Core Functions (CLI)

Introduction

This is an example shell script using all the core functions of DIDKit-CLI: key generation, credential/presentation issuance and verification.

Setup

Note: This script is meant to be run in the directory where DIDKit-CLI is built, regardless of installation method. See the complete script below for setup details.

1. These instructions assume Ubuntu, and have been tested on Linux, MacOS, and WSL2.

2. See DIDKit installation page instructions for dependencies and install options.

3. jq is recommended but not required for testing purposes. It can be installed by running the command sudo apt-get install jq.

Start with a keypair

DIDKit can generate a unique ed25119 keypair from entropy. Alternately, you can provide a static key locally.

if [ -e issuer_key.jwk ]; then
    echo 'Using existing keypair.'
else
    didkit generate-ed25519-key > issuer_key.jwk
    echo 'Generated keypair.'
fi

echo

Generate a DID:Key document

This document gets wrapped around the keypair generated (or passed) in the previous step. For more context on the DID:key method, see the specification. For more info on the parameters and flags for the key-to-did function, run didkit help key-to-did.

did=$(didkit key-to-did key -k issuer_key.jwk)
printf 'DID: %s\n\n' "$did"

Define verificationMethod for keypair

This is used to identify the key in linked data proofs. Verifiers of such proofs query a DID found in a credential based on what [registered] proof type (i.e., what kind of signatures) it needs key material to verify.

issuer_verification_method=$(didkit key-to-verification-method key -k issuer_key.jwk)
printf 'verificationMethod: %s\n\n' "$issuer_verification_method"

Prepare credential for issuing

Here, we'll issue an example credential (unsigned) and save it to a file. In this credential, the issuance date, id, and credential subject id are arbitrary, but in real-world usage these are diverse and critical properties. For more info about what these properties mean, see the Verifiable Credentials Data Model specification.

Note that SUBJECTDID and ISSUERDID fields need to be URIs, so if you are using non-DID identifiers such as certificates or UUIDs, they need to be prefixed with the approriate URN prefix, i.e., "urn:uuid:", etc.

SUBJECTDID='did:example:d23dd687a7dc6787646f2eb98d0'
ISSUERDID=$did
DATE=`date --utc +%FT%TZ`
CREDID="urn:uuid:"`uuidgen`

cat > credential-unsigned.jsonld <<EOF
{
    "@context": "https://www.w3.org/2018/credentials/v1",
    "id": "$CREDID",
    "type": ["VerifiableCredential"],
    "issuer": "$ISSUERDID",
    "issuanceDate": "$DATE",
    "credentialSubject": {
        "id": "$SUBJECTDID"
    }
}
EOF

When working in a MacOS terminal, use the following command to format an ISO-8601 compliant date instead:

DATE=`date -u +"%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ"`

Issue the verifiable credential

• We ask DIDKit to issue a verifiable credential using the given keypair file, verification method, and proof purpose, passing the unsigned credential on standard input.

• DIDKit creates a linked data proof to add to the unsigned credential, and outputs the resulting newly-issued (signed) verifiable credential on standard output, which we save to a file.

didkit vc-issue-credential \
    -k issuer_key.jwk \
    -v "$issuer_verification_method" \
    -p assertionMethod \
    < credential-unsigned.jsonld \
    > credential-signed.jsonld
echo 'Issued verifiable credential:'
cat credential-signed.jsonld | jq .

Verify a verifiable credential

• We pass the newly-issued signed verifiable credential back to didkit for verification using the given verification method and proof purpose.

• DIDKit then outputs the verification result as JSON and saves it. If verification is successful, the command completes successfully (returns exit code 0).

if ! didkit vc-verify-credential \
    -v "$issuer_verification_method" \
    -p assertionMethod \
    < credential-signed.jsonld \
    > credential-verify-result.json
then
    echo 'Unable to verify credential:'
    print_json credential-verify-result.json
    exit 1
fi
echo 'Verified verifiable credential:'
cat credential-verify-result.json | jq .

Create a verifiable presentation that embeds the verifiable credential

• Prepare to present the verifiable credential by wrapping it in a verifiable presentation (VP).

• The id here is an arbitrary URL for example purposes; VPs are often but not always uniquely identified, whether by identifiers, URLs, or URIs.

cat > presentation-unsigned.jsonld <<EOF
{
    "@context": ["https://www.w3.org/2018/credentials/v1"],
    "id": "http://example.org/presentations/3731",
    "type": ["VerifiablePresentation"],
    "holder": "$did",
    "verifiableCredential": $(cat credential-signed.jsonld)
}
EOF

Issue verifiable presentation

• Pass the unsigned verifiable presentation to DIDKit to be issued as a verifiable presentation. * DIDKit signs the presentation with a linked data proof, using the given keypair, verification method and proof type.

