2021-01-26 18:04:34 +01:00
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# Minetest's use of the API
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This document explains how Minetest's ContentDB client interacts with ContentDB.
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This is useful both for implementing your own client for ContentDB to install mods,
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or for implementing ContentDB compatible servers.
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## Package List API call
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The client makes a single [API](https://content.minetest.net/help/api/) request to `/api/packages/`.
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2021-01-26 18:35:06 +01:00
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The query arguments will include a list of supported types, the current
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[engine version](https://content.minetest.net/api/minetest_versions/),
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and any hidden [Content Flags](https://content.minetest.net/help/content_flags/).
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Example URL:
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<https://content.minetest.net/api/packages/?type=mod&type=game&type=txp&protocol_version=39&engine_version=5.3.0&hide=nonfree&hide=desktop_default>
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Example response:
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```json
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[
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{
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"author": "Wuzzy",
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"name": "mineclone2",
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"release": 4209,
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"short_description": "A short description",
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"thumbnail": "https://content.minetest.net/thumbnails/1/tgbH5CwlAZ.jpg",
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"title": "MineClone 2",
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"type": "game"
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}
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]
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```
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`thumbnail` is optional, but all other fields are required.
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`type` is one of `mod`, `game`, or `txp`.
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`release` is the release ID. Newer releases have higher IDs.
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Minetest compares this ID to a locally stored version to detect whether a package has updates.
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Because the client specifies the engine version information, the response must contain a release
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number and the package must be downloadable.
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2021-01-26 18:04:34 +01:00
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## Screenshots
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The client can simply download the URL mentioned in `thumbnail`.
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## Downloading and installing
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The client downloads packages by constructing a URL for the release and downloading it:
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```
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https://content.minetest.net/packages/<author>/<name>/releases/<release>/download/
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```
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This supports redirects.
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The client will edit the .conf of the installed content to add `author`, `name`, and `release` to
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track the installed release to detect updates in the future.
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2021-02-03 19:30:21 +01:00
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## Resolving Dependencies
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### Short version
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Minetest uses `/api/packages/<author>/<name>/dependencies/?only_hard=1` to find out the hard
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dependencies for a package.
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Then, it resolves each dependency recursively.
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Say you're resolving for `basic_materials`, then it will attempt to find the mod in this order:
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1. It first checks installed mods in the game and mods folder (ie: `mods/basic_materials/`)
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2. Then it looks on ContentDB for exact name matches (ie: `VanessaE/basic_materials`)
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3. Then it looks on ContentDB for modpacks which contain (=provides) the modname
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(ie: `VanessaE/dreambuilder`)
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### Long version
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When installing a package, an API request is made to ContentDB to find out the dependencies.
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If there are no dependencies, then the mod is installed straight away.
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If there are dependencies, it will resolve them and show a dialog with a list of mods to install.
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Resolving works like this:
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1. Fetch dependencies for the package from ContentDB's API
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2. For each hard dependency:
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1. Check current game, exit if dep found
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2. Check installed mods, exit if found
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3. Check available mods from ContentDB:
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1. Choose a package to install. Prefer higher scores and exact base name matches
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(rather than modpacks).
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2. Resolve dependencies for this package - ie, goto 1.
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The ContentDB API is a dictionary of packages to dependencies.
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The dictionary will allow ContentDB to prefetch dependencies without any client changes.
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For example, say you request the dependencies for Mobs Monster.
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It's pretty likely that the next request you'll make is for Mobs Redo, and so ContentDB can prevent
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the need for another request by including the dependency information for Mobs Redo in the
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response for Mobs Monster.
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2021-01-26 18:04:34 +01:00
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## View in browser
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The client will open the package in a browser by constructing the following URL
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```
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https://content.minetest.net/packages/<author>/<name>/
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```
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