Helper Methods

The GraphQLClient class is the primary interface for interacting with an OCAP-powered blockchain. It provides a comprehensive set of methods for querying the chain state, sending transactions, and subscribing to real-time events. It is designed to work seamlessly in both Node.js and browser environments.

const GraphQLClient = require('@ocap/client');

// Connect to the Beta chain
const client = new GraphQLClient('https://beta.abtnetwork.io/api');

(async () => {
  const res = await client.getChainInfo();
  console.log('Connected to chain:', res.info.network);
})();

This section provides a detailed reference for the core helper methods of the GraphQLClient class.

Constructor#

new GraphQLClient(endpoint, autoInit)#

Creates a new instance of the GraphQLClient.

Parameters

Example

const client = new GraphQLClient('https://beta.abtnetwork.io/api', true);

Core Methods#

These methods provide fundamental functionality for interacting with the client and the chain.

getContext()#

Fetches and caches essential chain information, such as the chain ID, native token details, and transaction fee configurations. This method is called automatically if autoInit is enabled in the constructor. Subsequent calls will return the cached context.

Returns

Example

async function logChainToken() {
  const context = await client.getContext();
  console.log(`Native Token Symbol: ${context.token.symbol}`);
}

logChainToken();

setGasPayer(wallet)#

Configures a wallet to act as a "gas payer." When set, this wallet will sponsor the transaction fees for transactions sent through this client instance, enabling gasless experiences for users. For more details, see the Gas Payment concept guide.

Parameters

decodeTx(input)#

Deserializes a transaction from various formats into a human-readable JavaScript object.

Parameters

Returns

getType(name)#

Retrieves the Protobuf message class for a given type name. This is useful for advanced scenarios where you need to manually construct or inspect Protobuf messages.

Parameters

Returns

Event Subscription#

The client supports real-time event subscriptions over WebSockets, allowing your application to react instantly to on-chain events.

subscribe(topic, callback)#

Establishes a WebSocket connection and subscribes to a specific event topic.

Parameters

unsubscribe(topic, callback)#

Removes a previously registered callback for a specific topic.

Parameters

Example

const handleNewBlock = (block) => {
  console.log(`New block received! Height: ${block.height}`);
  
  // Unsubscribe after receiving one block
  client.unsubscribe('newBlock', handleNewBlock);
  console.log('Unsubscribed from newBlock events.');
};

client.subscribe('newBlock', handleNewBlock);
console.log('Subscribed to newBlock events...');

Token Utility Methods#

These helpers simplify conversions between the human-readable token amount and the on-chain base unit representation.

fromUnitToToken(value)#

Converts a value from the chain's base unit (a large integer string) to a standard decimal string, based on the native token's decimal places.

Parameters

Returns

fromTokenToUnit(amount)#

Converts a standard decimal amount into the chain's base unit representation (a BN.js instance).

Parameters

Returns

Example

async function convertToken() {
  // Convert 100 TBA to its base unit
  const unitAmount = await client.fromTokenToUnit(100);
  console.log(`100 TBA is ${unitAmount.toString()} in base units.`);

  // Convert it back
  const tokenAmount = await client.fromUnitToToken(unitAmount.toString());
  console.log(`${unitAmount.toString()} base units is ${tokenAmount} TBA.`);
}

convertToken();

Method Discovery#

The client dynamically generates methods for every transaction type supported by the connected OCAP node. These discovery methods allow you to programmatically list all available transaction-related functions.

getTxSendMethods()#

Returns an array of all available send...Tx method names. These methods handle the full lifecycle of signing and sending a transaction.

getTxEncodeMethods()#

Returns an array of all available encode...Tx method names. These methods prepare and serialize a transaction into a buffer, but do not sign it.

getTxSignMethods()#

Returns an array of all available sign...Tx method names. These methods encode and then sign a transaction, returning the signed transaction object.

getTxMultiSignMethods()#

Returns an array of all available multiSign...Tx method names, used for multi-signature workflows.

Example

const sendMethods = client.getTxSendMethods();
console.log('Available send methods:', sendMethods);
// Example output: [ 'sendPokeTx', 'sendTransferTx', ... ]