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| 1 | +# IPFS : The `Add` command demystified |
| 2 | + |
| 3 | +The goal of this document is to capture the code flow for adding a file (see the `coreapi` package) using the IPFS CLI, in the process exploring some datastructures and packages like `ipld.Node` (aka `dagnode`), `FSNode`, `MFS`, etc. |
| 4 | + |
| 5 | +## Concepts |
| 6 | +- [Files](https://github.com/ipfs/docs/issues/133) |
| 7 | + |
| 8 | +--- |
| 9 | + |
| 10 | +**Try this yourself** |
| 11 | +> |
| 12 | +> ``` |
| 13 | +> # Convert a file to the IPFS format. |
| 14 | +> echo "Hello World" > new-file |
| 15 | +> ipfs add new-file |
| 16 | +> added QmWATWQ7fVPP2EFGu71UkfnqhYXDYH566qy47CnJDgvs8u new-file |
| 17 | +> 12 B / 12 B [=========================================================] 100.00% |
| 18 | +> |
| 19 | +> # Add a file to the MFS. |
| 20 | +> NEW_FILE_HASH=$(ipfs add new-file -Q) |
| 21 | +> ipfs files cp /ipfs/$NEW_FILE_HASH /new-file |
| 22 | +> |
| 23 | +> # Get information from the file in MFS. |
| 24 | +> ipfs files stat /new-file |
| 25 | +> # QmWATWQ7fVPP2EFGu71UkfnqhYXDYH566qy47CnJDgvs8u |
| 26 | +> # Size: 12 |
| 27 | +> # CumulativeSize: 20 |
| 28 | +> # ChildBlocks: 0 |
| 29 | +> # Type: file |
| 30 | +> |
| 31 | +> # Retrieve the contents. |
| 32 | +> ipfs files read /new-file |
| 33 | +> # Hello World |
| 34 | +> ``` |
| 35 | +
|
| 36 | +## Code Flow |
| 37 | +
|
| 38 | +**[`UnixfsAPI.Add()`](https://github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/blob/v0.4.18/core/coreapi/unixfs.go#L31)** - *Entrypoint into the `Unixfs` package* |
| 39 | +
|
| 40 | +The `UnixfsAPI.Add()` acts on the input data or files, to build a _merkledag_ node (in essence it is the entire tree represented by the root node) and adds it to the _blockstore_. |
| 41 | +Within the function, a new `Adder` is created with the configured `Blockstore` and __DAG service__`. |
| 42 | +
|
| 43 | +- **[`adder.AddAllAndPin(files)`](https://github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/blob/v0.4.18/core/coreunix/add.go#L403)** - *Entrypoint to the `Add` logic* |
| 44 | + encapsulates a lot of the underlying functionality that will be investigated in the following sections. |
| 45 | +
|
| 46 | + Our focus will be on the simplest case, a single file, handled by `Adder.addFile(file files.File)`. |
| 47 | +
|
| 48 | + - **[`adder.addFile(file files.File)`](https://github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/blob/v0.4.18/core/coreunix/add.go#L450)** - *Create the _DAG_ and add to `MFS`* |
| 49 | +
|
| 50 | + The `addFile(file)` method takes the data and converts it into a __DAG__ tree and adds the root of the tree into the `MFS`. |
| 51 | +
|
| 52 | + https://github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/blob/v0.4.18/core/coreunix/add.go#L508-L521 |
| 53 | +
|
| 54 | + There are two main methods to focus on - |
| 55 | +
|
| 56 | + 1. **[`adder.add(io.Reader)`](https://github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/blob/v0.4.18/core/coreunix/add.go#L115)** - *Create and return the **root** __DAG__ node* |
| 57 | +
|
| 58 | + This method converts the input data (`io.Reader`) to a __DAG__ tree, by splitting the data into _chunks_ using the `Chunker` and organizing them in to a __DAG__ (with a *trickle* or *balanced* layout. See [balanced](https://github.com/ipfs/go-unixfs/blob/6b769632e7eb8fe8f302e3f96bf5569232e7a3ee/importer/balanced/builder.go) for more info). |
| 59 | +
|
| 60 | + The method returns the **root** `ipld.Node` of the __DAG__. |
| 61 | +
|
| 62 | + 2. **[`adder.addNode(ipld.Node, path)`](https://github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/blob/v0.4.18/core/coreunix/add.go#L366)** - *Add **root** __DAG__ node to the `MFS`* |
| 63 | +
|
