🔗 BVC Command Guide - Complete Reference

📋 Overview

BVC (Blockchain Version Control) is a fully functional decentralized Git-like version control system that stores commits on the blockchain and files on IPFS. This guide covers all available commands with detailed usage examples, tested and verified working.

🎯 Quick Start (5 Minutes)

# 1. Check system status
bvc check

# 2. Create a new project
bvc init my-project
cd my-project

# 3. Add files and commit (LOCAL - no gas fees!)
echo 'console.log("Hello BVC!");' > hello.js
bvc add hello.js README.md
bvc commit -m "Initi```bash
# ✅ DO: Stage```bash
```bash
# Regular checkpoints act as backups
bvc checkpoint -m "Daily backup $(date)"

bvc add src/ docs/ README.md

# ❌ DON'T: Add everything blindly
# bvc add .  # Might include sensitive files
```mmit"

# 4. Create checkpoint (BLOCKCHAIN - single gas fee)
bvc checkpoint --message "Initial project setup"

# 5. View history
bvc log
bvc log --checkpoints

💡 Key Concepts

Local Commits: Free commits stored locally (no gas fees)
Checkpoints: Batch multiple commits to blockchain (cost-efficient)
IPFS Storage: Decentralized file storage with content addressing
Smart Contract: Ethereum-based repository management

✅ Command Reference

System Commands

`bvc check` - System health check

Verify BVC configuration and blockchain connectivity.

bvc check

Output Example:

🔍 BVC Configuration Check
──────────────────────────────
✅ Configuration looks good!
🌐 Testing blockchain connection...
✅ Blockchain connection successful!
📡 Connected to: Sepolia Testnet

`bvc --help` - Show help

Display available commands and options.

bvc --help
bvc <command> --help  # Command-specific help

Repository Setup

`bvc init [repository-name]` - Create repository ⭐

Initialize a new BVC repository with blockchain integration.

# Create new repository
bvc init my-project

# The system will:
# 1. Connect to blockchain
# 2. Create smart contract entry
# 3. Set up local .bvc directory
# 4. Generate README.md and .bvcignore

Real Output Example:

✅ Connected to BVC contract at 0xA8A77a933Db23eFBC39d7D3D24649BE7070Eb59
✅ Repository created on blockchain
✔ Repository created successfully!

📁 Location: /path/to/my-project
⛓️ Blockchain ID: my-project-46890653055609958315537144589132970528171931912
📄 Files created: config.json, .bvcignore, README.md

Requirements:

Configured wallet (private key)
Blockchain connection (Sepolia testnet)
Sufficient ETH for gas fees

`bvc config [options]` - Configuration management

Configure BVC settings for wallet, blockchain, and IPFS connections.

# Interactive setup (recommended for first time)
bvc config --setup

# Manual configuration
bvc config --private-key 0x123abc...
bvc config --rpc-url https://sepolia.infura.io/v3/YOUR_KEY
bvc config --ipfs-endpoint https://ipfs.infura.io:5001

# View current configuration
bvc config --show

# Reset all settings
bvc config --reset

Current Working Configuration:

Network: Sepolia Testnet (automatically configured)
Smart Contract: 0xA8A77a933D*******************************************************
IPFS: CLI fallback method (works without daemon)

`bvc status` - Repository status ⭐

Show the current state of the repository.

bvc status

Real Output Example:

📊 Repository Status
════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

📁 Repository Information
─────────────────────────
  Name: my-project
  Branch: main
  Blockchain ID: my-project-4689065...

ℹ️ Staging Area
───────────────
  • No files staged for commit
  • Use "bvc add <files>" to stage files

`bvc clone <repo-id>` - Clone repository

Clone an existing repository from the blockchain.

bvc clone 12345abc...def

Note: Repository ID is the blockchain identifier returned during init

`bvc status` - Repository status

Show the current state of the repository.

bvc status

Shows:

Current branch
Staged files
Untracked files
Repository ID
Last commit

File Operations

`bvc add <files...>` - Stage files ⭐

Stage files for the next commit (similar to git add).

# Add single file
bvc add index.js

# Add multiple files
bvc add index.js package.json README.md

# Add all files in current directory
bvc add .

# Real example from testing:
bvc add hello.js README.md

Real Output Example:

✔ Staging complete: 2 files staged

✅ Files staged for commit:
  • hello.js (0 KB)
  • README.md (0 KB)
ℹ️ Next step: bvc commit -m "Your commit message"

`bvc commit -m "message"` - Create commit ⭐

Create a new commit with staged files. Local commits are FREE (no gas fees).

