---
eip: 2678
title: Revised Ethereum Smart Contract Packaging Standard (EthPM v3)
author: g. nicholas d’andrea (@gnidan), Piper Merriam (@pipermerriam), Nick Gheorghita (@njgheorghita), Christian Reitwiessner(@chriseth), Ben Hauser (@iamdefinitelyahuman), Bryant Eisenbach (@fubuloubu)
discussions-to: https://ethereum-magicians.org/t/ethpm-v3-specification-working-group/4086
status: Review
type: Standards Track
category: ERC
created: 2020-05-26
---


## Simple Summary

A data format describing a smart contract software package.


## Abstract

This EIP defines a data format for *package manifest* documents,
representing a package of one or more smart contracts, optionally
including source code and any/all deployed instances across multiple
networks. Package manifests are minified JSON objects, to be distributed
via content addressable storage networks, such as IPFS. Packages
are then published to on-chain EthPM registries, defined in
[EIP-1319](./eip-1319.md), from where they can be freely accessed.

This document presents a natural language description of a formal
specification for version **3** of this format.


## Motivation

This standard aims to encourage the Ethereum development ecosystem
towards software best practices around code reuse. By defining an open,
community-driven package data format standard, this effort seeks to
provide support for package management tools development by offering a
general-purpose solution that has been designed with observed common
practices in mind.

-   Updates the schema for a *package manifest* to be compatible with
	the [metadata](https://solidity.readthedocs.io/en/latest/metadata.html) output for compilers.
-   Updates the `"sources"` object definition to support a wider range of source file types and serve as [JSON input](https://solidity.readthedocs.io/en/latest/using-the-compiler.html#compiler-input-and-output-json-description) for a compiler.
-   Moves compiler definitions to a top-level `"compilers"` array in order to:
	-   Simplify the links between a compiler version, sources, and the
		compiled assets.
	-   Simplify packages that use multiple compiler versions.
-   Updates key formatting from `snake_case` to `camelCase` to be
	more consistent with [JSON convention](https://google.github.io/styleguide/jsoncstyleguide.xml?showone=Property_Name_Format#Property_Name_Format).

### Guiding Principles

This specification makes the following assumptions about the document
lifecycle.

1.  Package manifests are intended to be generated programmatically by
    package management software as part of the release process.

2.  Package manifests will be consumed by package managers during tasks
    like installing package dependencies or building and deploying new
    releases.

3.  Package manifests will typically **not** be stored alongside the
    source, but rather by package registries *or* referenced by package
    registries and stored in something akin to IPFS.

4.  Package manifests can be used to verify public deployments of source 
	contracts.

### Use Cases

The following use cases were considered during the creation of this
specification.

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 30%" />
<col style="width: 70%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>owned</p></td>
<td><p>A package which contains contracts which are not meant to be used by themselves but rather as base contracts to provide functionality to other contracts through inheritance.</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>transferable</p></td>
<td><p>A package which has a single dependency.</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>standard-token</p></td>
<td><p>A package which contains a reusable contract.</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>safe-math-lib</p></td>
<td><p>A package which contains deployed instance of one of the package contracts.</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>piper-coin</p></td>
<td><p>A package which contains a deployed instance of a reusable contract from a dependency.</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>escrow</p></td>
<td><p>A package which contains a deployed instance of a local contract which is linked against a deployed instance of a local library.</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>wallet</p></td>
<td><p>A package with a deployed instance of a local contract which is linked against a deployed instance of a library from a dependency.</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>wallet-with-send</p></td>
<td><p>A package with a deployed instance which links against a deep dependency.</p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>simple-auction</p></td>
<td><p>Compiler <code>"metadata"</code> field output.</p></td>
</tr>
</table>

<div id="package-specification"></div>

## Specification

### Conventions

#### RFC2119

The key words “MUST”, “MUST NOT”, “REQUIRED”, “SHALL”, “SHALL NOT”,
“SHOULD”, “SHOULD NOT”, “RECOMMENDED”, “MAY”, and “OPTIONAL” in this
document are to be interpreted as described in RFC 2119.

-   <https://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2119.txt>


#### Prefixed vs Unprefixed

A [prefixed](#term-prefixed) hexadecimal value begins with `0x`.
[Unprefixed](#term-unprefixed) values have no prefix. Unless otherwise
specified, all hexadecimal values **should** be represented with the
`0x` prefix.

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Prefixed</p></td>
<td><p><code>0xdeadbeef</code></p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Unprefixed</p></td>
<td><p><code>deadbeef</code></p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>


### Document Format

The canonical format is a single JSON object. Packages **must** conform
to the following serialization rules.

-   The document **must** be tightly packed, meaning no linebreaks or
    extra whitespace.

-   The keys in all objects **must** be sorted alphabetically.

