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spec-collections.md

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Collections

Status: Draft
Version: 0.0.1
Authors: Nick Juliano (nick@arweave.org)

Introduction

This document defines Collections in the AO / Arweave ecosystem. A Collection is a structured grouping of atomic assets, allowing for cohesive representation, management, and categorization of digital items. Collections extend the concept of atomic assets by introducing an organized layer to group and manage related assets.

Motivation

As the use of atomic assets grows within the AO / Arweave ecosystem, there is a clear need for a standardized way to group and manage related assets. Collections enable creators and users to:

  • Group assets into meaningful categories (e.g., art series, digital music albums, or curated asset sets).
  • Manage multiple assets efficiently under a single entity.
  • Provide contextual metadata for grouped assets, enhancing discoverability and user experience.
  • Simplify integration into user profiles and decentralized applications.

Collections add value by allowing developers to create higher-order organizational structures, ensuring scalability and ease of management for large datasets.

Specification

A Collection is a logical grouping of atomic assets, represented by metadata and references to the underlying assets. The following elements define a Collection:

1. Metadata

Each Collection includes metadata that describes its purpose and context:

  • Name: The name of the Collection.
  • Description: A description of the Collection's purpose or content.
  • Creator: The ID of the creator of the Collection.
  • Banner: A visual banner representing the Collection.
  • Thumbnail: A smaller image used to visually identify the Collection.
  • DateCreated: The timestamp when the Collection was created.
  • LastUpdate: The timestamp when the Collection was last updated.

2. Assets

A Collection contains a list of asset IDs (AssetIds) representing the atomic assets included in the Collection. Each asset ID is validated and checked for uniqueness within the Collection.

3. Handlers

The Collection provides several handlers to manage its metadata and assets:

  • Info: Retrieves the Collection's metadata and assets.
  • Update-Assets: Adds or removes atomic assets from the Collection.
  • Add-Collection-To-Profile: Associates the Collection with a user profile.

Example Workflow

  1. Create a Collection: Initialize metadata for the Collection, such as Name, Description, Banner, and Thumbnail.

  2. Add Assets: Use the Update-Assets handler with UpdateType: "Add" to populate the Collection with atomic assets.

  3. Retrieve Information: Use the Info handler to fetch metadata and the list of assets in the Collection.

  4. Associate with Profile: Link the Collection to a user profile using the Add-Collection-To-Profile handler.

  5. Update or Remove Assets: Modify the Collection by adding or removing assets via the Update-Assets handler.

Use Cases

  1. Art Collections: Group multiple pieces of digital artwork into a cohesive collection for sale or exhibition.

  2. Music Albums: Organize tracks into an album with shared metadata like album art and release date.

  3. Curated Sets: Enable curators to create and manage themed asset collections for marketplaces or applications.

Conclusion

By providing a standardized way to group and manage atomic assets, Collections enhance the functionality and usability of the AO / Arweave ecosystem, enabling developers and users to create richer experiences and applications.