Ethereum API method that returns the client type and version running on the Ethereum node. This information can be useful to developers to verify that a node they are connecting to is compatible with their needs.
Parameters
none
Response
string— a string identifying the type of client, version, operating system, and language version running on the node
web3_clientVersion code examples
web3_clientVersion code examplesconst Web3 = require("web3");
const NODE_URL = "CHAINSTACK_NODE_URL";
const web3 = new Web3(NODE_URL);
async function getClient() {
const client = await web3.eth.getNodeInfo();
console.log(client);
}
getClient();
const ethers = require('ethers');
const NODE_URL = "CHAINSTACK_NODE_URL";
const provider = new ethers.JsonRpcProvider(NODE_URL);
const clientVersion = async () => {
const version = await provider.send("web3_clientVersion");
console.log(`Client version: ${version}`);
};
clientVersion();
from web3 import Web3
node_url = "CHAINSTACK_NODE_URL"
web3 = Web3.HTTPProvider(node_url)
client_version = web3.provider.make_request('web3_clientVersion', [])
print(client_version)
Use case
A use case for the web3_clientVersion method can be to verify which client is running to then decide which method to run.
Let's say you have a DApp that needs to retrieve all of the transactions receipts in a block; the Erigon client has a method for this, eth_getBlockReceipts, but this method is not available on Geth. You can use the web3_clientVersion method in your logic to identify which client you are using to see if you have the method available or not.
Read Expanding your blockchain horizons: The eth_getBlockReceipts emulator to learn how to build a program to emulate
eth_getBlockReceiptson any EVM-compatible chain.
Here is an implementation of this use case using web3.js:
const Web3 = require("web3");
const NODE_URL = "CHAINSTACK_NODE_URL";
const web3 = new Web3(NODE_URL);
// getBlockReceipts Erigon method
async function getBlockReceipts(blockId) {
web3.extend({
property: 'eth',
methods: [{
name: 'getBlockReceipts',
call: 'eth_getBlockReceipts',
params: 1,
inputFormatter: [web3.extend.formatters.inputDefaultBlockNumberFormatter],
outputFormatter: null
}]
});
const receipts = await web3.eth.getBlockReceipts(blockId)
return receipts
}
// Get client version
async function getClientVersion() {
web3.extend({
property: 'eth',
methods: [{
name: 'getClientVersion',
call: 'web3_clientVersion',
params: 0,
inputFormatter: [],
outputFormatter: null
}]
});
const clientVersion = await web3.eth.getClientVersion();
return clientVersion
}
// Extract the client's name
async function getClientName() {
const clientVersion = await getClientVersion();
const clientName = clientVersion.split('/')[0];
return clientName
}
// Get the receipts based on the client
async function getAllReceipts(blockId) {
const clientName = await getClientName()
if (clientName === 'Geth') {
console.log('Client is Geth, this method is not available.');
} else if (clientName === 'erigon') {
console.log('Client is Erigon');
const receipts = getBlockReceipts(blockId)
return receipts
} else {
// Do something else if version is neither Geth nor Erigon
console.log('Client version is not Geth or Erigon');
}
}
async function main() {
try {
const receipts = await getAllReceipts('latest');
if (receipts != undefined) {
console.log(receipts);
}
} catch (error) {
console.error(error);
}
}
main();
The getBlockReceipts function uses the web3.extend method to extend the eth property of the web3 object with a new method called getBlockReceipts. This method calls the eth_getBlockReceipts JSON-RPC method with a single parameter blockId and formats the input and output values. The function then calls the getBlockReceipts method using the web3.eth.getBlockReceipts call and returns the resulting receipts.
The getClientVersion function extends the eth property of the web3 object with a new method called getClientVersion. This method calls the web3_clientVersion JSON-RPC method with no parameters and formats the input and output values. The function then calls the getClientVersion method using the web3.eth.getClientVersion call and returns the resulting client version.
The getClientName function calls getClientVersion to get the client version and extracts the name of the client by splitting the version string at the first / character.
The getAllReceipts function calls getClientName to get the name of the client and logs a message if the method is not available, it runs eth_getBlockReceipts if the client is Erigon. If the client is neither Geth nor Erigon, the function logs a message and returns null.
Try the web3_clientVersion RPC method yourself
web3_clientVersion RPC method yourself