-   Duplicate keys in the same object are invalid.

-   The document **must** use
    [UTF-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UTF-8)
    encoding.

-   The document **must** not have a trailing newline.

-   To ensure backwards compatibility, `manifest_version` is a forbidden
    top-level key.


### Document Specification

The following fields are defined for the package. Custom fields **may**
be included. Custom fields **should** be prefixed with `x-` to prevent
name collisions with future versions of the specification.

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>See Also</p></td>
<td><p>Formalized (<a href="https://json-schema.org">JSON-Schema</a>) version of this specification: [package.spec.json](../assets/eip-2678/package.spec.json)</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Jump To</p></td>
<td><p><a href="#object-definitions">Definitions</a></p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>


<div id="manifest"></div>

### EthPM Manifest Version: `manifest`

The `manifest` field defines the specification version that this
document conforms to.

-   Packages **must** include this field.

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Required</p></td>
<td><p>Yes</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Key</p></td>
<td><p><code>manifest</code></p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Type</p></td>
<td><p>String</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Allowed Values</p></td>
<td><p><code>ethpm/3</code></p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>


<div id="name"></div>

### Package Name: `name`

The `name` field defines a human readable name for this package.

-   Packages **should** include this field to be released on an EthPM
    registry.

-   Package names **must** begin with a lowercase letter and be
    comprised of only the lowercase letters `a-z`, numeric characters `0-9`, and the
    dash character `-`.

-   Package names **must** not exceed 255 characters in length.

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Required</p></td>
<td><p>If <code>version</code> is included.</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Key</p></td>
<td><p><code>name</code></p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Type</p></td>
<td><p>String</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Format</p></td>
<td><p><strong>must</strong> match the regular expression <code>^[a-z][-a-z0-9]{0,255}$</code></p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>


<div id="version"></div>

### Package Version: `version`

The `version` field declares the version number of this release.

-   Packages **should** include this field to be released on an EthPM
    registry.

-   This value **should** conform to the
    [semver](http://semver.org/) version numbering
    specification.

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>If <code>name</code> is included.</p></td>
<td><p>Yes</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Key</p></td>
<td><p><code>version</code></p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Type</p></td>
<td><p>String</p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<div id="meta"></div>

### Package Metadata: `meta`

The `meta` field defines a location for metadata about the package which
is not integral in nature for package installation, but may be important
or convenient to have on-hand for other reasons.

-   This field **should** be included in all Packages.

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Required</p></td>
<td><p>No</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Key</p></td>
<td><p><code>meta</code></p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Type</p></td>
<td><p><a href="#package-meta-object">Package Meta Object</a></p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>


<div id="sources"></div>

### Sources: `sources`

The `sources` field defines a source tree that **should** comprise the
full source tree necessary to recompile the contracts contained in this
release.

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Required</p></td>
<td><p>No</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Key</p></td>
<td><p><code>sources</code></p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Type</p></td>
<td><p>Object (String: <a href="#sources-object">Sources Object</a>)</p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>


<div id="contract-types"></div>

### Contract Types: `contractTypes`

The `contractTypes` field hosts the [Contract
Types](#term-contract-type) which have been included in this release.

-   Packages **should** only include contract types that can be found in
    the source files for this package.

-   Packages **should not** include contract types from dependencies.

-   Packages **should not** include abstract contracts in the contract
    types section of a release.

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Required</p></td>
<td><p>No</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Key</p></td>
<td><p><code>contractTypes</code></p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Type</p></td>
<td><p>Object (String: <a href="#contract-type-object">Contract Type Object</a>)</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Format</p></td>
<td><p>Keys <strong>must</strong> be valid <a href="#term-contract-alias">Contract Aliases</a>.</p>
<p> Values <strong>must</strong> conform to the <a href="#contract-type-object">Contract Type Object</a> definition.</p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<div id="compilers"></div>

### Compilers: `compilers`

The `compilers` field holds the information about the compilers and
their settings that have been used to generate the various
`contractTypes` included in this release.

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Required</p></td>
<td><p>No</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Key</p></td>
<td><p><code>compilers</code></p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Type</p></td>
<td><p>Array (<a href="#compiler-information-object">Compiler Information Object</a>)</p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>


<div id="deployments"></div>

### Deployments: `deployments`

The `deployments` field holds the information for the chains on which
this release has [Contract Instances](#term-contract-instance) as well
as the [Contract Types](#term-contract-type) and other deployment
details for those deployed contract instances. The set of chains defined
by the [BIP122 URI](#bip122) keys for this object **must** be
unique. There cannot be two different URI keys in a deployments field
representing the same blockchain.

