TypeScript is a superset of JavaScript that adds type annotations to the language. It provides compile-time type checking and helps developers catch type-related errors early in the development process. On the other hand, IPFS is a distributed file system that aims to create a permanent and decentralized web. It allows users to store and share files without relying on centralized servers. In this tutorial, we'll explore how TypeScript and IPFS can be used together to build decentralized applications.


Prerequisites

Before we start, make sure you have the following tools installed on your system:

  • Node.js
  • npm or Yarn
  • TypeScript
  • IPFS

To install TypeScript, run the following command: 

npm install -g typescript

To install IPFS, follow the installation guide provided on the official IPFS website.


Creating a TypeScript project

To create a new TypeScript project, run the following command:

mkdir ipfs-typescript && cd ipfs-typescript
npm init -y

This will create a new directory called ipfs-typescript and initialize a new npm package with default settings.

Next, we'll install some dependencies that we'll need for our project:

npm install ipfs-core @types/ipfs-core

ipfs-core is the core library for IPFS, and @types/ipfs-core provides TypeScript typings for the library.

Once we've installed the dependencies, we'll create a new TypeScript file called index.ts:

touch index.ts

In this file, we'll write a simple program that connects to the IPFS network and adds a file to the network.


Connecting to IPFS

To connect to the IPFS network, we'll create a new IPFS instance using the create method from ipfs-core. We'll also add a file to the network using the add method. Here's the complete code:

import { create } from 'ipfs-core';

async function main() {
  const ipfs = await create();
  const added = await ipfs.add('Hello, IPFS!');
  console.log(added.cid.toString());
}

main();

In this code, we import the create method from ipfs-core and create a new IPFS instance using await create(). We then use the add method to add a string ('Hello, IPFS!') to the IPFS network. Finally, we log the content identifier (CID) of the added file to the console.

To compile and run this program, run the following command:

tsc index.ts && node index.js

This will compile the TypeScript code to JavaScript and run the resulting index.js file.

If everything worked correctly, you should see a CID printed to the console. This CID represents the content identifier of the file we just added to the IPFS network.


Using IPFS with TypeScript

To use IPFS with TypeScript, we'll need to use the @types/ipfs-core package. This package provides TypeScript typings for the IPFS library, which will allow us to write type-safe code.

For example, let's say we want to add a file to IPFS using the add method. Here's how we can write type-safe code to accomplish this:

import { create } from 'ipfs-core';
import type { CID } from 'multiformats/cid';

async function addFileToIPFS(content: string): Promise<CID> {
  const ipfs = await create();
  const added = await ipfs.add({ content });
  return added.cid;
}

async function main() {
  const cid = await addFileToIPFS('Hello, IPFS!');
console.log(cid.toString());
}

main();

In this code, we define a new function called `addFileToIPFS` that takes a string `content` and returns a `Promise` that resolves to a CID. We use the `create` method from `ipfs-core` to create a new IPFS instance, and we use the `add` method to add the specified content to the IPFS network. Finally, we return the CID of the added file.

We also use the `CID` type from the `multiformats/cid` package to define the return type of the function. This ensures that the function returns a valid CID.

In the `main` function, we call `addFileToIPFS` with the string `'Hello, IPFS!'` and log the resulting CID to the console.

When we compile and run this code, TypeScript will ensure that all types are correct and that we're using IPFS correctly.


Conclusion

In this tutorial, we've explored how TypeScript and IPFS can be used together to build decentralized applications. We've learned how to connect to the IPFS network and add files using TypeScript, and we've seen how to write type-safe code that uses IPFS.

Using TypeScript with IPFS can help us catch errors early in the development process and ensure that our code is correct and safe to use. By combining the power of TypeScript with the decentralized file storage capabilities of IPFS, we can build powerful and resilient applications that are not reliant on centralized servers.