js-multiaddr

JavaScript implementation of multiaddr.

What is multiaddr?

A standard way to represent addresses that

• support any standard network protocol
• are self-describing
• have a binary packed format
• have a nice string representation
• encapsulate well

Example

$ node

> const multiaddr = require('multiaddr')

> const addr = multiaddr("/ip4/127.0.0.1/udp/1234")
<Multiaddr /ip4/127.0.0.1/udp/1234>

> addr.buffer
<Buffer 04 7f 00 00 01 11 04 d2>

> addr.toString()
'/ip4/127.0.0.1/udp/1234'

> addr.protos()
[
  {code: 4, name: 'ip4', size: 32},
  {code: 17, name: 'udp', size: 16}
]

> addr.nodeAddress()
{
  family: "IPv4",
  port: 1234,
  address: "127.0.0.1"
}

> addr.encapsulate('/sctp/5678')
<Multiaddr /ip4/127.0.0.1/udp/1234/sctp/5678>

API

const multiaddr = require('multiaddr')

Create

const addr = multiaddr(str)

Creates a multiaddress from a string (e.g. /ip4/127.0.0.1/udp/1234).

const addr = multiaddr(buf)

Creates a multiaddress from another multiaddress' raw bytes.

addr.buffer

The raw bytes representing this multiaddress.

addr.toString()

The multiaddress in string format (e.g. /ip4/127.0.0.1/udp/1234).

Protocols

addr.protoCodes()

Returns the codes of the protocols in the multiaddress, in left-to-right order.

addr.protoCodes()
// [4, 6]

addr.protoNames()

Returns the names of the protocols in the multiaddress, in left-to-right order.

addr.protoNames()
// ['ip4', 'tcp']

addr.protos()

Returns description objects of the protocols in the multiaddress, in left-to-right order.

addr.protos()
// [
//   { code: 4, name: 'ip4', size: 32},
//   { code: 17, name: 'udp', size: 16}
// ]

Each object contains the protocol code, protocol name, and the size of its address space in bits.

Node-Friendly Addresses

Utility functions for getting NodeJS-friendly address information from a multiaddress.

addr.nodeAddress()

Returns a NodeJS-friendly object describing the left-most address in the multiaddress.

addr.nodeAddress()
// { family: "IPv4", port:1234, address: "127.0.0.1" }

Note that protocol information is left out: in Node (and most network systems) the protocol is unknowable given only the address.

addr.fromNodeAddress(addr)

Constructs a multiaddress, given a NodeJS-friendly address object and a protocol.

addr.fromNodeAddress({family: "IPv4", port:1234, address: "127.0.0.1"}, 'udp')
// <Multiaddr /ip4/127.0.0.1/udp/1234>

addr.fromStupidString(str)

Returns a multiaddress, given a URI in the format <proto><IPv>://<IP Addr>[:<proto port>]

addr = multiaddr.fromStupidString("udp4://127.0.0.1:1234")
// <Multiaddr /ip4/127.0.0.1/udp/1234>

NOT IMPLEMENTED

addr.toStupidString()

NOT IMPLEMENTED

En/decapsulate

addr.encapsulate(str)

Returns a new multiaddress that encapsulates addr in a new protocol string, str.

addr.encapsulate('/sctp/5678')
// <Multiaddr /ip4/127.0.0.1/udp/1234/sctp/5678>

addr.decapsulate(str)

Returns a new multiaddress with the right-most protocol string str removed.

multiaddress('/ip4/127.0.0.1/udp/1234').decapsulate('/udp')
// <Multiaddr /ip4/127.0.0.1>

Tunneling

Given these encapsulation/decapsulate tools, multiaddresses lend themselves to expressing tunnels very nicely:

const printer = multiaddr('/ip4/192.168.0.13/tcp/80')

const proxy = multiaddr('/ip4/10.20.30.40/tcp/443')

const printerOverProxy = proxy.encapsulate(printer)
// <Multiaddr /ip4/10.20.30.40/tcp/443/ip4/192.168.0.13/tcp/80>

Installation

npm

> npm i multiaddr

Setup

Node.js

const multiaddr = require('multiaddr')

Browser: Browserify, Webpack, other bundlers

The code published to npm that gets loaded on require is in fact a ES5 transpiled version with the right shims added. This means that you can require it and use with your favourite bundler without having to adjust asset management process.

const multiaddr = require('multiaddr')

Browser: <script> Tag

Loading this module through a script tag will make the Multiaddr obj available in the global namespace.

<script src="https://npmcdn.com/multiaddr/dist/index.min.js"></script>
<!-- OR -->
<script src="https://npmcdn.com/multiaddr/dist/index.js"></script>

NOTE: You will need access to the Node.js Buffer API. If you are running in the browser, you can access it with multiaddr.Buffer or you can install feross/buffer.

License

MIT