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Required</p></td>
<td><p>No</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Key</p></td>
<td><p><code>deployments</code></p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Type</p></td>
<td><p>Object (String: Object(String: <a href="#contract-instance-object">Contract Instance Object</a>))</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Format</p></td>
<td><p>Keys <strong>must</strong> be a valid BIP122 URI chain definition.</p>
<p>Values <strong>must</strong> be objects which conform to the following format:</p>
<p>- Keys <strong>must</strong> be valid <a href="#term-contract-instance-name">Contract Instance Names</a>.</p>
<p>- Values <strong>must</strong> be a valid <a href="#contract-instance-object">Contract Instance Object</a>.</p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>


<div id="build-dependencies"></div>

### Build Dependencies: `buildDependencies`

The `buildDependencies` field defines a key/value mapping of EthPM
packages that this project depends on.

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Required</p></td>
<td><p>No</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Key</p></td>
<td><p><code>buildDependencies</code></p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Type</p></td>
<td><p>Object (String: String)</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Format</p></td>
<td><p>Keys <strong>must</strong> be valid <a href="#name">package names</a>.</p>
<p>Values <strong>must</strong> be a <a href="#term-content-addressable-uri">Content Addressable URI</a> which resolves to a valid package that conforms the same EthPM manifest version as its parent.</p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<div id="object-definitions"></div>

### Definitions

Definitions for different objects used within the Package. All objects
allow custom fields to be included. Custom fields **should** be prefixed
with `x-` to prevent name collisions with future versions of the
specification.


<div id="link-reference-object"></div>

### The *Link Reference* Object

A [Link Reference](#term-link-reference) object has the following
key/value pairs. All link references are assumed to be associated with
some corresponding [Bytecode](#term-bytecode).

#### Offsets: `offsets`

The `offsets` field is an array of integers, corresponding to each of
the start positions where the link reference appears in the bytecode.
Locations are 0-indexed from the beginning of the bytes representation
of the corresponding bytecode. This field is invalid if it references a
position that is beyond the end of the bytecode.

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Required</p></td>
<td><p>Yes</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Type</p></td>
<td><p>Array</p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

#### Length: `length`

The `length` field is an integer which defines the length in bytes of
the link reference. This field is invalid if the end of the defined link
reference exceeds the end of the bytecode.

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Required</p></td>
<td><p>Yes</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Type</p></td>
<td><p>Integer</p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

#### Name: `name`

The `name` field is a string which **must** be a valid
[Identifier](#term-identifier). Any link references which **should** be
linked with the same link value **should** be given the same name.

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Required</p></td>
<td><p>No</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Type</p></td>
<td><p>String</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Format</p></td>
<td><p><strong>must</strong> conform to the <a href="#term-identifier">Identifier</a> format.</p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<div id="link-value-object"></div>

### The *Link Value* Object

Describes a single [Link Value](#term-link-value).

A **Link Value object** is defined to have the following key/value
pairs.


#### Offsets: `offsets`

The `offsets` field defines the locations within the corresponding
bytecode where the `value` for this link value was written. These
locations are 0-indexed from the beginning of the bytes representation
of the corresponding bytecode.

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Required</p></td>
<td><p>Yes</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Type</p></td>
<td><p>Integer</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Format</p></td>
<td><p>See Below.</p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

Format

Array of integers, where each integer **must** conform to all of the
following.

-   greater than or equal to zero

-   strictly less than the length of the unprefixed hexadecimal
    representation of the corresponding bytecode.

#### Type: `type`

The `type` field defines the `value` type for determining what is
encoded when [linking](#term-linking) the corresponding bytecode.

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Required</p></td>
<td><p>Yes</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Type</p></td>
<td><p>String</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Allowed Values</p></td>
<td><p><code>"literal"</code> for bytecode literals</p>
<p><code>"reference"</code> for named references to a particular <a href="#term-contract-instance">Contract Instance</a></p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

#### Value: `value`

The `value` field defines the value which should be written when
[linking](#term-linking) the corresponding bytecode.

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Required</p></td>
<td><p>Yes</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Type</p></td>
<td><p>String</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Format</p></td>
<td><p>Determined based on <code>type</code>, see below.</p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

Format

For static value *literals* (e.g. address), value **must** be a 0x-prefixed
hexadecimal string representing bytes.


To reference the address of a [Contract
Instance](#term-contract-instance) from the current package the value
should be the name of that contract instance.

-   This value **must** be a valid [Contract Instance
    Name](#term-contract-instance-name).

-   The chain definition under which the contract instance that this
    link value belongs to must contain this value within its keys.

-   This value **may not** reference the same contract instance that
    this link value belongs to.

To reference a contract instance from a [Package](#term-package) from
somewhere within the dependency tree the value is constructed as
follows.

-   Let `[p1, p2, .. pn]` define a path down the dependency tree.

-   Each of `p1, p2, pn` **must** be valid package names.

-   `p1` **must** be present in keys of the `buildDependencies` for the
    current package.