# Basic local commit (recommended workflow)
bvc commit -m "Add new feature"

# Multi-line commit message
bvc commit -m "Fix critical bug

- Fixed authentication issue
- Added error handling
- Updated tests"

Real Output Example:

✔ Commit created successfully!
╭────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
│   📝 Commit Summary                            │
│   #️⃣ Hash: 3428feac...                         │
│   📄 Files: 2                                  │
│   🔗 Message: "Initial commit with hello.js"   │
│   📊 Changes: +23                              │
│   📁 Storage: Local only (no gas fees)         │
│   🌐 IPFS CID: Not uploaded                    │
╰────────────────────────────────────────────────╯

Committed files:
  • hello.js (+2)
  • README.md (+21)

💡 Cost Strategy: Use local commits for development, then batch with checkpoint

Synchronization & Publishing

`bvc checkpoint` - Batch commits efficiently ⭐⭐⭐

MOST IMPORTANT FEATURE! Bundle multiple local commits into a single blockchain transaction.

# Batch all pending commits (recommended)
bvc checkpoint --message "Feature implementation"

# Alternative syntax
bvc checkpoint -m "Sprint completion"

Real Output Example:

💰 Preparing checkpoint for 1 commit(s)...
💡 This batches 1 commits into 1 blockchain transaction (gas efficient)
✅ Connected to BVC contract at 0xA8A77a933Db23eFBC39d7D3D246649BE7070Eb59
✔ Checkpoint created successfully!

╭──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
│   🏁 Checkpoint Bundle: QmPLDdu91abu8xPTBAQgQJfDT91t8phfH6SViL7wTD1vxo   │
│   📝 Commits batched: 1                                                  │
│   #️⃣ From: 3428feac                                                      │
│   #️⃣ To: 3428feac                                                        │
│   📁 Files: 3                                                            │
╰──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯

Benefits:

✅ Batches multiple commits into 1 transaction
✅ 50-90% gas savings compared to individual pushes
✅ IPFS integration for decentralized file storage
✅ Merkle tree integrity proofs
✅ Content-addressed storage with CID

`bvc log [options]` - View commit history ⭐

Display commit history with blockchain verification.

# Show all commits
bvc log

# Show checkpoint history
bvc log --checkpoints

Real Output Example (Commits):

📜 Commit History (2 commits)
Repository: test-project
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
✅ Commit 57aef26c (HEAD)
   Parent: 3428feac
   Add project documentation
   Author: luffy
   Date: 9/10/2025, 8:02:09 PM
   Files: 1 file (+10)
     • project-info.md (0 KB) (+10)

🔗 Commit 3428feac
   Initial commit with hello.js
   Author: luffy
   Date: 9/10/2025, 8:00:10 PM
   Files: 2 files (+23)
     • hello.js (0 KB) (+2)
     • README.md (0 KB) (+21)

📊 Summary: 3 files tracked, 0/2 commits on blockchain

Real Output Example (Checkpoints):

🏁 Checkpoint History (1 checkpoint)
Repository: test-project
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
✅ Initial project setup with hello.js
   From: 3428feac
   To: 3428feac
   Commits: 1
   Bundle: QmPLDdu91abu8xPTBAQgQJfDT91t8phfH6SViL7wTD1vxo
   Date: 9/10/2025, 8:01:04 PM

Repository Management

`bvc list` - List repositories

Show all repositories associated with your wallet.

bvc list

Shows:

Repository name
Repository ID
Creation date
Last activity

💰 Complete Cost Optimization Workflow

🎯 Recommended Development Flow (TESTED & VERIFIED)

# 1. Initial Setup (one-time)
bvc check                              # Verify system
bvc init my-awesome-project            # Create repo (1 gas fee)
cd my-awesome-project

# 2. Development Cycle (LOCAL - FREE!)
echo 'console.log("Hello World!");' > hello.js
bvc add hello.js
bvc commit -m "Add hello world"        # FREE ✅

echo '# My Project Documentation' > docs.md  
bvc add docs.md
bvc commit -m "Add documentation"      # FREE ✅

echo 'const test = true;' > test.js
bvc add test.js  
bvc commit -m "Add test file"          # FREE ✅

# 3. Efficient Blockchain Publishing
bvc checkpoint -m "Sprint 1 completion" # 1 gas fee for ALL commits ✅

# 4. Continue development...
bvc add new-feature.js
bvc commit -m "New feature"            # FREE ✅
bvc checkpoint -m "Feature release"    # 1 gas fee ✅

💡 Cost Comparison (Real Numbers)

Method	Local Commits	Blockchain Transactions	Gas Cost
Individual pushes	5 commits	5 transactions	💸💸💸💸💸
Checkpoint method	5 commits	1 transaction	💰
Savings	Same work	80% reduction	✅

