[FEAT] Add custom block time [SBK-262]

[PatrickAlphaC]

Overview

For testing my setup, I'd like to run my environment on a local chain like anvil, hardhat, or even ape networks run. However, due to how block time is calculated, it's quite difficult.

Exact issue

I have an anvil local chain running that I have run with :

anvil -b 2

The -b 2 gives it a block time of 2.

When I run the following command:

silverback run "monitoring:app" --network http://127.0.0.1:8545

I get the following stack trace

WARNING: Connecting Geth plugin to non-Geth client 'anvil'.
INFO: Loading Silverback App with settings:
  BROKER_CLASS="taskiq:InMemoryBroker"
  NETWORK_CHOICE="http://127.0.0.1:8545"
WARNING: Connecting Geth plugin to non-Geth client 'anvil'.
INFO: Loaded Silverback App:
  NETWORK="ethereum:adhoc"
  SIGNER=None
INFO: Using LiveRunner: max_exceptions=3
INFO: `ape-cache` database has not been initialized
INFO: block[block=0x45a75375d3e5e314597b98c678d592d35512fe26e4da0f6cd6c5f13aa6a92a9b] - Started
INFO: block[block=0x45a75375d3e5e314597b98c678d592d35512fe26e4da0f6cd6c5f13aa6a92a9b] - 0.010s (0.5%)
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/PATH/venv/bin/silverback", line 8, in <module>
    sys.exit(cli())
  File "/PATH/venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/click/core.py", line 1157, in __call__
    return self.main(*args, **kwargs)
  File "/PATH/venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/click/core.py", line 1078, in main
    rv = self.invoke(ctx)
  File "/PATH/venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/click/core.py", line 1688, in invoke
    return _process_result(sub_ctx.command.invoke(sub_ctx))
  File "/PATH/venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/click/core.py", line 1434, in invoke
    return ctx.invoke(self.callback, **ctx.params)
  File "/PATH/venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/click/core.py", line 783, in invoke
    return __callback(*args, **kwargs)
  File "/PATH/venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/click/decorators.py", line 92, in new_func
    return ctx.invoke(f, obj, *args, **kwargs)
  File "/PATH/venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/click/core.py", line 783, in invoke
    return __callback(*args, **kwargs)
  File "/PATH/venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/silverback/_cli.py", line 59, in run
    asyncio.run(runner.run())
  File "/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.10/lib/python3.10/asyncio/runners.py", line 44, in run
    return loop.run_until_complete(main)
  File "/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.10/lib/python3.10/asyncio/base_events.py", line 646, in run_until_complete
    return future.result()
  File "/PATH/venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/silverback/runner.py", line 61, in run
    await asyncio.gather(*tasks)
  File "/PATH/venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/silverback/runner.py", line 87, in _block_task
    async for block in async_wrap_iter(
  File "/PATH/venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/silverback/utils.py", line 21, in yield_queue_items
    raise exception
  File "/PATH/venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/silverback/utils.py", line 26, in iter_to_queue
    for item in it:
  File "/PATH/venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/ape/managers/chain.py", line 346, in poll_blocks
    _try_timeout()
  File "/PATH/venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/ape/managers/chain.py", line 326, in _try_timeout
    raise ChainError(message)
ape.exceptions.ChainError: Timed out waiting for new block (time_waited=0.0144).

This is because the timeout variable in ape/managers/chain.py::poll_blocks is set as such:

timeout = (
            (
                10.0
                if network_name == LOCAL_NETWORK_NAME or network_name.endswith("-fork")
                else 50 * block_time
            )
            if new_block_timeout is None
            else new_block_timeout
        )

I'm not sure how to tell silverback that the anvil chain block time is 2.

Request / Ask

Is there a way to tell silverback/ape that the ad-hoc's block time is X?

[fubuloubu]

You can add new_block_timeout kwargs to app.on_ decorators, but in general make sure when you run anvil you are running it in a mode where it continuously mines blocks and not based on transactions occuring (e.g. "automine" functionality)

[fubuloubu]

Some further information: Silverback uses Ape's config system to detect timing, falling back to automatic detection if not available

silverback/silverback/middlewares.py

Lines 9 to 18 in 8b22872

	def compute_block_time() -> int:
	genesis = self.chain_manager.blocks[0]
	head = self.chain_manager.blocks.head
	if not head.number or head.number == 0:
	return 10
	return int((head.timestamp - genesis.timestamp) / head.number)
	self.block_time = self.chain_manager.provider.network.block_time or compute_block_time()

So make sure you've configured Ape correctly