-   For every `pn` where `n > 1`, `pn` **must** be present in the keys
    of the `buildDependencies` of the package for `pn-1`.

-   The value is represented by the string
    `<p1>:<p2>:<...>:<pn>:<contract-instance>` where all of `<p1>`,
    `<p2>`, `<pn>` are valid package names and `<contract-instance>` is
    a valid [Contract Name](#term-contract-name).

-   The `<contract-instance>` value **must** be a valid [Contract
    Instance Name](#term-contract-instance-name).

-   Within the package of the dependency defined by `<pn>`, all of the
    following must be satisfiable:

    -   There **must** be *exactly* one chain defined under the
        `deployments` key which matches the chain definition that this
        link value is nested under.

    -   The `<contract-instance>` value **must** be present in the keys
        of the matching chain.
  
<div id="bytecode-object"></div>

### The *Bytecode* Object

A bytecode object has the following key/value pairs.

#### Bytecode: `bytecode`

The `bytecode` field is a string containing the `0x` prefixed
hexadecimal representation of the bytecode.

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Required</p></td>
<td><p>Yes</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Type</p></td>
<td><p>String</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Format</p></td>
<td><p><code>0x</code> prefixed hexadecimal.</p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>


#### Link References: `linkReferences`

The `linkReferences` field defines the locations in the corresponding
bytecode which require [linking](#term-linking).

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Required</p></td>
<td><p>No</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Type</p></td>
<td><p>Array</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Format</p></td>
<td><p>All values <strong>must</strong> be valid <a href="#link-reference-object">Link Reference objects</a>. See also below.</p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

Format

This field is considered invalid if *any* of the [Link
References](#term-link-reference) are invalid when applied to the
corresponding `bytecode` field, *or* if any of the link references
intersect.

Intersection is defined as two link references which overlap.

#### Link Dependencies: `linkDependencies`

The `linkDependencies` defines the [Link Values](#term-link-value) that
have been used to link the corresponding bytecode.

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Required</p></td>
<td><p>No</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Type</p></td>
<td><p>Array</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Format</p></td>
<td><p>All values <strong>must</strong> be valid <a href="#link-value-object">Link Value objects</a>. See also below.</p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

Format

Validation of this field includes the following:

-   Two link value objects **must not** contain any of the same values
    for `offsets`.

-   Each [link value object](#link-value-object) **must** have a
    corresponding [link reference object](#link-reference-object) under
    the `linkReferences` field.

-   The length of the resolved `value` **must** be equal to the `length`
    of the corresponding [Link Reference](#term-link-reference).


<div id="package-meta-object"></div>

### The *Package Meta* Object

The *Package Meta* object is defined to have the following key/value
pairs.

#### Authors: `authors`

The `authors` field defines a list of human readable names for the
authors of this package. Packages **may** include this field.


<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Required</p></td>
<td><p>No</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Key</p></td>
<td><p><code>authors</code></p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Type</p></td>
<td><p>Array (String)</p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<div id="meta-license"></div>

#### License: `license`

The `license` field declares the license associated with this package.
This value **should** conform to the
[SPDX](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_Package_Data_Exchange)
format. Packages **should** include this field. If a file [Source
Object](#source-object) defines its own license, that license takes
precedence for that particular file over this package-scoped `meta`
license.

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Required</p></td>
<td><p>No</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Key</p></td>
<td><p><code>license</code></p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Type</p></td>
<td><p>String</p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

#### Description: `description`

The `description` field provides additional detail that may be relevant
for the package. Packages **may** include this field.

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Required</p></td>
<td><p>No</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Key</p></td>
<td><p><code>description</code></p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Type</p></td>
<td><p>String</p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

#### Keywords: `keywords`

The `keywords` field provides relevant keywords related to this package.

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Required</p></td>
<td><p>No</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Key</p></td>
<td><p><code>keywords</code></p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Type</p></td>
<td><p>Array(String)</p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

#### Links: `links`

The `links` field provides URIs to relevant resources associated with
this package. When possible, authors **should** use the following keys
for the following common resources.

-   `website`: Primary website for the package.

-   `documentation`: Package Documentation

-   `repository`: Location of the project source code.

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Required</p></td>
<td><p>No</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Key</p></td>
<td><p><code>links</code></p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Type</p></td>
<td><p>Object (String: String)</p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<div id="sources-object"></div>

### The *Sources* Object

A *Sources* object is defined to have the following fields.

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Key</p></td>
<td><p>A unique identifier for the source file. (String)</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Value</p></td>
<td><p><a href="#source-object">Source Object</a></p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>


<div id="source-object"></div>

### The *Source* Object

#### Checksum: `checksum`

Hash of the source file.

