Abstract
This document proposes a standardized JavaScript API for Web3 providers on the TON blockchain, aiming to ensure consistency and interoperability across clients and decentralized applications (DApps). By formalizing the Web3 Provider API, this TEP (TON Enhancement Proposal) seeks to establish a common convention for wallet software to expose their API via a JavaScript object in web pages, enhancing the developer experience and facilitating user interaction with DApps.
Proposal Information
- TEP (TON Enhancement Proposal): 0
- Title: Standardizing the Web3 Provider Interface in TON: A JavaScript API Proposal
- Status: Draft
- Type: Core
- Authors: XTON Wallet Team
- Creation Date: 19.12.2022
- Replaces: TEP-0
- Replaced by: None
Motivation
The main goal of this proposal is to establish a uniform Web3 provider interface, preventing the monopolization of wallet services and enabling DApps to integrate with multiple wallet solutions seamlessly. Inspired by successful implementations in other blockchains, such as Ethereum’s MetaMask, this proposal introduces window.ton as the uniform interface for Web3 providers on the TON blockchain.
Specification
The specification outlines the structure of the proposed API, emphasizing minimalism, event-driven architecture, and transport agnosticism. It also introduces backward compatibility and extensibility through versioning, with windows.ton.isTEPs105 indicating full API compliance.
Comparison Table: Current vs. Proposed API Features
| Feature | Current Implementation | Proposed Standardization |
|---|---|---|
| Interface Exposure | Inconsistent across wallets | Unified as window.ton |
| Versioning | Not standardized | Standardized with isTEPs property |
| Request Handling | Diverse, wallet-specific | Standardized Provider.request method |
| Event Handling | Varies widely | Standardized events: on, off, message, endpointChanged, accountChanged, unlockStateChanged |
| RPC Methods | Wallet-specific implementations | Standardized naming and handling |
| Subscriptions | Inconsistently supported | Standardized with ton_subscription event |
| Error Handling | Diverse, not standardized | Standardized ProviderRpcError with defined codes |
Security Considerations
The proposal emphasizes the Provider’s role as a bridge between TON Clients and DApps, not handling private key management but focusing on processing RPC messages and emitting events. It stresses the importance of treating the Provider object as potentially controlled by adversaries, highlighting the need for protective measures in the Wallet and Client against malicious actions.
Drawbacks and Rationale
While existing wallets have their implementations of the Web3 interface, adopting this standardized API would require them to support both the new standard and their existing interfaces. The proposal justifies its approach by pointing to the success of similar standards in other blockchain ecosystems, arguing for the benefits of a unified and interoperable interface.
Unresolved Questions and Future Possibilities
The document raises questions about the willingness of existing wallet solutions to adopt this standardized interface and suggests potential future extensions to include SDK method usage, enhancing the DApp development experience further.
Conclusion
This TEP proposes a significant step toward standardizing the Web3 provider interface within the TON blockchain ecosystem. By adopting a uniform API, the proposal aims to simplify DApp development, enhance user experience, and foster an environment of interoperability and innovation among wallet providers and DApps.
Appendix and Additional Resources
The proposal includes appendices detailing the API’s consumer-facing documentation, examples of usage, and a comprehensive list of supported functions and events. These resources are designed to assist developers in integrating the standardized Web3 provider into their applications, ensuring a smooth transition to a more unified and efficient ecosystem.