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shortenAddress

The shortenAddress utility function provides a concise way to display blockchain addresses by shortening them to fit within a specified maximum number of characters. This is particularly useful for UI elements where displaying the full address would take up too much space.

Example Usage​

This utility can be used in components to display a shortened version of an address, while retaining the ability to recognize the start and end characters.

import { shortenAddress } from "@zigchain/zigchain-sdk";

const AddressDisplayComponent = ({ address }) => {
  return (
    <div>
      <p>Full Address: {address}</p>
      <p>Shortened Address: {shortenAddress(address)}</p>
    </div>
  );
};

export default AddressDisplayComponent;

Parameters​

The shortenAddress function accepts the following parameters:

  • bech32: A string representing the full blockchain address to be shortened.

Returned Value​

The shortenAddress function returns a shortened version of the address, formatted as follows:

Input AddressOutput Address
zig1rgjz3fz3trf7u3r22revgtwvc9nxrg6u5q70kzzig1rgjz3fz...5q70kz

How It Works​

  1. Prefix Extraction: The function extracts the prefix of the Bech32 address (e.g., zig in zig1...).
  2. Address Body Processing: The function calculates the available length for the address body after accounting for the prefix, ellipsis (...), and separator (1).
  3. Ellipsis Placement: If the address exceeds the maximum allowed length, it shortens the middle portion of the address, leaving the prefix and the suffix intact.

Error Handling​

The shortenAddress function handles invalid inputs by returning the input address as-is if it is not a valid Bech32 address. This ensures the function does not throw errors or behave unpredictably.

Behavior:

  • If the input is a valid Bech32 address, the function shortens it as expected.
  • If the input is invalid (e.g., missing the 1 separator, null, undefined, or not a string), the function simply returns the input without modification.

This approach ensures the function avoids breaking your application when invalid input is encountered. No additional validation is required before calling the function.

Conclusion​

The shortenAddress utility is a flexible and efficient tool for creating a user-friendly display of Cosmos blockchain addresses. It enhances readability by reducing visual clutter in user interfaces while maintaining the ability to recognize the critical parts of an address.