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Required</p></td>
<td><p>Only <strong>if</strong> the <code>content</code> field is missing and none of the provided URLs contain a content hash.</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Key</p></td>
<td><p><code>checksum</code></p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Value</p></td>
<td><p><a href="#checksum-object">Checksum Object</a></p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>


#### URLS: `urls`

Array of urls that resolve to the same source file.  
-   Urls **should** be stored on a content-addressable filesystem.
    **If** they are not, then either `content` or `checksum` **must** be
    included.

-   Urls **must** be prefixed with a scheme.

-   If the resulting document is a directory the key **should** be
    interpreted as a directory path.

-   If the resulting document is a file the key **should** be
    interpreted as a file path.

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Required</p></td>
<td><p>If <code>content</code> is not included.</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Key</p></td>
<td><p><code>urls</code></p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Value</p></td>
<td><p>Array(String)</p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>


#### Content: `content`

Inlined contract source. If both `urls` and `content` are provided, the `content` value
**must** match the content of the files identified in `urls`.

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Required</p></td>
<td><p>If <code>urls</code> is not included.</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Key</p></td>
<td><p><code>content</code></p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Value</p></td>
<td><p>String</p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>


#### Install Path: `installPath`

Filesystem path of source file.  
-   **Must** be a relative filesystem path that begins with a `./`.

-   **Must** resolve to a path that is within the current virtual
    working directory.

-   **Must** be unique across all included sources.

-   **Must not** contain `../` to avoid accessing files outside of 
	the source folder in improper implementations.

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Required</p></td>
<td><p>This field <strong>must</strong> be included for the package to be writable to disk.</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Key</p></td>
<td><p><code>installPath</code></p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Value</p></td>
<td><p>String</p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>


#### Type: `type`

The `type` field declares the type of the source file. The field
**should** be one of the following values: `solidity`, `vyper`,
`abi-json`, `solidity-ast-json`.

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Required</p></td>
<td><p>No</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Key</p></td>
<td><p><code>type</code></p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Value</p></td>
<td><p>String</p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>


#### License: `license`

The `license` field declares the type of license associated with
this source file. When defined, this license overrides the
package-scoped [meta license](#meta-license).

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Required</p></td>
<td><p>No</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Key</p></td>
<td><p><code>license</code></p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Value</p></td>
<td><p>String</p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>


<div id="checksum-object"></div>

### The *Checksum* Object

A *Checksum* object is defined to have the following key/value pairs.

#### Algorithm: `algorithm`

The `algorithm` used to generate the corresponding hash. Possible 
algorithms include, but are not limited to `sha3`, `sha256`, `md5`,
`keccak256`.

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Required</p></td>
<td><p>Yes</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Type</p></td>
<td><p>String</p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>


#### Hash: `hash`

The `hash` of a source files contents generated with the corresponding
algorithm.

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Required</p></td>
<td><p>Yes</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Type</p></td>
<td><p>String</p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>


<div id="contract-type-object"></div>

### The *Contract Type* Object

A *Contract Type* object is defined to have the following key/value
pairs.

#### Contract Name: `contractName`

The `contractName` field defines the [Contract
Name](#term-contract-name) for this [Contract
Type](#term-contract-type).

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Required</p></td>
<td><p>If the <a href="#term-contract-name">Contract Name</a> and <a href="#term-contract-alias">Contract Alias</a> are not the same.</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Type</p></td>
<td><p>String</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Format</p></td>
<td><p><strong>Must</strong> be a valid <a href="#term-contract-name">Contract Name</a>.</p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>


#### Source ID: `sourceId`

The global source identifier for the source file from which this
contract type was generated.

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Required</p></td>
<td><p>No</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Type</p></td>
<td><p>String</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Format</p></td>
<td><p><strong>Must</strong> match a unique source ID included in the <a href="#sources-object">Sources Object</a> for this package.</p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>


#### Deployment Bytecode: `deploymentBytecode`

The `deploymentBytecode` field defines the bytecode for this [Contract
Type](#term-contract-type).

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Required</p></td>
<td><p>No</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Type</p></td>
<td><p>Object</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Format</p></td>
<td><p><strong>Must</strong> conform to <a href="#bytecode-object">the Bytecode object</a> format.</p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>


#### Runtime Bytecode: `runtimeBytecode`

The `runtimeBytecode` field defines the unlinked `0x`-prefixed runtime
portion of [Bytecode](#term-bytecode) for this [Contract
Type](#term-contract-type).

