Learning-Bitcoin-from-the-Command-Line/A3_3_Testing_with_Regtest.md

# A3.3: Testing with Regtest

> **NOTE:** This is a draft in progress, so that I can get some feedback from early reviewers. It is not yet ready for learning.

This document explains how to test transactions and situations using regtest (regression test).

## Verifying balance

After [mining blocks](A3_2_Mining_with_Regtest.md) and getting the rewards, you can verify the balance on your wallet:
```
$ bitcoin-cli -regtest getbalance
50.00000000
```

## Validating the Regtest
Now you should be able to use this balance for any type of interaction with the private Blockchain, such as sending Bitcoin transactions according to [Chapter 4]((04_0_Sending_Bitcoin_Transactions.md)). The only difference is that you need to use the flag `-regtest` when running the `bitcoin-cli` in order for the request to be sent to the Regtest Bitcoin daemon.

It is important to note that for your transactions to complete, you will have to generate (mine) new blocks, so that the transactions can be included.

For example, to create a transaction and include into a block, you should use the `sendtoaddress` command:
```
$ bitcoin-cli -regtest sendtoaddress [address] 15.1
e834a4ac6ef754164c8e3f0be4f34531b74b768199ffb244ab9f6cb1bbc7465a
```

The output is the transaction hash included in the blockchain. You can verify the details using the `gettransaction`:
```
$ bitcoin-cli -regtest gettransaction e834a4ac6ef754164c8e3f0be4f34531b74b768199ffb244ab9f6cb1bbc7465a
{
  "amount": 0.00000000,
  "fee": -0.00178800,
  "confirmations": 0,
  "trusted": false,
  "txid": "e834a4ac6ef754164c8e3f0be4f34531b74b768199ffb244ab9f6cb1bbc7465a",
  "walletconflicts": [
  ],
  "time": 1513204730,
  "timereceived": 1513204730,
  "bip125-replaceable": "unknown",
  "details": [
    {
      "account": "",
      "address": "mjtN3C97kuWMgeBbxdB7hG1bjz24Grx2vA",
      "category": "send",
      "amount": -15.10000000,
      "label": "",
      "vout": 1,
      "fee": -0.00178800,
      "abandoned": false
    },
    {
      "account": "",
      "address": "mjtN3C97kuWMgeBbxdB7hG1bjz24Grx2vA",
      "category": "receive",
      "amount": 15.10000000,
      "label": "",
      "vout": 1
    }
  ],
  "hex": "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"
}
```

After creating a transaction, it has to be confirmed and recorded in a block on the blockchain.
Most applications require a six-block confirmations to consider the transaction as irreversible. If that is your case, you can mine additional 6 blocks into your Regtest chain:
```
$ bitcoin-cli -regtest generate 6
[
  "33549b2aa249f0a814db4a2ba102194881c14a2ac041c23dcc463b9e4e128e9f",
  "2cc5c2012e2cacf118f9db4cdd79582735257f0ec564418867d6821edb55715e",
  "128aaa99e7149a520080d90fa989c62caeda11b7d06ed1965e3fa7c76fa1d407",
  "6037cc562d97eb3984cca50d8c37c7c19bae8d79b8232b92bec6dcc9708104d3",
  "2cb276f5ed251bf629dd52fd108163703473f57c24eac94e169514ce04899581",
  "57193ba8fd2761abf4a5ebcb4ed1a9ec2e873d67485a7cb41e75e13c65928bf3"
]
```


## Testing with NodeJS

When you are on regtest, you are able to simulate edge cases and attacks that might happen in the real world, such  as double spend.

As discussed elsewhere in this course, using software libraries might give you more sophisticated access to some RPC commands. In this case, [bitcointest by dgarage](https://github.com/dgarage/bitcointest) for NodeJS can be used to simulate a transaction from one wallet to another; you can check [their guide](https://www.npmjs.com/package/bitcointest) for more specific attack simulations, such as Double Spend.

See [§17.3](17_3_Accessing_Bitcoind_with_NodeJS.md) for the most up-to-date info on install NodeJS, then add `bitcointest`:
```
$ npm install -g bitcointest
```

After installing `bitcointest`, you can create a `test.js` file with the following content:
```javascript
file: test.js

const { BitcoinNet, BitcoinGraph } = require('bitcointest');
const net = new BitcoinNet('/usr/local/bin', '/tmp/bitcointest/', 22001, 22002);
const graph = new BitcoinGraph(net);

try {

  console.log('Launching nodes...');
  
  const nodes = net.launchBatchS(4);
  const [ n1, n2 ] = nodes;
  net.waitForNodesS(nodes, 20000);

  console.log('Connected!');
  const blocks = n1.generateBlocksS(110);
  console.info('Generated 110 blocks');

  console.log(`n2.balance (before) = ${n2.getBalanceS()}`);

  const sometxid = n1.sendToNodeS(n2, 100);
  console.log(`Generated transaction = ${sometxid}`);
  n1.generateBlocksS(110);
  n2.waitForBalanceChangeS(0);

  const sometx = n2.getTransactionS(sometxid);
  console.log(`n2.balance (after) = ${n2.getBalanceS()}`);


} catch (e) {
  console.error(e);
  net.shutdownS();
  throw e;
}
```

As shown, this will generate blocks and a transaction:
```
$ node test.js
Launching nodes...
Connected!
Generated 110 blocks
n2.balance (before) = 0
Generated transaction = 91e0040c26fc18312efb80bad6ec3b00202a83465872ecf495c392a0b6afce35
n2.after (before) = 100

```