Overview

A namespace is a collection of user-readable identification names used to represent repositories and user accounts on the MakeOS network.

A namespace is like an internet domain name in that it can be used to map a network resource whose identifier is not human-readable to a more user-friendly identifier.

Syntax

namespace/domain

Where:

• namespace: is a network-wide unique identifier.

  • domain: is the name of an entry that points to a network resource.

Namespace as an Organization

While a namespace core function is to map human-readable names to network resources, it can also be used to create a similar organization structure that exists on centralized code collaboration platforms.

A namespace can represent an organization that has many repositories and contributors.

It can also include access control rules for repositories under it such that when a repository is accessed via a namespace, the user will be subjected to access control policies configured on the namespace.

Namespace Characteristics

• A namespace contains alphanumeric characters (including underscore and hyphen).

• Must be at least 3 characters long.

• Contains one or more domain entries.

• Requires a fee to register.

• Expires after 1 year + grace period.

• Can be owned by a user account or a repository.

Namespace Registration

Like internet domains, a namespace is leased by the network to a user for a fee.

This lease will last for a year and must be renewed for another year if the lessee wants to retain control.

Fees serve as a mechanism for discourage squatting. When a namespace reaches its expiry date, a grace period begins, giving the lessee a final chance to renew.

If the namespace is not renewed during the grace period, it is released to the market for repurchase.

Lease Fee

The price of a namespace will be determined by the length of the chosen name. Current implementation imposes a flat fee; This will change in future releases.

Ownership

A namespace is first acquired by a user, after which it can be transferred to another user or a repository in the same transaction.

When a namespace is transferred to a repository, the namespace becomes the asset of the repository and as such subject to its governance configuration.

Domain

A domain is a key-value record in a namespace.

The key can be a human-readable identifier that points to a specific network resource.

The key contains alphanumeric (including underscore and hyphen) characters and can have a length of not more than 128 characters.

Currently, a domain can point to a Balance Account address or a repository.

Target

A target is the identifier of the actual resource pointed to by a domain. A target can be an address of a Balance Account or a full repository name.

Create a Namespace

Currently, you can create a namespace with domains that point to a user account or a repository.

To Repository

The example below creates a namespace named facebook with a single domain named react that points to a repository named r/react. The r/ prefix indicates that the target is a repository identifier.

ns.register({
   name: "facebook", 
   value: "1", 
   fee: "0.01",  
   domains: {
      "react": "r/react"
   }
}, user.getKey(accounts[0], "passphrase"))

The repository can now be accessed using the full path facebook/react.

Fields:

• name: is the unique name of the namespace

• value: is the registration fee to be paid.

• fee: The network transaction fee.

• domains: Contains domain and target pairs.

• to: An optional Balance Account address or name of a repository that will own the namespace.

Set Git Remote To Namespace Path

MakeOS remote nodes can resolve push/fetch requests to a namespace domain pointing to a repository.

For example, you can set the remote URL of a repository to https://remote.com/facebook/react. When you push or pull, the remote server will resolve to the r/react repository.

To User Account

The example below creates a namespace with a domain named donate that points to a Balance account with the address a/os1qfrysysaawvjlgfz5ecqv569adkkw7sxudy36u. The a/ prefix indicates that the target is a user account address.

ns.register({
   name: "myproject", 
   value: "1", 
   fee: "0.01",  
   domains: {
      "donate": "a/os1qfrysysaawvjlgfz5ecqv569adkkw7sxudy36u"
   }
}, user.getKey(accounts[0], "passphrase"))

A namespace URI myproject/donate can be used in place of the address os1qfrysysaawvjlgfz5ecqv569adkkw7sxudy36u when providing the recipient of a coin transfer transaction.