Blockchain technology is ever-evolving, and within this landscape, the Interchain ecosystem has emerged as a groundbreaking concept. It promises to revolutionize blockchain interoperability, enabling seamless communication and data transfer between different blockchains.
Understanding the Technical Terms
In the realm of the Interchain, several technical terms are fundamental to grasp the underlying concepts. Let’s delve into these technical terms to gain a clearer understanding:
Light clients: They are like the “lite” version of using a blockchain. Instead of downloading and checking every single thing that happens on a blockchain (which can be really heavy and slow), light clients take a shortcut. They only grab the important bits of information they need, making it much quicker and easier to use a blockchain.
These light clients are super useful because they help different blockchains talk to each other safely. It’s kind of like having a translator at a global meeting — they make sure everyone understands each other. So, light clients help with things like moving stuff from one blockchain to another, getting data, and other things, all while making sure everything is honest and secure.
Remote procedure call (RPC): RPC is similar to a telecommunications system for computer programs. Consider it as establishing a phone call between two computers, where each computer can request services or execute functions on the other, much like how you might dial a friend’s number to ask for assistance.
Here’s how it works in technical terms: Through RPC, one computer acts as the caller and asks the other computer, the receiver, to perform specific tasks or functions. similar to the complexity of phone line connections, You don’t have to worry about all the complex stuff like how the message gets there; RPC handles that for you.
This is really handy because it means different parts of a program or even different programs on different computers can chat and help each other out, like teamwork between neighbors. RPC is like the bridge that connects them, making it all super smooth and easy.
Protocol Buffers(Protobuf): Protobuf is an adaptable and efficient data conversion method that allows developers to define structured message formats for their applications, promoting interoperability and efficient data exchange between different components and services.
When developing with CosmosSDK, Developers define the data structures and messages for their custom modules and applications in a Protobuf file.
Protobuf is a language-agnostic nature. Once you define a message format in Protobuf, you can generate code in various programming languages to serialize, deserialize, and work with messages in that format.
gRPC(Google Remote procedure call): This is a modern open-source high-performance RPC framework that can run in any environment and supports various programming languages. This communication protocol streamlines interactions between blockchain components and services, ensuring fast and efficient RPCs.
gRPC uses HTTP2 as its transport protocol and Protobuf to encode data. gRPCs have a single specification, which makes all gRPC implementations consistent.
gRPC-web: This is a JavaScript-based implementation of gRPC designed for web browsers. This technology allows web applications to efficiently communicate with gRPC-based services, taking advantage of gRPC’s performance benefits and features while working within the constraints of web browser environments.
Here’s how it works: Normally, web browsers have a tough time talking to certain computer systems (like gRPC) because they use different languages. But gRPC-web acts as the translator. It helps your web browser talk to these systems using a clever trick called a “proxy.”
gRPC-gateway: Think of the gRPC gateway as a special bridge between two different talking styles for computers: gRPC and REST.
Here’s how it works: Some computer programs like talking in a fancy language called gRPC, while others prefer a simpler language called REST. But sometimes, they need to understand each other. That’s where the gRPC gateway comes in. It’s like a translator.
So, gRPC-gateway creates a special server that knows both languages. When a program speaks gRPC, this server can understand it. But when another program speaks REST, the server listens, figures out what’s being said, and translates it into gRPC language.
This is really handy because it means different parts of your program, or even different programs, can understand and work with each other, no matter which language they prefer. It’s like having a multilingual guide for your computer programs. For example, if your web browser doesn’t speak gRPC, you can still use the Cosmos SDK because it provides a way to talk to it in the language your browser understands, thanks to the gRPC gateway.
Amino: This serves as a crucial encoding specification within the Cosmos SDK. Picture it as a method for packaging, unpacking, and encoding data. It’s similar to skillfully arranging items in boxes, labeling them clearly, and ensuring everything inside is carefully organized to simplify seamless communication with computers.
Here’s how it operates: Amino excels at handling various forms of information, primarily focusing on data encoding. It’s similar to having specialized containers capable of accommodating various items. Amino possesses the knowledge to package these items efficiently, making sure they can be easily understood by computers.
In the realm of Cosmos SDK, Amino is similar to a trusted protocol for wrapping, structuring, and encoding data bundles. Imagine it as the process of sending messages between computers on the blockchain in carefully organized packages with distinct labels. This guarantees that data circulates without any misunderstandings or hiccups. Amino excels particularly in simplifying intricate data into a format that computers can readily interpret.
Useful Link & Resources
Light Clients in Tendermint Consensus
gRPC, REST, and CometBFT Endpoints
Protocol Buffers Official documentation
gRPC documentation
gRPC-Gateway
Conclusion
We have gone about several technical terms in the interchain ecosystem, if you are interested in becoming a cosmos developer There is an Academy Hosted by the interchain themselves Apply Here.
Feel free to reach out to me on Twitter if you have any questions. Additionally, you can join the Cosmos Discord and Cudos Discord community.
Happy Building!
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