• We save the resulting newly created verifiable presentation to a file

In most use-cases, the holder field contains a DID or other identifier verifiably linked to the key material signing the presentation, which has some relationship to the credential(s) being presented.

The classic example is a fresh and interactive proof of being the [human] subject identified by a credential, but there are many VP use-cases as well. This may be a manual, consented, unique and interactive identity assurance operation, but it can also be an assurance of the identity of a machine or a legal entity, operated by an API call or an automation carried out by a fiduciary/trusted piece of software, etc.

In these examples, the keys representing the two parties are stored in expressive filenames, 'issuer_key' and 'holder_key'. There are, however, no differences between these keys, and the JWK filenames were chosen simply to clarify the example; there are no restrictions on them.

didkit vc-issue-presentation \
    -k issuer_key.jwk \
    -v "$issuer_verification_method" \
    -p authentication \
    < presentation-unsigned.jsonld \
    > presentation-signed.jsonld
echo 'Issued verifiable presentation:'
cat presentation-signed.jsonld | jq .

Verify the verifiable presentation

• We pass the verifiable presentation we created back to DIDKit for verification, and save the results in a JSON.

if ! didkit vc-verify-presentation \
    -v "$issuer_verification_method" \
    -p authentication \
    < presentation-signed.jsonld \
    > presentation-verify-result.json
then
    echo 'Unable to verify presentation:'
    print_json presentation-verify-result.json
    exit 1
fi
echo 'Verified verifiable presentation:'
cat presentation-verify-result.json | jq .

echo Done

Appendix: whole script without commentary

The following is a stand-alone version of all of the above, also available on Github as /cli/tests/example.sh

#!/bin/sh
# This is an example shell script using DIDKit for key generation,
# credential/presentation issuance and verification.

# Exit if any command in the script fails.
set -e

# Allow issuing using a DID method other than did:key
did_method=${DID_METHOD:-key}
# More info about did:key: https://w3c-ccg.github.io/did-method-key/

# Allow setting proof format using environmental variables.
proof_format=${PROOF_FORMAT:-ldp}
vc_proof_format=${VC_PROOF_FORMAT:-$proof_format}
vp_proof_format=${VP_PROOF_FORMAT:-$proof_format}

# Pretty-print JSON using jq or json_pp if available.
print_json() {
    file=${1?file}
    if command -v jq >/dev/null 2>&1; then
        jq . "$file" || cat "$file"
    elif command -v json_pp >/dev/null 2>&1; then
        json_pp < "$file" || cat "$file"
    else
        cat "$file"
    fi
}

# Run the rest of this script in its source directory.
cd "$(dirname "$0")"

# Build the didkit CLI program
cargo build -p didkit-cli

# Adjust $PATH to include the didkit executable.
export PATH="$PWD/../../target/debug:$PATH"

# Create a ed25119 keypair if needed.
if [ -e key.jwk ]; then
    echo 'Using existing keypair.'
else
    didkit generate-ed25519-key > key.jwk
    echo 'Generated keypair.'
fi
echo

# Get the keypair's DID.
did=$(didkit key-to-did "$did_method" -k key.jwk)
printf 'DID: %s\n\n' "$did"

# Get verificationMethod for keypair.
# This is used to identify the key in linked data proofs.
verification_method=$(didkit key-to-verification-method "$did_method" -k key.jwk)
printf 'verificationMethod: %s\n\n' "$verification_method"

# Prepare credential for issuing.
# In this example credential, the issuance date, id, and credential subject id
# are arbitrary. For more info about what these properties mean, see the
# Verifiable Credentials Data Model: https://w3c.github.io/vc-data-model/
cat > credential-unsigned.jsonld <<EOF
{
    "@context": "https://www.w3.org/2018/credentials/v1",
    "id": "http://example.org/credentials/3731",
    "type": ["VerifiableCredential"],
    "issuer": "$did",
    "issuanceDate": "2020-08-19T21:41:50Z",
    "credentialSubject": {
        "id": "did:example:d23dd687a7dc6787646f2eb98d0"
    }
}
EOF

# Issue the verifiable credential.
# Ask didkit to issue a verifiable credential using the given keypair file,
# verification method, and proof purpose, passing the unsigned credential on
# standard input. DIDKit creates a linked data proof to add to the credential,
# and outputs the resulting newly-issued verifiable credential on standard
# output, which we save to a file.
didkit vc-issue-credential \
    -k key.jwk \
    -v "$verification_method" \
    -p assertionMethod \
    -f "$vc_proof_format" \
    < credential-unsigned.jsonld \
    > credential-signed
echo 'Issued verifiable credential:'
if [ "$vc_proof_format" = jwt ]; then
    cat credential-signed
else
    print_json credential-signed
fi
echo

