spec.md

ENS specification v0.1

TOC

1. App ABI
2. Controller ABI
3. App behavior
4. Resolving ERLs 5, User Mixin
5. Deploy sequence ("default" namespaces)
6. Example Controller Types
7. Notes and Ideas

App ABI

contract ENSApp {
    function get( bytes path ) returns (bytes32 value, bool is_link, bool ok);
    function set( bytes path, bytes32 value, bool is_link ) returns (bool ok);
    
    function node_set( uint node, bytes32 key, bytes32 value, bool link ) returns (bool ok);
    function node_get( uint node, bytes32 key ) returns (bytes32 value, bool link, bool ok);

    function claim_node() returns (uint node);
    function get_controller( uint node ) returns (ENSController controller, bool ok);
}

Controller ABI

contract ENSControllerInterface {
    function ens_get( uint node, address caller, bytes32 key ) returns (bytes32 value, bool is_link, bool ok);
    function ens_set( uint node, address caller, bytes32 key, bytes32 value, bool is_link ) returns (bool ok);
}

App Behavior

ENS will attempt to interact with registered controllers to resolve queries. ENS will act as if the controller implements the controller interface above.

• If ENS calls a controller function, then the caller argument is the sender to ENS (the sender's sender). If the sender is not ENS, this value is unreliable.
• If ENS calls a controller function, then the node argument is the node ID for which the controller should resolve the value. This is either given directly through node_* or by resolving the ERL path up to the final key and returning the node ID that path points to. If the sender is not ENS, this value is unreliable.
• The function of the node argument is that it allows a single contract to control multiple namespaces. A controller can call claim_node as many times as it likes.
• If the controller returns true from a call to ens_set from ENS, ENS will return true.
• If ENS calls ens_get, and it returns (val, link, true), ENS will returns (val, link, true) (from get).
• If ENS calls ens_get, and it returns (val, link, false), ENS will returns (0x0, false, false) (from get).

ERLs

An ERL is a bytes string that resembles a file path. It is a string of 32-byte (or shorter) words separated by /, with \\ used as an escape character. The following code snippet shows how to turn a path into a value. Notice that every value up to the last value must be specified as a link, much like everything up to the file in a normal filesystem path must be specified a directory by the user.

User Mixin

The ENSUser mixin is a helper contract that you inherit to get access to helpful internal functions and modifiers. It does not add any overhead in excess of what you actually use.

Example controller types

• / curators - ENS system owners who define "TLDs".
• /f/ FCFS, normal transfer, squatter paradise
• /d/ "Dapps", a proposed namespace with an auction-like mechanism to combat squatting

Deploy Sequence

1. Deploy curator controller
2. Deploy ENS base contract, giving curator as root controller
3. Assign /f/ the FCFS controller.
4. Assign ownership of curated controller to ENS stake-vote

Notes and Ideas

• Note: The path argument is a bytes ASCII-like string, not the native string type. You could use Unicode or whatever else, but you must take care to properly escape the encoded version.
• Assign /nr/ to EF namereg to help them raise money.