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Required</p></td>
<td><p>No</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Type</p></td>
<td><p>Object</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Format</p></td>
<td><p><strong>Must</strong> conform to <a href="#bytecode-object">the Bytecode object</a> format.</p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>


#### ABI: `abi`

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Required</p></td>
<td><p>No</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Type</p></td>
<td><p>Array</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Format</p></td>
<td><p><strong>Must</strong> conform to <a href="https://github.com/ethereum/wiki/wiki/Ethereum-Contract-ABI#json">Ethereum Contract ABI JSON</a> format.</p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>


#### UserDoc: `userdoc`

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Required</p></td>
<td><p>No</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Type</p></td>
<td><p>Object</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Format</p></td>
<td><p><strong>Must</strong> conform to <a href="https://github.com/ethereum/wiki/wiki/Ethereum-Natural-Specification-Format#user-documentation">UserDoc</a> format.</p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>


#### DevDoc: `devdoc`

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Required</p></td>
<td><p>No</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Type</p></td>
<td><p>Object</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Format</p></td>
<td><p><strong>Must</strong> conform to <a href="https://github.com/ethereum/wiki/wiki/Ethereum-Natural-Specification-Format#developer-documentation">DevDoc</a> format.</p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>


<div id="contract-instance-object"></div>

### The *Contract Instance* Object

A **Contract Instance Object** represents a single deployed [Contract
Instance](#term-contract-instance) and is defined to have the following
key/value pairs.

#### Contract Type: `contractType`

The `contractType` field defines the [Contract
Type](#term-contract-type) for this [Contract
Instance](#term-contract-instance). This can reference any of the
contract types included in this [Package](#term-package) *or* any of the
contract types found in any of the package dependencies from the
`buildDependencies` section of the [Package
Manifest](#term-package-manifest).

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Required</p></td>
<td><p>Yes</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Type</p></td>
<td><p>String</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Format</p></td>
<td><p>See Below.</p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>


Format

Values for this field **must** conform to *one of* the two formats
herein.

To reference a contract type from this Package, use the format
`<contract-alias>`.

-   The `<contract-alias>` value **must** be a valid [Contract
    Alias](#term-contract-alias).

-   The value **must** be present in the keys of the `contractTypes`
    section of this Package.

To reference a contract type from a dependency, use the format
`<package-name>:<contract-alias>`.

-   The `<package-name>` value **must** be present in the keys of the
    `buildDependencies` of this Package.

-   The `<contract-alias>` value **must** be be a valid [Contract
    Alias](#term-contract-alias).

-   The resolved package for `<package-name>` must contain the
    `<contract-alias>` value in the keys of the `contractTypes` section.

#### Address: `address`

The `address` field defines the [Address](#term-address) of the
[Contract Instance](#term-contract-instance).

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Required</p></td>
<td><p>Yes</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Type</p></td>
<td><p>String</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Format</p></td>
<td><p>Hex encoded <code>0x</code> prefixed Ethereum address matching the regular expression <code>^0x[0-9a-fA-F]{40}$</code>.</p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>


#### Transaction: `transaction`

The `transaction` field defines the transaction hash in which this
[Contract Instance](#term-contract-instance) was created.

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Required</p></td>
<td><p>No</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Type</p></td>
<td><p>String</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Format</p></td>
<td><p><code>0x</code> prefixed hex encoded transaction hash.</p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>


#### Block: `block`

The `block` field defines the block hash in which this the transaction
which created this *contract instance* was mined.

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Required</p></td>
<td><p>No</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Type</p></td>
<td><p>String</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Format</p></td>
<td><p><code>0x</code> prefixed hex encoded block hash.</p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>


#### Runtime Bytecode: `runtimeBytecode`

The `runtimeBytecode` field defines the runtime portion of bytecode for
this [Contract Instance](#term-contract-instance). When present, the
value from this field supersedes the `runtimeBytecode` from the
[Contract Type](#term-contract-type) for this [Contract
Instance](#term-contract-instance).

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Required</p></td>
<td><p>No</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Type</p></td>
<td><p>Object</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Format</p></td>
<td><p><strong>Must</strong> conform to <a href="#bytecode-object">the Bytecode Object</a> format.</p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>


Every entry in the `linkReferences` for this bytecode **must** have a
corresponding entry in the `linkDependencies` section.


<div id="compiler-information-object"></div>

### The *Compiler Information* Object

The `compilers` field defines the various compilers and settings used
during compilation of any [Contract Types](#term-contract-type) or
[Contract Instance](#term-contract-instance) included in this package.

A *Compiler Information* object is defined to have the following
key/value pairs.

#### Name: `name`

The `name` field defines which compiler was used in compilation.

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Required</p></td>
<td><p>Yes</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Key</p></td>
<td><p><code>name</code></p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Type</p></td>
<td><p>String</p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>


#### Version: `version`

The `version` field defines the version of the compiler. The field
**should** be OS agnostic (OS not included in the string) and take the
form of either the stable version in
[semver](http://semver.org/) format or if built on a
nightly should be denoted in the form of `<semver>-<commit-hash>` ex:
`0.4.8-commit.60cc1668`.

