js-ipfs 0.37.0 released

Alan Shaw
js-ipfs 0.37.0 released
#js-ipfs #async/await
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New constructor, better DNSLink support and delegated routing!

# πŸ”¦ Highlights

# πŸ‘·β€β™‚οΈ Brand new constructor

We're in the middle of converting IPFS, libp2p and IPLD modules to using async/await and async iterators (opens new window) instead of callbacks. This will eventually bubble up to the JS IPFS programmatic API where there will likely be some changes that will effect your application. To ease the transition when that happens we're encouraging new and existing developers away from using our callback based APIs, towards Promise based APIs. You'll see the change reflected in our API docs (opens new window) soon. For now, there's no breaking changes, all existing APIs continue to work as usual with callbacks.

In this release there's a new way to construct an IPFS node using promises:

const IPFS = require('ipfs')
const node = await IPFS.create()
// Done, ready to use!

All the usual options you'd normally pass to the constructor can be passed to create (opens new window). Did we mention that it's completely backwards compatible? Well yeah, it is. No breaking changes here 😜 - you can still use new IPFS() and wait for the ready (opens new window) event as you used to. Or, alternatively, you can still use the constructor and await on the new "ready" promise like so:

const IPFS = require('ipfs')
const node = new IPFS()
await node.ready
// Done, ready to use!

More details in the IPFS constructor docs (opens new window).

JS IPFS can finally resolve a DNSLink (opens new window) IPNS path. It means that jsipfs name resolve /ipns/ipfs.io will now query DNS for a dnslink TXT record and return /ipfs/QmRq5rhjnfFHYFYbYXoqPpcJQHKu3SUuHADzSzX9ECN5eM (for example).

It also works recursively, so your DNSLink TXT record could return another IPNS path to resolve and it would keep going. Turtles all the way down 🐒. Cowabunga!

Bonus 🎁 this also works on the gateway so http://127.0.0.1:8080/ipns/ipfs.io will resolve and display the ipfs.io website. Hooray 😁!

# 🧭 Delegated peer and content routing

JS IPFS now supports delegating peer and content routing to another node on the network.

What does that mean though? Well, when you delegate, you get someone else to do something. In delegated peer and content routing we get a different IPFS node to find a piece of content or another peer on the network.

Delegation allows JS IPFS to make use of the routing abilities of other nodes. Typically we delegate to IPFS nodes that have unrestricted access to a DHT. This is useful for IPFS nodes running in the browser, or even for nodes running in resource constrained environments.

IPFS nodes running in Node.js that are behind NATs or that are not running a DHT will also benefit from leveraging delegate routers. If you are running a DHT, the delegate will be used as a fallback router.

We've setup 2 delegate nodes you can use for development and testing, check the docs for configuring delegate routers (opens new window) in JS IPFS and the libp2p delegated routing example (opens new window) for even more info!

# ✨ Web UI with revamped Files & Peers

The Web UI got a whole new lease of life in version 2.5!

We've introduced a help system designed for new users, with explanations for each section.

The Peers page now allows you to connect to a specific peer via 'Add Connection'. We also have a revamped peers table with sorting, identicons for each peer, a simplified location, a new protocol & transport column and latency!

On the Files side, you can now look at any files in the wild. But what does that mean? You can now see your pins, remove pins, add new pins, navigate to any /ipfs/QmHash or /ipns/domain.com path and explore the IPFS world like you never did before.

# πŸ— API Changes

  • New constructor. The recommended way of creating an IPFS node programmatically is now await IPFS.create(). This change is backwards compatible πŸ˜…
  • (BREAKING) Gateway now implicitly responds with the contents of /index.html when accessing a directory / instead of redirecting to /index.html
  • Support added for /ipns/ paths on HTTP Gateway
    • e.g. http://127.0.0.1:9090/ipns/tr.wikipedia-on-ipfs.org/wiki/Anasayfa.html
  • Support added for ipfs name resolve /ipns/<fqdn>
  • (BREAKING) ipfs name resolve is now recursive by default, set the recursive option to false to disable

# ❀️ Huge thank you to everyone that made this release possible

In alphabetical order, here are the 126 humans that made 2091 contributions to this release:

# πŸ™ŒπŸ½ Want to contribute?

Would you like to contribute to the IPFS project and don't know how? Well, there are a few places you can get started:

  • Check the issues with the help wanted label in the js-ipfs repo (opens new window)
  • Join an IPFS All Hands, introduce yourself and let us know where you would like to contribute - https://github.com/ipfs/team-mgmt/#weekly-ipfs-all-hands
  • Hack with IPFS and show us what you made! The All Hands call is also the perfect venue for demos, join in and show us what you built
  • Join the discussion at http://discuss.ipfs.tech/ and help users finding their answers.
  • Join the πŸš€ IPFS Core Implementations Weekly Sync πŸ›° (opens new window) and be part of the action!

# ⁉️ Do you have questions?

The best place to ask your questions about IPFS, how it works and what you can do with it is at discuss.ipfs.tech (opens new window). We are also available at the #ipfs channel on Freenode.