iota - Python package

This is a package for python which can be used to handle with the IOTA API. It is very easy to install it with pip (for more go to installation). To run the package it is required to run a IOTA instance (IRI.jar or the IOTA Wallet). When you run an instance from the iota class you have special values which let you error handling or help other things.

What I need to run an iota instance?

• Install the latest IOTA release from : IOTA Node
• the python package sys, json, urllib2 are required

Installation

If you already have installed pip then you can skip this point and can directly install the package with pip. For other OS go to: installing pip In Ubuntu you can do this:

$ sudo apt-get install python-pip python-dev build-essential 
$ sudo pip install --upgrade pip 
$ sudo pip install --upgrade virtualenv

Now you have pip and can install the package very easy.

$ sudo pip install -i https://testpypi.python.org/pypi iota

running instance

• First you have to import the package

from iota import iota

• Now you can run an instance

node=iota("HIERCOMESMYSEED")

• Access your iota

node.searchNewTransaction()
print (node.error)
print (node.txCounter)

Error Handling

There are two types of error handlings in the iota. If a error appears the node print the error to the stdout. When the instance is running you can check the errors also if you read the string error from the node (iota.error). All error are also written to this error string. All methods give a None back if there was en error.

Transaction Counter

There is an txCounter implemented in the iota so you can check the actual tx high with iota.txCounter.

Iota class

iota(seed, address=None)

Make an instance from iota.

Direction	Parameters	Type	Required	Description
input	seed	string	Yes	81-char encoded string which contains the accounts seed. The seed must be correctly encoded: only uppercase latin letters and 9’s. No other characters are allowed.
input	address	string	No	81-char long address where transaction can be searched.

sendMessage(address, message, value)

Send a message to a specified address.

Direction	Parameters	Type	Required	Description
input	address	string	Yes	81-char long address of the recipient of a transaction.
input	message	string	Yes	The message which added to the transation.
input	value	string	Yes	string the quantity of IOTA’s which should be transferred.
return	jsonData	json	Yes	Return an error or the answer from the request in JSON.

sendRequest(command)

Send a request to the IOTA Node and return the answer.

Direction	Parameters	Type	Required	Description
input	command	string	Yes	The command which will be send.
return	jsonData	json	Yes	The answer from the request in JSON.

searchNewTransaction(address=None)

Search for new transaction. If a new is received the txCounter increments an the latest transaction is given back as Hash.

Direction	Parameters	Type	Required	Description
input	address	string	No	81-char long address of the recipient of a transaction.
return	transaction	string	Yes	Hash of the last transaction.

searchTransaction(address=None)

Direction	Parameters	Type	Required	Description
input	seed	string	No	81-char encoded string which contains the accounts seed. The seed must be correctly encoded: only uppercase latin letters and 9’s. No other characters are allowed.
return	transaction	string	Yes	Hash of the last transaction.

checkConfirmed()

Checks if the latest arrived transaction is confirmed.

Direction	Parameters	Type	Required	Description
return	persistence	int	Yes	The persistence of the latest transaction.

searchMessage(transaction, i=0)

Reade the message out of the transaction. i is optional and can say which message in the bundle should be readed.

Direction	Parameters	Type	Required	Description
input	transaction	string	Yes	Hash of the transaction which include the message.
input	i	int	No	Which message will be read in the bundle. Default to 0.
return	message	string	Yes	The message which is encoded in trytes.

byteToTryte(char)

Direction	Parameters	Type	Required	Description
input	char	char	Yes	ASCII Character which will encoded to a tryte.
return	tryte	char	Yes	The encoded character as tryte.

tryteToByte(tryte)

Direction	Parameters	Type	Required	Description
input	tryte	string	Yes	The tryte which should convertet. (2 chars long)
return	byte	char	Yes	The decoded Byte as ASCII character.

messageEncode(message)

Direction	Parameters	Type	Required	Description
input	message	string	Yes	Message which will be encoded to tyrtes.
return	trytes	string	Yes	The encoded message in trytes

messageDecode(trytes)

Direction	Parameters	Type	Required	Description
input	trytes	string	Yes	Trytes which will be decoded to ASCII characters.
return	message	string	Yes	The decoded Message.