# Verify verifiable credential.
# We pass the newly-issued verifiable credential back to didkit for
# verification using the given verification method and proof purpose. DIDKit
# outputs the verification result as JSON. If verification is successful, the
# command completes successfully (returns exit code 0).
if ! didkit vc-verify-credential \
    -v "$verification_method" \
    -p assertionMethod \
    -f "$vc_proof_format" \
    < credential-signed \
    > credential-verify-result.json
then
    echo 'Unable to verify credential:'
    print_json credential-verify-result.json
    exit 1
fi
echo 'Verified verifiable credential:'
print_json credential-verify-result.json
echo

# Encode credential as JSON for presenting.
if [ "$vc_proof_format" = jwt ]; then
    echo -n '"'
    cat credential-signed
    echo -n '"'
else
    cat credential-signed
fi > credential-signed.json

# Create presentation embedding verifiable credential.
# Prepare to present the verifiable credential by wrapping it in a
# Verifiable Presentation. The id here is an arbitrary URL for example purposes.
cat > presentation-unsigned.jsonld <<EOF
{
    "@context": ["https://www.w3.org/2018/credentials/v1"],
    "id": "http://example.org/presentations/3731",
    "type": ["VerifiablePresentation"],
    "holder": "$did",
    "verifiableCredential": $(cat credential-signed.json)
}
EOF

# Issue verifiable presentation.
# Pass the unsigned verifiable presentation to didkit to be issued as a
# verifiable presentation. DIDKit signs the presentation with a linked data
# proof, using the given keypair, verification method and proof type. We save
# the resulting newly created verifiable presentation to a file.
didkit vc-issue-presentation \
    -k key.jwk \
    -v "$verification_method" \
    -p authentication \
    -f "$vp_proof_format" \
    < presentation-unsigned.jsonld \
    > presentation-signed
echo 'Issued verifiable presentation:'
if [ "$vp_proof_format" = jwt ]; then
    cat presentation-signed
else
    print_json presentation-signed
fi
echo

# Verify verifiable presentation.
# Pass the verifiable presentation back to didkit for verification.
# Examine the verification result JSON.
if ! didkit vc-verify-presentation \
    -v "$verification_method" \
    -p authentication \
    -f "$vp_proof_format" \
    < presentation-signed \
    > presentation-verify-result.json
then
    echo 'Unable to verify presentation:'
    print_json presentation-verify-result.json
    exit 1
fi
echo 'Verified verifiable presentation:'
print_json presentation-verify-result.json
echo

# Resolve a DID.
if ! didkit did-resolve "$did" > did.json
then
    echo 'Unable to resolve DID.'
    exit 1
fi
echo 'Resolved DID to DID document:'
print_json did.json

# Dereference a DID URL
if ! didkit did-dereference "$verification_method" > vm.json
then
    echo 'Unable to dereference DID URL.'
    exit 1
fi
echo 'Dereferenced DID URL for verification method:'
print_json vm.json

# Authenticate with a DID
if ! challenge=$(awk 'BEGIN { srand(); print rand() }')
then
    echo 'Unable to create challenge.'
    exit 1
fi
if ! didkit did-auth \
    -k key.jwk \
    -h "$did" \
    -p authentication \
    -C "$challenge" \
    -v "$verification_method" \
    -f "$vp_proof_format" \
    > auth
then
    echo 'Unable to create DIDAuth response'
    exit 1
fi

echo 'Generated DIDAuth verifiable presentation:'
if [ "$vp_proof_format" = jwt ]; then
    cat auth
else
    print_json auth
fi
echo

# Verify DID auth
if ! didkit vc-verify-presentation \
    -p authentication \
    -C "$challenge" \
    -f "$vp_proof_format" \
    < auth \
    > auth-verify-result.json
then
    echo 'Unable to verify DIDAuth presentation:'
    print_json auth-verify-result.json
    exit 1
fi
echo 'Verified DIDAuth verifiable presentation:'
print_json auth-verify-result.json
echo

# Convert VP to Canonicalized RDF
if [ "$vp_proof_format" = ldp ]; then
    if ! didkit to-rdf-urdna2015 < auth > auth.nq
    then
        echo 'Unable to convert/canonicalize document:' >&2
        exit 1
    fi
    echo 'Converted verifiable presentation to canonicalized N-Quads:'
    cat auth.nq
fi
echo

echo Done