| 64 | + Now that we have the **root** node of the `DAG`, this needs to be added to the `MFS` file system. |
| 65 | + Fetch (or create, if doesn't already exist) the `MFS` **root** using `mfsRoot()`. |
| 66 | +
|
| 67 | + > NOTE: The `MFS` **root** is an ephemeral root, created and destroyed solely for the `add` functionality. |
| 68 | +
|
| 69 | + Assuming the directory already exists in the MFS file system, (if it doesn't exist it will be created using `mfs.Mkdir()`), the **root** __DAG__ node is added to the `MFS` File system using the `mfs.PutNode()` function. |
| 70 | +
|
| 71 | + - **[MFS] [`PutNode(mfs.Root, path, ipld.Node)`](https://github.com/ipfs/go-mfs/blob/v0.1.18/ops.go#L86)** - *Insert node at path into given `MFS`* |
| 72 | +
|
| 73 | + The `path` param is used to determine the `MFS Directory`, which is first looked up in the `MFS` using `lookupDir()` function. This is followed by adding the **root** __DAG__ node (`ipld.Node`) in to this `Directory` using `directory.AddChild()` method. |
| 74 | +
|
| 75 | + - **[MFS] Add Child To `UnixFS`** |
| 76 | + - **[`directory.AddChild(filename, ipld.Node)`](https://github.com/ipfs/go-mfs/blob/v0.1.18/dir.go#L350)** - *Add **root** __DAG__ node under this directory* |
| 77 | +
|
| 78 | + Within this method the node is added to the `Directory`'s __DAG service__ using the `dserv.Add()` method, followed by adding the **root** __DAG__ node with the given name, in the `directory.addUnixFSChild(directory.child{name, ipld.Node})` method. |
| 79 | +
|
| 80 | + - **[MFS] [`directory.addUnixFSChild(child)`](https://github.com/ipfs/go-mfs/blob/v0.1.18/dir.go#L375)** - *Add child to inner UnixFS Directory* |
| 81 | +
|
| 82 | + The node is then added as a child to the inner `UnixFS` directory using the `(BasicDirectory).AddChild()` method. |
| 83 | +
|
| 84 | + > NOTE: This is not to be confused with the `directory.AddChild(filename, ipld.Node)`, as this operates on the `UnixFS` `BasicDirectory` object. |
| 85 | +
|
| 86 | + - **[UnixFS] [`(BasicDirectory).AddChild(ctx, name, ipld.Node)`](https://github.com/ipfs/go-unixfs/blob/v1.1.16/io/directory.go#L137)** - *Add child to `BasicDirectory`* |
| 87 | +
|
| 88 | + > IMPORTANT: It should be noted that the `BasicDirectory` object uses the `ProtoNode` type object which is an implementation of the `ipld.Node` interface, seen and used throughout this document. Ideally the `ipld.Node` should always be used, unless we need access to specific functions from `ProtoNode` (like `Copy()`) that are not available in the interface. |
| 89 | +
|
| 90 | + This method first attempts to remove any old links (`ProtoNode.RemoveNodeLink(name)`) to the `ProtoNode` prior to adding a link to the newly added `ipld.Node`, using `ProtoNode.AddNodeLink(name, ipld.Node)`. |
| 91 | +
|
| 92 | + - **[Merkledag] [`AddNodeLink()`](https://github.com/ipfs/go-merkledag/blob/v1.1.15/node.go#L99)** |
| 93 | +
|
| 94 | + The `AddNodeLink()` method is where an `ipld.Link` is created with the `ipld.Node`'s `CID` and size in the `ipld.MakeLink(ipld.Node)` method, and is then appended to the `ProtoNode`'s links in the `ProtoNode.AddRawLink(name)` method. |
| 95 | +
|
| 96 | + - **[`adder.Finalize()`](https://github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/blob/v0.4.18/core/coreunix/add.go#L200)** - *Fetch and return the __DAG__ **root** from the `MFS` and `UnixFS` directory* |
| 97 | +
|
| 98 | + The `Finalize` method returns the `ipld.Node` from the `UnixFS` `Directory`. |
| 99 | +
|
| 100 | + - **[`adder.PinRoot()`](https://github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/blob/v0.4.18/core/coreunix/add.go#L171)** - *Pin all files under the `MFS` **root*** |
| 101 | +
|
| 102 | + The whole process ends with `PinRoot` recursively pinning all the files under the `MFS` **root** |
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