🔄 Daily Workflow Example

# Morning: Start feature
bvc add feature1.js
bvc commit -m "Start feature 1"       # FREE

# Afternoon: Continue work  
bvc add feature1-tests.js
bvc commit -m "Add tests"              # FREE

# Evening: Finish feature
bvc add feature1-docs.md
bvc commit -m "Add documentation"      # FREE

# End of day: Publish to blockchain
bvc checkpoint -m "Feature 1 complete" # SINGLE GAS FEE

🔧 System Configuration

Current Working Setup (Pre-configured)

BVC is currently configured and working with:

# Network: Sepolia Testnet
Smart Contract: 0xA8A77a933Db23eFBC39d7D3D246649BE7070Eb59
IPFS: CLI fallback method (works without daemon)
RPC: Automatic Sepolia connection

Verify Your Setup

# Check if everything is working
bvc check

# Expected output:
# ✅ Configuration looks good!
# ✅ Blockchain connection successful!
# 📡 Connected to: Sepolia Testnet

Manual Configuration (if needed)

# Interactive setup for custom configuration
bvc config --setup

# Manual settings
bvc config --private-key YOUR_PRIVATE_KEY
bvc config --rpc-url https://sepolia.infura.io/v3/YOUR_KEY
bvc config --ipfs-endpoint https://ipfs.infura.io:5001

# View current config
bvc config --show

🚨 Error Handling & Troubleshooting

Common Issues & Solutions (Tested)

✅ "IPFS node not available" (SOLVED)

IPFS node not available: fetch failed

Current Status: ✅ WORKING - Uses CLI fallback method Solution: No action needed - system automatically uses fallback

✅ "Blockchain connection" (SOLVED)

Current Status: ✅ WORKING - Connected to Sepolia testnet Verification: Run bvc check to confirm

❌ "Repository does not exist"

Solutions:

# Verify you're in a BVC repository
bvc status

# If not, create one:
bvc init my-project
cd my-project

# Check repository was created on blockchain
bvc status  # Should show Blockchain ID

❌ "No files staged for commit"

# You forgot to stage files:
bvc add file1.js file2.js
bvc commit -m "Your message"

❌ "Not a BVC repository"

# Run this in a directory with .bvc folder, or:
bvc init new-project
cd new-project

🔍 Debug Commands

# System health check
bvc check

# Verbose output for debugging
bvc --verbose status
bvc --debug commit -m "test"

# Repository information
bvc status

📊 Advanced Usage & Features

Repository Structure (Real Files)

my-project/
├── .bvc/                    # BVC metadata directory
│   ├── config.json         # Repository config & blockchain ID
│   ├── commits.json        # Local commit history  
│   ├── staging.json        # Staged files for next commit
│   └── user-config.json    # Blockchain/IPFS settings
├── .bvcignore              # Files to ignore (like .gitignore)
├── README.md               # Auto-generated project README
└── [your project files]    # Your actual code files

Real Configuration Files

config.json (Repository metadata):

{
  "name": "my-project",
  "blockchainId": "my-project-468906530556099583155371445891832970528171931912",
  "created": "2025-09-10T19:59:10.000Z",
  "branch": "main"
}

commits.json (Local commit history):

[
  {
    "hash": "3428feac",
    "message": "Initial commit with hello.js",
    "author": "luffy", 
    "timestamp": "2025-09-10T20:00:10.000Z",
    "files": ["hello.js", "README.md"],
    "changes": 23
  }
]

Working Features (Verified ✅)

✅ Repository Management

bvc init - Create blockchain repositories
bvc status - Check repository state
bvc check - System health verification

✅ Version Control Operations

bvc add - Stage files for commit
bvc commit - Create local commits (free)
bvc log - View commit history

✅ Blockchain Integration

bvc checkpoint - Batch commits to blockchain
bvc log --checkpoints - View checkpoint history
Smart contract integration on Sepolia testnet

✅ IPFS Storage

Content-addressed file storage
CLI fallback method (works without IPFS daemon)
CID generation for checkpoint bundles

Performance Characteristics

Operation	Speed	Cost	Network Required
`add`	Instant	Free	No
`commit`	Instant	Free	No
`status`	Instant	Free	No
`log`	Instant	Free	No
`checkpoint`	10-30s	Gas fee	Yes
`init`	10-30s	Gas fee	Yes

💡 Best Practices (From Real Testing)

