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31 lines
3.5 KiB
Markdown
31 lines
3.5 KiB
Markdown
# Introduction #
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Ripple is a decentralized, peer-to-peer network for moving value using cryptographic technology. For more on the big picture, consult [ripple.com](https://ripple.com/) and check out [our blog](https://ripple.com/blog/).
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# Ripple Client Applications #
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The official web client for the Ripple Network is available at [https://rippletrade.com/](). There is also an official downloadable client at [http://download.ripple.com/]().
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In order to activate your account, you must fund it with enough XRP to meet the account reserve (currently 20 XRP). You can do this in a few different ways:
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* You can buy XRP with Bitcoins in the Ripple Trade client, under the [Fund](https://www.rippletrade.com/#/fund) tab.
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* You can have someone who is already on the network send a payment to your account's address.
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* Keep an eye out for promotions that give away free XRP to developers.
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# Ripple APIs #
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If you intend to act as a gateway, or if you are a developer with great ideas of how to use the Ripple Network, you will probably want to build a custom client application that you or your customers can use to send, receive, or observe funds on the Ripple Network.
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Connecting to the Ripple Network generally means communicating with the Ripple Server software, [`rippled`](https://github.com/ripple/rippled) (pronounced "ripple-dee"). To get started, you can try running a few calls to retrieve information from public servers using the [Ripple API Tool](https://ripple.com/tools/api) or you try downloading and running your own instance of `rippled`.
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If you are building your own client, you have several options of interfaces that you can use to interact with the Ripple Network:
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| Tool | Summary | Interface | Abstraction Level | Pros | Cons |
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|------|---------|-----------------------|-------------------|------|------|
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| [gatewayd](https://github.com/ripple/gatewayd) | Skeleton for implementing gateway functionality as a Node.js application | HTTP interface | Very high abstraction | ✓ Most functionality needed to operate a gateway is already implemented | ✗ Only intended for gateways <br> ✗ Requires Node.js |
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| [Ripple-REST](?p=ripple-rest-api) | RESTful interface to `rippled` as a Node.js application | HTTP interface | High abstraction | ✓ Simple robust transaction submission <br> ✓ Broad HTTP-client support | ✗ Lacks access to a few features like viewing currency exchange offers <br> ✗ Requires Node.js |
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| [ripple-lib](https://github.com/ripple/ripple-lib) | Reference implementation for accessing the WebSocket API | Javascript library | Moderate abstraction | ✓ Simple robust transaction submission<br> ✓ Good balance of simplicity and power | ✗ Javascript only (Clients for other languages are in progress) |
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| [rippled WebSocket API](?p=web-sockets-api) | Powerful, asynchronous API built on the WebSocket protocol | [WebSocket](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Websocket) interface | Low abstraction | ✓ Access to all Ripple functionality <br> ✓ Can be pushed ordered stream data | ✗ Fewer convenient abstractions <br> ✗ WebSocket clients are rare outside of Javascript |
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| [rippled JSON-RPC API](?p=web-sockets-api) <!--note: that's not a typo, the websocket and json-rpc docs are on the same page--> | Powerful, synchronous API built on the [JSON-RPC convention](http://json-rpc.org/) | HTTP interface | Low abstraction | ✓ Access to almost all Ripple functionality <br> ✓ Broad HTTP-client support | ✗ Fewer convenient abstractions <br> ✗ Callbacks may arrive out of order <br> ✗ No incremental pathfinding |
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