Introducing ipfs_dict_chain: A Python Package for Creating Mini-Blockchains on IPFS

We at Valyrian Tech are excited to announce the launch of our first Python package: ipfs_dict_chain! This package includes IPFSDict and IPFSDictChain objects, which are dictionary-like data structures that store their state on IPFS (InterPlanetary File System) and track changes. This creates a mini-blockchain of dicts on IPFS for efficient and secure data management.

What’s in the Package?

The ipfs_dict_chain package provides two essential objects:

• IPFSDict: A dictionary-like object that stores data on IPFS. This allows developers to work with dictionaries while storing and retrieving data from a decentralized network like IPFS.
• IPFSDictChain: A dictionary-like data structure that not only stores its state on IPFS but also keeps track of changes. With this, developers can easily maintain a record of data from different stages of processing and manipulate data with increased security and transparency.

Prerequisites

To use ipfs_dict_chain, you’ll need Python 3.10 and an IPFS node.

Installation

To install the ipfs_dict_chain package, simply run the following command:

pip install ipfs_dict_chain

How to Use ipfs_dict_chain

Here are simplified examples of using IPFSDict and IPFSDictChain:

IPFSDict Example:

from ipfs_dict_chain.IPFSDict import IPFSDict

my_dict = IPFSDict()
my_dict['my_key'] = 'value'
cid = my_dict.save()

# Load the dictionary from IPFS
loaded_dict = IPFSDict(cid=cid)
print(loaded_dict['my_key'])  # Output: 'value'

IPFSDictChain Example:

from ipfs_dict_chain.IPFSDictChain import IPFSDictChain

my_chain = IPFSDictChain()
my_chain['my_key'] = 'value'
cid1 = my_chain.save()

my_chain['my_key'] = 'changed_value'
cid2 = my_chain.save()

# Load the dictionary from IPFS
loaded_chain = IPFSDictChain(cid=cid2)
print(loaded_chain['my_key'])  # Output: 'changed_value'

# View previous states
print(loaded_chain.get_previous_states())  # Output: [{'previous_cid': None, 'my_key': 'value'}]

For more detailed examples, please check the package’s README.

You can find the package on PyPI and the source code on GitHub.

Contribute to ipfs_dict_chain

We welcome contributions to the ipfs_dict_chain package! If you’d like to contribute, please submit pull requests, issues, or feature requests on our GitHub repository.

License & Authors

The ipfs_dict_chain package is released under the MIT License.

Authored by:

• Wouter Glorieux – Twitter
• Serendipity – AI Assistant