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change(doc): Document how to add a column family (#8149)
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* Document how to add a column family

* Add the column family to the list in the DB

* Fix rust formatting
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teor2345 committed Jan 12, 2024
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# Zebra Cached State Database Implementation

## Adding a Column Family

Most Zebra column families are implemented using low-level methods that allow accesses using any
type. But this is error-prone, because we can accidentally use different types to read and write
them. (Or read using different types in different methods.)

If we type the column family name out every time, a typo can lead to a panic, because the column
family doesn't exist.

Instead:
- define the name and type of each column family at the top of the implementation module,
- add a method on the database that returns that type, and
- add the column family name to the list of column families in the database:

For example:
```rust
/// The name of the sapling transaction IDs result column family.
pub const SAPLING_TX_IDS: &str = "sapling_tx_ids";

/// The column families supported by the running `zebra-scan` database code.
pub const SCANNER_COLUMN_FAMILIES_IN_CODE: &[&str] = &[
sapling::SAPLING_TX_IDS,
];

/// The type for reading sapling transaction IDs results from the database.
pub type SaplingTxIdsCf<'cf> =
TypedColumnFamily<'cf, SaplingScannedDatabaseIndex, Option<SaplingScannedResult>>;

impl Storage {
/// Returns a typed handle to the `sapling_tx_ids` column family.
pub(crate) fn sapling_tx_ids_cf(&self) -> SaplingTxIdsCf {
SaplingTxIdsCf::new(&self.db, SAPLING_TX_IDS)
.expect("column family was created when database was created")
}
}
```

Then, every read of the column family uses that method, which enforces the correct types:
(These methods have the same name as the low-level methods, but are easier to call.)
```rust
impl Storage {
/// Returns the result for a specific database index (key, block height, transaction index).
pub fn sapling_result_for_index(
&self,
index: &SaplingScannedDatabaseIndex,
) -> Option<SaplingScannedResult> {
self.sapling_tx_ids_cf().zs_get(index).flatten()
}

/// Returns the Sapling indexes and results in the supplied range.
fn sapling_results_in_range(
&self,
range: impl RangeBounds<SaplingScannedDatabaseIndex>,
) -> BTreeMap<SaplingScannedDatabaseIndex, Option<SaplingScannedResult>> {
self.sapling_tx_ids_cf().zs_items_in_range_ordered(range)
}
}
```

This simplifies the implementation compared with the raw `ReadDisk` methods.

To write to the database, use the `new_batch_for_writing()` method on the column family type.
This returns a batch that enforces the correct types. Use `write_batch()` to write it to the
database:
```rust
impl Storage {
/// Insert a sapling scanning `key`, and mark all heights before `birthday_height` so they
/// won't be scanned.
pub(crate) fn insert_sapling_key(
&mut self,
storage: &Storage,
sapling_key: &SaplingScanningKey,
birthday_height: Option<Height>,
) {
...
self.sapling_tx_ids_cf()
.new_batch_for_writing()
.zs_insert(&index, &None)
.write_batch()
.expect("unexpected database write failure");
}
}
```

To write to an existing batch in legacy code, use `with_batch_for_writing()` instead.
This relies on the caller to write the batch to the database:
```rust
impl DiskWriteBatch {
/// Updates the history tree for the tip, if it is not empty.
///
/// The batch must be written to the database by the caller.
pub fn update_history_tree(&mut self, db: &ZebraDb, tree: &HistoryTree) {
let history_tree_cf = db.history_tree_cf().with_batch_for_writing(self);

if let Some(tree) = tree.as_ref().as_ref() {
// The batch is modified by this method and written by the caller.
let _ = history_tree_cf.zs_insert(&(), tree);
}
}
}
```

To write to a legacy batch, then write it to the database, you can use
`take_batch_for_writing(batch).write_batch()`.

During database upgrades, you might need to access the same column family using different types.
[Define a type](https://github.com/ZcashFoundation/zebra/pull/8115/files#diff-ba689ca6516946a903da62153652d91dc1bb3d0100bcf08698cb3f38ead57734R36-R53)
and [convenience method](https://github.com/ZcashFoundation/zebra/pull/8115/files#diff-ba689ca6516946a903da62153652d91dc1bb3d0100bcf08698cb3f38ead57734R69-R87)
for each legacy type, and use them during the upgrade.

Some full examples of legacy code conversions, and the typed column family implementation itself
are in [PR #8112](https://github.com/ZcashFoundation/zebra/pull/8112/files) and
[PR #8115](https://github.com/ZcashFoundation/zebra/pull/8115/files).

## Current Implementation

### Verification Modes
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