Understanding the Retrieve Message Container Node

In this quick tutorial, we will cover “Understanding the Retrieve Message Container Node”. The Catenis platform allows you to log content directly to a bitcoin transaction, or if the content is larger than 75 bytes, it logs it to IPFS, inserting the IPFS hash into the bitcoin transaction. As its name implies, the “Retrieve Message Container” node retrieves information about the container object in which a message’s content is recorded.

This node takes as input the ID of the message you wish to retrieve container information for, in String format, and returns a JSON object containing the messages transaction ID, the confirmation status of the Bitcoin transaction, and if the message was stored externally, it also returns the IPFS hash pointer location.

In this video we will cover:

• What is the Message container
• What input is needed to retrieve the message container
• Importing a working Retrieve Message Container Node flow
• Running the flow to see its results

Prerequisite

• A Free Catenis Development account or Production account
• Node-RED installed on either a local or cloud environment
• Catenis Flow Pallet installed on Node-RED
• A Catenis Virtual Device configured on Node-RED
• Basic understanding of how to use Node-RED
• Basic understanding of Bitcoin Blockchain concepts
• Basic understanding of IPFS

Thank you for watching Understanding the Retrieve Message Container Node in the Catenis Flow tutorial series. Watch the next video, Working with the Retrieve Message Container Node, to further expand your knowledge.

Links from this video for easy access:

• Working With the Log Message Node: https://blockchainofthings.com/tutorials/work-with-log-message-node
• How to Configure a Virtual Device: https://blockchainofthings.com/tutorials/configure-virtual-device
• Retrieve message container flow to import: https://blockchainofthings.com/retrieve-message-container-node/
• Working With the Retrieve Message Container Node: https://blockchainofthings.com/tutorials/work-with-retrieve-message-container-node

To sign up for your free account, head to our website www.blockchainofthings.com.

Join our community forum for the quickest response time to all your questions and concerns. This forum is our customer support. https://forum.blockchainofthings.com

[Music]

Hi, this is Clara for Blockchain of Things.

In this tutorial, you will learn about the
Retrieve Message Container Node,

and how it’s used in Catenis Flow.

As its name implies, the Retrieve Message Container Node
retrieves information about the container

object in which a message’s content is recorded.

This node takes as input the ID of the message

you wish to retrieve container information for in string format and returns a JSON object

containing the message transaction ID,

the confirmation status of the bitcoin
transaction, and if the message was stored externally.

It also returns the IPFS hash pointer location

Let’s review the node properties panel field
and take a look at what each property is for.

The Retrieve Message Container Node is
one of the simpler Catenis Flow Nodes

and only has two fields.

The name field, and connection field.

The name field allows you to add a descriptive name to your node that will help differentiate this node

from others of the same type on the Node-RED workspace.

While it is highly recommended to name your nodes in order to keep your flow organized, it is not required.

In the connection field, you can set a previously configured Catenis Virtual Device connection, or you can add a new virtual device.

If you need to configure a new virtual device,
check out the video at this link to learn how.

Now, let’s preview this node in action.

Navigate to this link:

Copy the example flow.

Click the Node-RED hamburger menu and click import to display the import flow dialog box.

Paste the flow into the import box and click the import button.

This flow is a working example, implementing
the Retrieve Message Container Node

Note, that after importing the example flow,
you will need to set the Retrieve Message Container Node

to your own previously configured virtual device

and you will also need to set the message ID payload in the Inject Node to the ID of a message you have previously logged.

You can pause this tutorial now to explore this flow on your own.

Note, that the inputs injected into this node via a JSON object containing alternate node properties

will override the properties set on this node’s slide-out properties panel.

Now that you understand the Retrieve Message Container Node,

you’re ready to build your own version of the
flow that we just imported.

Check out our next video to learn how!

[Music]