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Required</p></td>
<td><p>Yes</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Key</p></td>
<td><p><code>version</code></p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Type</p></td>
<td><p>String</p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>


#### Settings: `settings`

The `settings` field defines any settings or configuration that was used
in compilation. For the `"solc"` compiler, this **should** conform to
the [Compiler Input and Output
Description](http://solidity.readthedocs.io/en/latest/using-the-compiler.html#compiler-input-and-output-json-description).

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Required</p></td>
<td><p>No</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Key</p></td>
<td><p><code>settings</code></p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Type</p></td>
<td><p>Object</p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>


#### Contract Types: `contractTypes`

A list of the [Contract Alias](#term-contract-alias) or [Contract Types](#term-contract-type) in this package
that used this compiler to generate its outputs.

-   All `contractTypes` that locally declare `runtimeBytecode`
    **should** be attributed for by a compiler object.

-   A single `contractTypes` **must** not be attributed to more than one
    compiler.

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Required</p></td>
<td><p>No</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Key</p></td>
<td><p><code>contractTypes</code></p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Type</p></td>
<td><p>Array(<a href="#term-contract-alias">Contract Alias</a>)</p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>


<div id="bip122"></div>

### BIP122 URIs

BIP122 URIs are used to define a blockchain via a subset of the
[BIP-122](https://github.com/bitcoin/bips/blob/master/bip-0122.mediawiki)
spec.

    blockchain://<genesis_hash>/block/<latest confirmed block hash>

The `<genesis hash>` represents the blockhash of the first block on the
chain, and `<latest confirmed block hash>` represents the hash of the
latest block that’s been reliably confirmed (package managers should be
free to choose their desired level of confirmations).

### Glossary

The terms in this glossary have been updated to reflect the changes made
in V3.

<div id="term-abi"></div>
ABI  
The JSON representation of the application binary interface. See the
official
[specification](https://solidity.readthedocs.io/en/develop/abi-spec.html)
for more information.

<div id="term-address"></div>
Address  
A public identifier for an account on a particular chain

<div id="term-bytecode"></div>
Bytecode  
The set of EVM instructions as produced by a compiler. Unless otherwise
specified this should be assumed to be hexadecimal encoded, representing
a whole number of bytes, and [prefixed](#term-prefixed) with `0x`.

Bytecode can either be linked or unlinked. (see
[Linking](#term-linking))

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Unlinked Bytecode</p></td>
<td><p>The hexadecimal representation of a contract’s EVM instructions that contains sections of code that requires <a href="#term-linking">linking</a> for the contract to be functional.</p>
<p>The sections of code which are unlinked <strong>must</strong> be filled in with zero bytes.</p>
<p><strong>Example</strong>: <code>0x606060405260e06000730000000000000000000000000000000000000000634d536f</code></p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Linked Bytecode</p></td>
<td><p>The hexadecimal representation of a contract’s EVM instructions which has had all <a href="#term-link-reference">Link References</a> replaced with the desired <a href="#term-link-value">Link Values</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Example</strong>: <code>0x606060405260e06000736fe36000604051602001526040518160e060020a634d536f</code></p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<div id="term-chain-definition"></div>
Chain Definition  
This definition originates from [BIP122
URI](https://github.com/bitcoin/bips/blob/master/bip-0122.mediawiki).

A URI in the format `blockchain://<chain_id>/block/<block_hash>`

-   `chain_id` is the unprefixed hexadecimal representation of the
    genesis hash for the chain.

-   `block_hash` is the unprefixed hexadecimal representation of the
    hash of a block on the chain.

A chain is considered to match a chain definition if the the genesis
block hash matches the `chain_id` and the block defined by `block_hash`
can be found on that chain. It is possible for multiple chains to match
a single URI, in which case all chains are considered valid matches

<div id="term-content-addressable-uri"></div>
Content Addressable URI  
Any URI which contains a cryptographic hash which can be used to verify
the integrity of the content found at the URI.

The URI format is defined in RFC3986

It is **recommended** that tools support IPFS and Swarm.

<div id="term-contract-alias"></div>
Contract Alias  
This is a name used to reference a specific [Contract
Type](#term-contract-type). Contract aliases **must** be unique within a
single [Package](#term-package).

The contract alias **must** use *one of* the following naming schemes:

-   `<contract-name>`

-   `<contract-name><identifier>`

The `<contract-name>` portion **must** be the same as the [Contract
Name](#term-contract-name) for this contract type.

The `<identifier>` portion **must** match the regular expression
`^[-a-zA-Z0-9]{1,256}$`.

<div id="term-contract-instance"></div>
Contract Instance  
A contract instance a specific deployed version of a [Contract
Type](#term-contract-type).

All contract instances have an [Address](#term-address) on some specific
chain.

