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Composability

Composability in the blockchain world is akin to building with LEGO bricks. Each piece, or in this case, each attestation, can stand alone, but when combined, they form a more complex and intricate structure. Let's dive into how this works with attestations.

What is Composability?​

Composability is the art and science of assembling smaller components to create a more complex system. In the context of blockchain and attestations, it's about ensuring that individual attestations, or data points, can be seamlessly combined or referenced to form a cohesive narrative or dataset. This modular approach not only enhances the flexibility of data structures but also ensures that data remains interconnected, traceable, and verifiable.

Referenced Attestations: The Key​

The refUID (referenced attestation unique identifier) feature in attestations is the core building block of composability. It allows an attestation to reference another, weaving a tapestry of interconnected attestations. This interconnectedness ensures that each attestation can either add depth, context, or validation to another.

Example: Decentralized Social Media​

Imagine a decentralized social media platform. You post a message, and that action creates an attestation. When someone comments or likes your post, they're not just interacting with a UI; they're creating a new attestation that references your original one via its UID.

Here's an example social media post on Sepolia from timbeiko.eth saying "GM!". Notice that there are two likes and a reply? Sample Post

These are just attestations!

Each post, each reply, and each like are just attestations referencing each other. Here is that same post on Sepolia with the onchain attestation record. Notice the uid of the Onchain attestation record? That is being used as a reference for the additional attestations made for liking and replying. At the bottom of the image you will see a new schema being used for Like an Entity and the same schema of Post being used.

See this Attestation on Sepolia

Sample RefUID

Building with Composability in Mind​

  • Think Modular: Design each schema to be self-contained but ready to connect with others.
  • Use refUID Effectively: It's a simple tool, but it's the bridge between attestations.
  • Keep Users Informed: Make sure users understand how their data is being used and connected.

Wrapping Up​

Composability is about seeing the potential in simple components and understanding how they can come together to create something more significant. With attestations, this means a more flexible, modular, scalable, and transparent system.