Archive post
Introducing: NectarLite
I'm feeling in a better mood today, and I want to thank everyone who supports me
Hey everyone,
I'm feeling in a better mood today, and I want to thank everyone who supports me. Your encouragement means a lot.
A comment on [one of my previous `hive-nectar` posts](@thecrazygm/hive-nectar-v013-the-green-edition) got me thinking. I was asked why I decided to port a large, complex library like `beem` instead of starting with something simpler. That question stuck with me: how hard would it be to build a Hive library from scratch, with just the features I would want for quick projects? I don't think anyone has started a library from scratch in some time.
So, I took a stab at it. I'm excited to share the result, even in its early stages.
## Introducing: NectarLite
**NectarLite** is a brand-new, lightweight Python library for interacting with the Hive blockchain. It's built from the ground up to be simple, fast, and easy to use, especially for scripts and one‑off projects where a full‑featured library would be overkill.
- **GitHub Repository:** [https://github.com/TheCrazyGM/nectarlite](https://github.com/TheCrazyGM/nectarlite)
I had planned to wait until it was more mature, but with #HiveFest happening, I thought now would be the perfect time to share it with the community.
---
### What About Hive‑Nectar?
This does **not** mean `hive-nectar` is dead. `hive-nectar` is a fully‑featured, battle‑tested library that I and many others rely on for large, complex applications. We have far too many projects depending on it to ever abandon it.
Instead, building NectarLite is a valuable learning experience. It's allowing me to explore different approaches and gain a deeper understanding of the Hive blockchain's nuances. The lessons I learn and the clean code I develop here will eventually find their way back into `hive-nectar` proper, helping me to improve that larger codebase. Trust me, it's still a mess.
Think of it this way:
- **Hive‑Nectar** is the comprehensive, all‑in‑one toolkit for heavy‑duty projects.
- **NectarLite** is the sleek, minimalist tool for when you just need to get a simple job done quickly and efficiently.
---
### Key Features of NectarLite
I'm building NectarLite with a specific vision in mind, liberally borrowing concepts I like from `hive-nectar` and changing the things I don't. The focus is on a clean, understandable, and powerful low‑level interface.
- **Fully Asynchronous Support:** Built with modern `async` capabilities from the start.
- **Round‑Robin Node Calls:** Automatically rotates through a list of API nodes to ensure reliability.
- **Low‑Level API Interface:** Gives you direct control over your interactions with the blockchain.
- **HAF Integration:** Offloads call lookups to HAF endpoints where it makes sense (like reputation and balance).
- **Manual Transaction Building:** Provides the tools to build and sign transactions manually, giving you full control.
---
### NectarLite in Action
Here’s a quick look at how easy it is to stream votes from the blockchain.
#### Synchronous Example
```python
from nectarlite.api import Api
from nectarlite.stream import Stream
# Stream new votes and print them
api = Api(["https://api.hive.blog"])
listener = Stream(api=api, blockchain_mode="head")
for vote in listener.on("vote"):
print(f"New Vote! Voter: {vote.voter}, Post: @{vote.author}/{vote.permlink}")
```
#### Asynchronous Example with Node Rotation
```python
import asyncio
from nectarlite.api import AsyncApi
from nectarlite.stream import AsyncStream
async def main():
# Will alternate between nodes on each API call
api = AsyncApi(["https://api.hive.blog", "https://api.syncad.com"])
listener = AsyncStream(api=api, blockchain_mode="head")
async for transfer in listener.on("transfer"):
print(f"{transfer['from']} -> {transfer['to']} {transfer['amount']}")
if __name__ == "__main__":
asyncio.run(main())
```
---
### Get Involved
If this project excites you, I'd love for you to check it out. You can see the project's direction on the [ROADMAP.md](https://github.com/TheCrazyGM/nectarlite/blob/main/ROADMAP.md) and find more [examples](https://github.com/TheCrazyGM/nectarlite/tree/main/examples) in the repository.
NectarLite is not on PyPI yet, but you can install it directly from GitHub:
```bash
# Using pip
pip install git+https://github.com/TheCrazyGM/nectarlite
# Using uv
uv pip install git+https://github.com/TheCrazyGM/nectarlite
```
**Word of warning:** This is still very much in an alpha/beta stage. The core API is stable for the features that are implemented, but it could change at any time as I continue development.
### The Future
I plan on having a core set of libraries that function similarly to each other for different languages as well. `Golang` and `Rust` are on my list, but I wanted to work with what I know best to get a high‑level understanding of the finer points first. It's one thing to maintain and clean up an existing codebase, it's a whole other thing to start from scratch.
As always,
Michael Garcia a.k.a. TheCrazyGM