The Verida JavaScript Library is a powerful monorepo that allows developers to integrate and utilize the Verida protocol seamlessly in their applications. Whether you’re building web or React Native applications, this guide will help you understand how to leverage the library effectively.

Understanding the Core Packages

The library consists of several key packages that you should be familiar with:

• client-ts: This is the main Verida client library. Install it in your project to gain support for the Verida protocol.
• account-web-vault: Use this package to create a Verida network connection. This utilizes a QR code and the Verida Vault to sign authentication requests, suitable for web applications.
• account-node: This lets you create an instance of a Verida account using a private key or seed phrase, automatically signing all authentication requests. Ideal for NodeJS server-side apps or React Native applications.

Utility Packages

These helper packages are generally not used directly but offer valuable support:

• account: Shared code among various account implementations.
• encryption-utils: Encryption utilities that simplify the usage of tweetnacl.
• keyring: This package aids in managing asymmetric, symmetric, and signing keys for a specific account context.
• storage-link: Utilities for linking storage endpoint information to a Verida account.

Setting Up Your Environment

To work with the Verida library, ensure you are using Node version 18 (ltshydrogen). You can manage Node versions effectively with nvm:

• Install Node version 18: nvm install ltshydrogen
• Activate the installed version: nvm use (this command utilizes the .nvmrc file)

Linking Dependencies

When working within a monorepo, direct dependency management through yarn can be tricky. If a package has not been published to npm, you can link unpublished dependencies by:

• Manually adding the expected dependency to your package.json (for example: @verida/encryption-utils)
• Running yarn install in the root directory of your project

Building Packages

To build packages in the Verida library:

• In the root directory, run:

yarn install
npx lerna run build

• To build a specific package, navigate to its directory and run:

cd packages/package-name
yarn
yarn build

Creating a Release

To prepare for a new release, follow these steps:

• Update all CHANGELOG.md files in each package with entries for all changes since the last release.
• Run the following commands:

$ npx lerna run build
$ npx lerna publish --dist-tag next

• Use the tag next for upcoming releases or latest for stable releases.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter any issues during setup or usage of the Verida library, here are a few troubleshooting steps to consider:

• Ensure you are on the correct Node version by running node -v.
• If you run into dependency issues, double-check your package.json for accuracy.
• For potential build errors, ensure all packages are up to date and correctly linked.
• If you’re still stuck, don’t hesitate to seek help from the community!

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