Overview

This will guide how to generate test transactions using the aptos-indexer-transactions-generator tool for Aptos networks (Devnet/Testnet/Mainnet). These transactions are then used in automated tests, local development, or regression checks.

General Flow of Transaction Importing

First, identify the transaction versions you need to fetch from the Aptos network. This tool interacts with the Transaction Stream to retrieve transaction data in JSON format. The transactions are then consolidated into a Rust file, where each transaction is represented as a constant variable. These constants can be seamlessly used as mocked inputs in a testing framework. During testing, the processor fetches the specified transactions, processes them, and writes the results to a database. You can then verify the outcomes by loading the written data and validating it against the expected schema.

Prerequisites

1. Access to a Network (Testnet/Mainnet):
   • A valid API key for the gRPC endpoint. (Refer here)
2. Clone the aptos-core repository:
   • Navigate to the aptos-core/ecosystem/indexer-grpc/indexer-transaction-generator directory.

Steps

1. Specify Versions to Import

Locate and open the file:

ecosystem/indexer-grpc/indexer-transaction-generator/imported_transactions/imported_transactions.yaml

In this file, specify the versions to import from Devnet|Testnet|Mainnet by configuring the appropriate endpoint, API key, and mapping version numbers to descriptive output names. An example configuration is shown below:

testnet:
  transaction_stream_endpoint: https://grpc.testnet.aptoslabs.com:443
  api_key: TESTNET_API_KEY  # <--- Replace this with your API key to generate files locally
  versions_to_import:
    1: 1_genesis
    2: 2_new_block_event
    3: 3_empty_txn
    278556781: 278556781_v1_coin_register_fa_metadata
    1255836496: 1255836496_v2_fa_metadata_
    5979639459: 5979639459_coin_register
    5992795934: 5992795934_fa_activities
    5523474016: 5523474016_validator_txn
 
mainnet:
  transaction_stream_endpoint: https://grpc.mainnet.aptoslabs.com:443
  api_key: MAINNET_API_KEY
  versions_to_import:
    308783012: 308783012_fa_transfer

2. Run the Command to Import Transactions

Navigate to the indexer-transaction-generator directory:

cd aptos-core/ecosystem/indexer-grpc/indexer-transaction-generator

To import the specified transaction versions, execute the following command:

cargo run -- --testing-folder ./imported_transactions --output-folder /path/to/your/processor-repo/src

This command will:

1. Read the configuration from the imported_transactions.yaml file located in the folder specified by the —testing-folder flag.
2. Fetch the specified transaction versions from the selected network (Devnet, Testnet or Mainnet).
3. Store the resulting JSON files in the specified output folder (/path/to/your/processor-repo/src/json_transactions).
4. Generate a Rust file (generated_transactions.rs) that converts the generated transaction JSON files into constant variables for use in tests.

Note: Replace /path/to/your/processor-repo with the path to your processor repository or preferred storage location.

Explanation of Command Flags

1. --testing-folder What is the —testing-folder flag? The —testing-folder flag specifies the directory containing the imported_transactions.yaml configuration file. The tool uses this folder to read versions you wish to import.

• Ensure the folder path matches the location of your imported_transactions.yaml file.
• By default, this guide assumes the configuration is stored in ./imported_transactions. Adjust the flag value if you place the file elsewhere.

2. --output-folder Specifies the destination directory where the generated transaction JSON files and Rust constants will be saved.

• Replace /path/to/your/processor-repo with your processor repository src directory or desired storage location.
• Ensure this folder is part of your version control setup if these files need to be shared.

How to Use the Testing Transactions

Export the Generated File

Update the mod.rs file to include the generated Rust file containing the transaction constants.

Reference mod.rs.

Export the json_transactions Folder

Ensure the json_transactions folder is properly exported in the library file.

Reference lib.rs.

Add as a Dependency

Include the crate containing the generated transactions as a dependency in the Cargo.toml file of your test crate. (Internally, we store transactions in aptos-core and use them in the processor repo).

Integrate into Test Cases

Use the exported transaction constants directly in your test cases to simulate real transactions and validate processing logic.

Example Crate.

Next Steps

Once the transaction constants are integrated, you can use them in processor tests to validate functionality. For detailed instructions on writing processor tests, refer to Writing Processor Tests.