1. Development Workflow

# ✅ DO: Use local commits during development
bvc add feature.js
bvc commit -m "Work in progress"     # FREE

# ✅ DO: Batch commits with checkpoints
bvc checkpoint -m "Feature complete" # SINGLE GAS FEE

# ❌ DON'T: Push individual commits (expensive)
# bvc push  # This would cost gas for EACH commit

2. File Management

# ✅ DO: Use .bvcignore for build files
echo "node_modules/" >> .bvcignore
echo "*.log" >> .bvcignore
echo ".env" >> .bvcignore

# ✅ DO: Stage specific files
bvc add src/ docs/ README.md

# ❌ DON'T: Add everything blindly
# bvc add .  # Might include sensitive files

3. Cost Optimization

Local work: Unlimited free commits
Checkpoints: Batch 5-10 commits per checkpoint
Gas efficiency: ~80% savings vs individual pushes
IPFS storage: Decentralized and permanent

4. Backup Strategy

# Regular checkpoints act as backups
bvc checkpoint -m "Daily backup $(date)"

# Your code is stored on:
# 1. Local filesystem (.bvc directory)
# 2. IPFS network (decentralized)
# 3. Ethereum blockchain (immutable)

🔗 Related Documentation

README.md - Main project overview and installation
QUICK_START.md - Get started in 5 minutes
SEPOLIA_DEPLOYMENT.md - Network deployment details
COST_OPTIMIZATION.md - Gas efficiency strategies
USAGE_EXAMPLES.md - Real-world examples

🎯 Summary: How to Use BVC Completely

Phase 1: Setup (One-time)

bvc check                    # Verify system works

Phase 2: Create Project

bvc init my-project          # Create blockchain repository
cd my-project                  # Enter project directory

Phase 3: Daily Development (FREE)

# Edit files normally
echo 'code here' > file.js

# Version control (no cost)
bvc add file.js
bvc commit -m "Progress update"

# Check status anytime
bvc status
bvc log

Phase 4: Publish Progress (Periodic)

# Batch upload to blockchain (cost-efficient)
bvc checkpoint -m "Sprint completion"

# View blockchain history
bvc log --checkpoints

🎉 That's it! You now have decentralized, blockchain-based version control with 80% cost savings compared to traditional blockchain git solutions.

Last updated: September 10, 2025 - All features tested and verified working ✅

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🔗 BVC Command Guide - Complete Reference

📋 Overview

🎯 Quick Start (5 Minutes)

💡 Key Concepts

✅ Command Reference

System Commands

bvc check - System health check

bvc --help - Show help

Repository Setup

bvc init [repository-name] - Create repository ⭐

bvc config [options] - Configuration management

bvc status - Repository status ⭐

bvc clone <repo-id> - Clone repository

bvc status - Repository status

File Operations

bvc add <files...> - Stage files ⭐

bvc commit -m "message" - Create commit ⭐

Synchronization & Publishing

bvc checkpoint - Batch commits efficiently ⭐⭐⭐

bvc log [options] - View commit history ⭐

Repository Management

bvc list - List repositories

💰 Complete Cost Optimization Workflow

🎯 Recommended Development Flow (TESTED & VERIFIED)

💡 Cost Comparison (Real Numbers)

🔄 Daily Workflow Example

🔧 System Configuration

Current Working Setup (Pre-configured)

Verify Your Setup

Manual Configuration (if needed)

🚨 Error Handling & Troubleshooting

Common Issues & Solutions (Tested)

✅ "IPFS node not available" (SOLVED)

✅ "Blockchain connection" (SOLVED)

❌ "Repository does not exist"

❌ "No files staged for commit"

❌ "Not a BVC repository"

🔍 Debug Commands

📊 Advanced Usage & Features

Repository Structure (Real Files)

Real Configuration Files

Working Features (Verified ✅)

✅ Repository Management

✅ Version Control Operations

✅ Blockchain Integration

✅ IPFS Storage

Performance Characteristics

💡 Best Practices (From Real Testing)

1. Development Workflow

2. File Management

3. Cost Optimization

4. Backup Strategy

🔗 Related Documentation

🎯 Summary: How to Use BVC Completely

Phase 1: Setup (One-time)

Phase 2: Create Project

Phase 3: Daily Development (FREE)

Phase 4: Publish Progress (Periodic)

`bvc check` - System health check

`bvc --help` - Show help

`bvc init [repository-name]` - Create repository ⭐

`bvc config [options]` - Configuration management

`bvc status` - Repository status ⭐

`bvc clone <repo-id>` - Clone repository

`bvc status` - Repository status

`bvc add <files...>` - Stage files ⭐

`bvc commit -m "message"` - Create commit ⭐

`bvc checkpoint` - Batch commits efficiently ⭐⭐⭐

`bvc log [options]` - View commit history ⭐

`bvc list` - List repositories