Installation

The best way to access Request Network is using the Request Network SDK with a Request Node. In this way, the Request Node operator pays the protocol fee for creating requests and reduces the number of transactions signed by the end user resulting in a better user experience.

The Request Network SDK is split into multiple packages so that Builders can pick and choose the features they need.

SDK Packages

These are the packages that we think would be most commonly used by Builders to build applications.

Package	Description
@requestnetwork/request-client.js	Create, update, and retrieve requests.
@requestnetwork/web3-signature	Sign requests using web3 wallets like Metamask
@requestnetwork/epk-signature	Sign requests using Ethereum private keys
@requestnetwork/data-format	Standards for data stored on Request, like invoice format
@requestnetwork/epk-decryption	Decrypt encrypted requests using Ethereum private keys
@requestnetwork/payment-processor	Pay a request using a web3 wallet
@requestnetwork/request-node	Web server that allows easy access to the Request system
@requestnetwork/currency	Tools for managing currency definitions

For a list of internal SDK packages, see Internal SDK Packages.

Component Packages

These packages offer pre-built components for quickly integrating certain Request Network features.

Package	Description
@requestnetwork/create-invoice-form	A form for creating invoices in Request Network
@requestnetwork/invoice-dashboard	A dashboard for viewing and paying invoices in Request Network
@requestnetwork/add-stakeholder	A dialog box for granting third-party access to an encrypted invoice created via Request Finance

Import the packages

The Request Client library can be imported as ES6 or CommonJS modules.

ES6

import { RequestNetwork } from '@requestnetwork/request-client.js';
import { Web3SignatureProvider } from '@requestnetwork/web3-signature';
import { payRequest } from '@requestnetwork/payment-processor';

CommonJS

const { RequestNetwork } = require('@requestnetwork/request-client.js');
const { Web3SignatureProvider } = require('@requestnetwork/web3-signature');
const { payRequest } = require("@requestnetwork/payment-processor");

Internal SDK Packages

These packages are published publicly but contain functions that are considered internal to the SDK Packages. It is less likely that a Builder would need to use these packages.

Package	Description
@requestnetwork/advanced-logic	Extensions to the protocol
@requestnetwork/data-access	Indexing and batching of transactions
@requestnetwork/ethereum-storage	Storage of Request data on Ethereum and IPFS, with custom indexing
@requestnetwork/multi-format	Serialize and deserialize object in the Request Network protocol
@requestnetwork/payment-detection	Payment detection, to compute the balance.
@requestnetwork/request-logic	The Request business logic: properties and actions of requests
@requestnetwork/smart-contracts	Sources and artifacts of the smart contracts
@requestnetwork/thegraph-data-access	Storage of Request data on Ethereum and IPFS, indexed by TheGraph
@requestnetwork/transaction-manager	Creates transactions to be sent to Data Access, managing encryption
@requestnetwork/types	Typescript types shared across @requestnetwork packages
@requestnetwork/utils	Collection of tools shared between the @requestnetwork packages