netrunner/README_REFACTORED.md

Netrunner - Refactored Design

Core Philosophy

Multi-network support is now a built-in feature, not a separate subcommand.

Command Structure

# BEFORE (subcommand approach):
netrunner multinet start
netrunner multinet configure
netrunner multinet status
netrunner multinet crosschain

# AFTER (integrated approach):
netrunner start --networks all
netrunner config init
netrunner status
netrunner tx --from mainnet:C --to testnet:C --amount 1000

Usage Examples

1. Starting Networks

# Single network (default behavior)
netrunner start                        # Starts mainnet by default

# Multiple networks (built-in feature)
netrunner start --networks all         # Start all networks
netrunner start --networks mainnet,testnet  # Start specific networks

# With advanced features
netrunner start --networks all --parallel --shared-db

2. Configuration

# No need for separate multinet configure
netrunner config init                  # Generate config for all networks
netrunner config show                  # Show current configuration
netrunner config set mainnet.port 9630 # Modify specific settings

3. Status Checking

# Works for single or multiple networks automatically
netrunner status                       # Shows status of all running networks
netrunner status mainnet              # Status of specific network
netrunner status --json               # JSON output for scripts

4. Cross-Chain Transactions

# Simplified syntax
netrunner tx --from mainnet:C --to testnet:C --amount 1000 --asset LUX

# Short form
netrunner tx mainnet:C testnet:C 1000

Implementation

The key changes:

1. Remove multinet subcommand - Features integrated into main commands
2. Smart detection - Commands automatically detect if multiple networks are running
3. Progressive disclosure - Simple by default, powerful when needed
4. Unified state - Shared DB is automatic when multiple networks are running

Benefits

User Experience

• ✅ Simpler - No need to learn separate multinet commands
• ✅ Intuitive - Flags like --networks all are self-explanatory
• ✅ Discoverable - All features visible in main help
• ✅ Consistent - Same patterns for single or multiple networks

Technical

• ✅ Cleaner codebase - Less command duplication
• ✅ Better defaults - Smart behavior based on context
• ✅ Easier testing - Unified command structure
• ✅ Future-proof - Easy to add more networks

Migration Guide

For users familiar with the subcommand approach:

Old Command	New Command
netrunner multinet start	netrunner start --networks all
netrunner multinet configure	netrunner config init
netrunner multinet status	netrunner status
netrunner multinet crosschain 96369 C 96368 C 1000	netrunner tx mainnet:C testnet:C 1000

Configuration File

The configuration remains the same but is now in netrunner.yaml:

networks:
  mainnet:
    id: 96369
    http_port: 9630
    staking_port: 9631
    validators: 5

  testnet:
    id: 96368
    http_port: 9620
    staking_port: 9621
    validators: 3

  zoo:
    id: 200200
    type: subnet
    parent: mainnet
    validators: 5

features:
  shared_db: true        # Enable shared BadgerDB
  parallel: true         # Parallel validation
  cross_chain_tx: true   # Cross-chain transactions

Summary

By making multi-network support a core feature rather than a subcommand:

• The CLI becomes more intuitive
• Commands are shorter and easier to remember
• The same commands work regardless of how many networks are running
• Advanced features are available through flags, not separate command trees

This follows the principle of "Make simple things simple, and complex things possible".