<div id="term-contract-instance-name"></div>
Contract Instance Name  
A name which refers to a specific [Contract
Instance](#term-contract-instance) on a specific chain from the
deployments of a single [Package](#term-package). This name **must** be
unique across all other contract instances for the given chain. The name
must conform to the regular expression
`^[a-zA-Z_$][a-zA-Z0-9_$]{0,255}$`

In cases where there is a single deployed instance of a given [Contract
Type](#term-contract-type), package managers **should** use the
[Contract Alias](#term-contract-alias) for that contract type for this
name.

In cases where there are multiple deployed instances of a given contract
type, package managers **should** use a name which provides some added
semantic information as to help differentiate the two deployed instances
in a meaningful way.

<div id="term-contract-name"></div>
Contract Name  
The name found in the source code that defines a specific [Contract
Type](#term-contract-type). These names **must** conform to the regular
expression `^[a-zA-Z_$][a-zA-Z0-9_$]{0,255}$`.

There can be multiple contracts with the same contract name in a
projects source files.

<div id="term-contract-type"></div>
Contract Type  
Refers to a specific contract in the package source. This term can be
used to refer to an abstract contract, a normal contract, or a library.
Two contracts are of the same contract type if they have the same
bytecode.

Example:

    contract Wallet {
        ...
    }

A deployed instance of the `Wallet` contract would be of of type
`Wallet`.

<div id="term-identifier"></div>
Identifier  
Refers generally to a named entity in the [Package](#term-package).

A string matching the regular expression
`^[a-zA-Z][-_a-zA-Z0-9]{0,255}$`

<div id="term-link-reference"></div>
Link Reference  
A location within a contract’s bytecode which needs to be linked. A link
reference has the following properties.

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p><code>offset</code></p></td>
<td><p>Defines the location within the bytecode where the link reference begins.</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p><code>length</code></p></td>
<td><p>Defines the length of the reference.</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p><code>name</code></p></td>
<td><p>(optional) A string to identify the reference</p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>


<div id="term-link-value"></div>
Link Value  
A link value is the value which can be inserted in place of a [Link
Reference](#term-link-reference)

<div id="term-linking"></div>
Linking  
The act of replacing [Link References](#term-link-reference) with [Link
Values](#term-link-value) within some [Bytecode](#term-bytecode).

<div id="term-package"></div>
Package  
Distribution of an application’s source or compiled bytecode along with
metadata related to authorship, license, versioning, et al.

For brevity, the term **Package** is often used metonymously to mean
[Package Manifest](#term-package-manifest).

<div id="term-package-manifest"></div>
Package Manifest  
A machine-readable description of a package.

<div id="term-prefixed"></div>
Prefixed  
[Bytecode](#term-bytecode) string with leading `0x`.

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Example</p></td>
<td><p><code>0xdeadbeef</code></p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<div id="term-unprefixed"></div>
Unprefixed  
Not [Prefixed](#term-prefixed).

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 50%" />
<col style="width: 50%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Example</p></td>
<td><p><code>deadbeef</code></p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>


## Rationale

### Minification

EthPM packages are distributed as alphabetically-ordered & minified JSON to ensure consistency.
Since packages are published on content-addressable filesystems (eg. IPFS), this restriction
guarantees that any given set of contract assets will always resolve to the same content-addressed URI.

### Package Names

Package names are restricted to lower-case characters, numbers, and `-` to improve the readability
of the package name, in turn improving the security properties for a package. A user is more likely
to accurately identify their target package with this restricted set of characters, and not confuse
a malicious package that disguises itself as a trusted package with similar but different 
characters (e.g. `O` and `0`).

### BIP122

The BIP-122 standard has been used since EthPM v1 since it is an industry standard URI scheme for
identifying different blockchains and distinguishing between forks.

### Compilers

Compilers are now defined in a top-level array, simplifying the task for tooling to identify the compiler types
needed to interact with or validate the contract assets. This also removes unnecessarily duplicated
information, should multiple `contractTypes` share the same compiler type.

## Backwards Compatibility

To improve understanding and readability of the EthPM spec, the
`manifest_version` field was updated to `manifest` in v3. To ensure 
backwards compatibility, v3 packages **must** define a top-level
`"manifest"` with a value of `"ethpm/3"`. Additionally,
`"manifest_version"` is a forbidden top-level key in v3 packages.


## Security Considerations

Using EthPM packages implicitly requires importing &/or executing code written by others. The EthPM spec
guarantees that when using a properly constructed and released EthPM package, the user will have the exact same
code that was included in the package by the package author. However, it is impossible to guarantee that this code
is safe to interact with. Therefore, it is critical that end users only interact with EthPM packages authored and
released by individuals or organizations that they trust to include non-malicious code.


## Copyright

Copyright and related rights waived via [CC0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/).