July 07 2024

Observations

IBM's VS Code Plugin

• Plugin has stopped support in 2022.
• Build the plugin - .vsix  file to import into VSCode
• vsce  is command for packaging.
• Check the instructions at https://github.com/IBM-Blockchain/blockchain-vscode-extension/blob/fdae62c4be2d357168b2b8aec08e279ef51da428/docker/README.md#building-the-docker-image.
• There is distinction between network created via ansible, IBP and etc.

Spydra VS Code Plugin

• Has an option to start the network from the VSCode interface.
• The quick start network could end up in issues due to system resources, the containers take time to bring up but the automation script expects to run sooner.
• There are - launch configuration for the plugin itself and the Fabric chaincode input file for debugging.
• Creates a default channel in the sample network.
• Has an option for attaching a custom chaincode for debugging. There are lauch configuration changes depending on the programming language of the chaincode.
• Native peer run chaincode is differentiated from the chaincode as a service option.

Desired Behavior

• Have an option to connect to a different Fabric network.
• A Fabric network shall be identified using the connection profile file.
  • Provide a network view in tree structure form.
  • Optionally, show if the services are reachable.
• Chaincode to be always run as a service.
• Fabric network shall connect to the chaincode run on the local machine.
  • Run the chaincode itself on the cloud. SSH to the chaincode instance on the cloud. This is to open up the networking between the chaincode instance and the peer node.
  • May require a special consideration for Kubernetes based network.
• Have an option to create a Fabric network locally using CRE (such as docker).
  • Do consider validations in the script before running commands, ensure the required containers are up or prerequisites are installed.
  • Do consider buttons for starting, stopping, clearing. Do consider the cases where the developers may click on random buttons.
• Desired to have PDC debugging.
• Wallet is associated with the network. By default use the admin credential belonging to the organization. However, there can be a flexibility for advanced users.
• Collect the parameters for the methods at runtime. There can be a default file as a configuration for the chaincode.
• Provide an experience similar to Java debugger with spring. i.e. An option to run the chaincode function directly from the IDE.
  • Ethereum remix - upload the smart contract, remix picks up all the functions, give a black box to put in parameters and run that specific function. Ethereum ABI specification to do it.
• The user experience should be consistent across programming languages for chaincode.
  • Present intelligent template but with an option to change the language.
• Security between chaincode and the peer. Mutual TLS is desired but the support for it can be in later releases.
  • Ideally, a button to switch off TLS.

Attendance

Kent Lau

Chinmayi D S

Claudia Emmanuel

Varsha Pichandi

Arun S M