Hiero DID SDK: Essential Components

Introduction

This guide provides an overview of the essential components and functions that power the Hiero DID SDK. These elements work together to enable developers to seamlessly manage Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs) and AnonCreds resources on the Hedera network. Familiarizing yourself with these core aspects is key to effectively leveraging the SDK for your decentralized identity solutions.

Resolving DIDs with resolveDID

The resolveDID function is your gateway to accessing DID Documents. It retrieves and verifies these documents, which contain crucial information about a DID, such as public keys and authentication methods. By using the Hedera Consensus Service (HCS), resolveDID ensures secure and verifiable retrieval, adhering to the DID specification and supporting the Hedera DID method.

Managing DIDs: createDID, updateDID, and deactivateDID

The Hiero DID SDK provides a streamlined way to manage the entire lifecycle of a DID. With createDID, you can generate and register new DIDs on the Hedera network. updateDID allows you to modify existing DIDs, while deactivateDID enables you to revoke a DID when needed. These functions interact with the HCS to ensure the secure handling of DID documents, adhering to the DID specification and supporting the Hedera DID method.

Secure Key Management with the Signer Class

The Signer class plays a vital role in securing your DID operations. It provides a standardized way to generate keys, sign messages, and verify signatures. This ensures the integrity and authenticity of your DID operations, contributing to the overall trustworthiness of DIDs on Hedera.

Streamlined Transaction Handling with the Publisher Class

The Publisher class acts as a bridge between your DID operations and the Hedera network. It simplifies the submission of transactions to the Hedera Consensus Service (HCS), streamlining the process of registering, updating, and deactivating DIDs. With automatic network detection and robust error handling, the Publisher class ensures a smooth and reliable experience.

Managing AnonCreds resources with the HederaAnoncredsRegistry Class

The HederaAnoncredsRegistry class provides an API to register and resolve AnonCreds resources (Schema, Credential Definition, Revocation Registries) on Hedera ledger. Combined with effective built-in caching, this provides a great AnonCreds Verifiable Data Registry (VDR) option that allows developers to leverage Hedera speed and cost-effectiveness for AnonCreds use cases.

Convenient integration with Hedera Consensus Service (HCS)

The @hiero-did-sdk/hcs package provides API and helpers to simplify integration with HCS. The HcsService class provides easy-to-use common API with built-in management of Hedera SDK Client instances. HcsTopicService, HcsMessageService and HcsFileService (HCS-1 standard implementation) classes provide specific API parts that can be used independently.

Next Steps

  • Key Management Modes: Learn about the different key management strategies supported by the DID SDK and choose the best one for your needs: Key Management Modes Guide.

  • Handling Exceptions: Explore best practices for handling exceptions and errors when working with the Hiero DID SDK: Handling Exceptions Guide.