navigable link to the previous block's hash. |
| Block Hash | The unique identifier of the block. |
| Block Height | The block's position within the blockchain. |
| Timestamp | The UTC time at which the block was created. |
| Nonce | The proof-of-work or equivalent nonce value for the block. |
| Root | The Merkle root summarizing the hashes of all transactions. |
| Signature | The digital signature of the block. |
| Transactions | List of transaction hashes, each navigable for detailed views. |
Transaction Details
The Explorer provides an in-depth view of individual transactions, whether accessed from a block's detailed view or using the search functionality. Below is an example of the transaction details view.
For each transaction, the Explorer displays the following details.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Transaction Hash | A unique identifier for the transaction. |
| Block | The hash of the containing block, linking back to the block’s details. |
| Payload | Call data associated with the transaction. |
| Gas Consumption | The amount of gas used for execution (see Transaction Gas Consumption for more details). |
Key Benefits
This feature enables users to:
- View key details of blockchain activity, including blocks and transactions.
- Analyze relationships between blocks and transactions.
- Search for specific blocks or transactions of interest.
- Gain insights into gas usage across the blockchain and individual transactions.
Gas Analytics
The Explorer provides detailed analytics on gas usage, covering both network-wide metrics and transaction-level consumption. This feature empowers users to understand execution costs, identify optimization opportunities, and manage gas expenses.
Key Features
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Network-Wide Gas Metrics | Displays gas consumption across all operations on the blockchain, categorized into multiple categories such as WASM, ZK circuits, signatures, and deployments. |
| Transaction-Level Analysis | Provides per-transaction gas usage details, allowing users to evaluate the efficiency and execution costs of individual transactions. |
Network-Wide Gas Consumption Metrics
The Explorer tracks gas consumption across the blockchain broken down by category. Below is an example of the Explorer’s network-wide gas tracking view.
Each category is outlined in the table below.
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Total Gas Usage | The cumulative amount of gas consumed across all blockchain transactions. |
| WASM Gas Usage | Tracks gas used by WASM-based smart contract execution. |
| ZK Circuit Gas Usage | Monitors gas usage related to Zero-Knowledge Proof execution. |
| Signature Gas Usage | Represents gas consumed for transaction signatures. |
| Deployment Gas Usage | Gas required for deploying contracts on the blockchain. |
For each of these categories, the Explorer provides the following metrics.
| Metric | Description |
|---|---|
| Average Gas Usage | The average gas spent per transaction across relevant operations. |
| Minimum Gas Usage | The smallest amount of gas recorded in any transaction. |
| Maximum Gas Usage | The highest gas value observed across transactions. |
Transaction-Level Gas Consumption Metrics
The Explorer provides detailed data on gas consumption for individual transactions, helping users evaluate the cost and efficiency of specific operations. Below is an example of the gas consumption view for a specific transaction.
Transaction Metrics
| Metric | Description |
|---|---|
| Total Gas Usage | The total gas consumed by all operations within the transaction. |
| WASM Gas | The gas used during WASM contract execution. |
| ZK Circuit Gas | Gas consumed for Zero-Knowledge Proof components in the transaction. |
| Signature Gas | Gas required for transaction signature verification. |
| Deployment Gas | Gas spent specifically on deploying smart contracts. |
Key Benefits
This feature empowers users to:
- Track blockchain-wide gas consumption across various operational categories
- Analyze the gas efficiency and cost of transactions, identifying resource-intensive operations and opportunities for optimization
- Improve cost management by understanding precise gas usage for specific actions
Native Contract Source Code Navigation
The Explorer allows users to inspect native contracts deployed on the DarkFi blockchain by presenting their metadata and source code. This feature enhances transparency and facilitates a better understanding of native DarkFi contract behavior.
Key Features
- Metadata Exploration: Displays contract metadata such as its name and description.
- Native Contract List: Provides access to all DarkFi native contracts directly from the Explorer home page.
- Source Code List for a Contract: Displays all source files associated with a native contract.
- Detailed Source File View: Allows users to view individual source files with syntax highlighting for better readability.
List of Native Contracts
The Explorer presents users with an organized list of native contracts on the Explorer home page.
List of Source Code for a Contract
From the list of native contracts, users can navigate to view the individual source files associated with a specific contract.
Source Code View
Users can select source files from the list to view source code content.
Key Benefits
This feature allows users to:
- Transparently review the purpose and behavior of DarkFi native contracts
- View contract source code associated with the native smart contracts
- Explore Zero-Knowledge Proof implementations within the contract code
- Examine interactions between associated files to understand the overall contract structure