Kez/nodejs/README.md
Jason Tudisco b1f8b3a5fb docs(nodejs): add TUTORIAL.md — Node.js mirror of the Rust tutorial
Parallel of rust/TUTORIAL.md (d10dfb9), adapted for the Node.js
implementation. Same end-state for the reader: from "I have a nostr
nsec" to "I have a verified, published sigchain" in ~15 minutes.

Node-specific adaptations:
  • Install (Node 22+ note for the built-in WebSocket the nostr
    channel needs, npm 9+ workspaces, optional `npm link` for global
    `kez` instead of `npm run cli --`).
  • Every command uses `npm run cli --` to match the README's
    existing convention; explicit "-- swallowed flags" callout.
  • New section 8 "Programmatic use" — short snippet showing how to
    sign + verify via @kez/core + @kez/channels for embedding in a
    Node app. Cross-checked against the real exports
    (newClaimPayload(subject, primary, date), signClaim(payload,
    signer), await defaultRegistry(), registry.verify(...)).
  • Cross-implementation interop callout: sign in Node, verify in
    Rust (wire-compatible by design).
  • Common-confusions FAQ gets one extra entry — "Is the Node version
    slower than Rust?" (answer: I/O-bound on channels, both fine for
    interactive use; Rust faster only for batch sigchain work).
  • Troubleshooting adds "WebSocket is not defined → upgrade Node" for
    the nostr channel.

README now points to TUTORIAL.md as the on-ramp, matching the Rust
README's structure.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-05-30 00:19:18 -06:00

147 lines
5.1 KiB
Markdown

# KEZ — Node.js Implementation
TypeScript port of [KEZ](../SPEC.md), structurally mirroring the
[Rust implementation](../rust/README.md) — three packages (`core`, `channels`,
`cli`) with the same CLI surface, the same proof formats, and the same
five channel plugins. Wire-compatible with the Rust version: a claim signed
in Rust verifies in Node and vice versa.
```
nodejs/
├── package.json npm workspaces root
├── tsconfig.base.json
├── packages/
│ ├── kez-core/ Types, signing, verification, JCS, all four encodings
│ ├── kez-channels/ One file per channel (github, dns, nostr, bluesky, activitypub)
│ └── kez-cli/ Thin CLI dispatching through the channel registry
└── README.md (this file)
```
> **New to KEZ?** Read [**`TUTORIAL.md`**](TUTORIAL.md) — a friendly
> step-by-step walkthrough that takes you from "I have a nostr `nsec`"
> to "I have a verified, published sigchain." It assumes nothing.
>
> This README is the reference; the tutorial is the on-ramp.
## Requirements
- Node.js 22+ (for the built-in WebSocket the nostr channel uses)
- npm 9+ (for `workspaces`)
## Install & test
```sh
npm install # one-time
npm test # runs all packages' vitest suites
npm run typecheck # strict tsc --build across all packages
```
## CLI
The CLI mirrors the Rust CLI exactly. Run it via the workspace script:
```sh
# Create a key
npm run cli -- identity new
# Sign a claim — pick either key type
npm run cli -- claim create github:jason --nsec nsec1... --format markdown --out github.kez.md
npm run cli -- claim create github:jason --ed25519-seed <64-char-hex> --format markdown --out github.kez.md
# Generate an ed25519 identity instead of nostr
npm run cli -- identity new --key-type ed25519
# Local sigchain (state at ~/.kez/sigchains/<safe-primary>.jsonl)
npm run cli -- sigchain add github:jason --nsec nsec1...
npm run cli -- sigchain revoke github:jason --nsec nsec1...
npm run cli -- sigchain show --nsec nsec1...
npm run cli -- sigchain export --nsec nsec1... --format jsonl
# Publish the sigchain to one or more destinations
npm run cli -- sigchain publish --nsec nsec1... \
--server http://localhost:7878 \
--web --out chain.jsonl \
--dns example.com \
--nostr wss://relay.damus.io
# Verify a local file
npm run cli -- verify file github.kez.md
# Verify any KEZ identifier over the network
npm run cli -- verify id github:jason
npm run cli -- verify id dns:jason.example.com
npm run cli -- verify id nostr:npub1...
npm run cli -- verify id bluesky:jason.bsky.social
npm run cli -- verify id ap:@jason@mastodon.social
npm run cli -- verify id mastodon:@jason@mastodon.social
```
## Channels
| File | System | Implementation |
|---|---|---|
| [`dns.ts`](packages/kez-channels/src/dns.ts) | `dns:` | Node `dns/promises` resolver, abstracted behind `TxtResolver` for testing |
| [`github.ts`](packages/kez-channels/src/github.ts) | `github:` | `fetch` against the public REST API, no auth |
| [`nostr.ts`](packages/kez-channels/src/nostr.ts) | `nostr:` | Built-in `WebSocket` to default relays, abstracted behind `NostrFetcher` |
| [`bluesky.ts`](packages/kez-channels/src/bluesky.ts) | `bluesky:` | `fetch` against the public Bluesky AppView, no auth |
| [`activitypub.ts`](packages/kez-channels/src/activitypub.ts) | `ap:`, `mastodon:` | WebFinger + actor JSON, no auth |
Each channel implements:
```ts
interface Channel {
readonly system: string;
fetchAndVerify(identity: Identity): Promise<ChannelHit>;
}
```
…and is registered in `Registry`. Adding a new channel is one file + one
`r.register(new MyChannel())` line in
[`defaultRegistry`](packages/kez-channels/src/index.ts).
## Library use
```ts
import { Identity } from "@kez/core";
import { defaultRegistry } from "@kez/channels";
const registry = await defaultRegistry();
const hit = await registry.verify(Identity.parse("github:jason"));
console.log(hit.status); // VerificationStatus
```
## Crypto stack
- **Schnorr signatures** — `@noble/curves/secp256k1` (BIP-340)
- **SHA-256** — `@noble/hashes/sha2`
- **bech32 (npub/nsec)** — `@scure/base`
- **JCS (RFC 8785)** — `canonicalize`
- **zstd** — `fzstd` (pure JS, no native deps)
- **base64url** — `@scure/base`
- **HTTP** — Node 18+ built-in `fetch`
- **WebSocket** — Node 22+ built-in `WebSocket`
- **DNS TXT** — Node `dns/promises`
No native dependencies. Runs on Node, Bun, and (mostly) Deno.
## Cross-implementation interop
The whole point of having two implementations is to demonstrate that the
proof format is portable. The repo root has a `crosstest.sh` script that
generates artifacts in Rust and verifies them in Node, and vice versa. See
[`../README.md`](../README.md#cross-testing) for the runner.
## Tests
```sh
npm test # full suite
npx vitest run --project core # one workspace package
```
The test suite hits no network — HTTP channels use an injected `fetch`,
DNS uses a `TxtResolver` interface, nostr uses a `NostrFetcher` interface.
## License
Dual-licensed under MIT or Apache-2.0.