Create user "label" is different from "user_id": BlockIo documentation confusion

[tim-peterson]

The documentation isn't ideal for the create_user API method:

https://block.io/api/simple/php

When you call this method, $response=$block_io->create_user(array('label' => 'some value'));, you can also call this $response=$block_io->create_user(array('user_id' => 'some value'));

The latter's $response gives you both a user_id and a label. However, only the user_id returned by BlockIo can be used in the get_user_balance method

$block_io->get_user_balance(array('user_id' => 'USER ID'));

It would be preferable to clarify in this PHP library and on the BlockIo's site documentation that the label is something the developer defines whereas user_id is set by BlockIo.

[doersf]

Hey Tim, user_id was indeed user-definable on DogeAPI. However, Block.io has fixed user_ids that it assigned, and they are always integers. The only way you can 'mark' an address is by defining a custom label for it.

Take for example the case of creating a user to collect payment on an invoice. In this case, you can create_user with a random label, or you can create_user with label='userXinvoice1'. The latter is the preferred approach.

Keep in mind that get_new_address has the same behavior; the calls are basically aliases to let our users know they can cater to creating users as well, which in some cases is not obvious to them at all.

[tim-peterson]

Thanks @doersf. My only question is that user_id and not label is required for the get_user_balance and withdraw_from_user methods.

This means we developers will need to keep track of both the user_id and label. This should be made more clear to everyone in the documentation.

[doersf]

Ah, I understand. I'll add this to the TODO list; you really shouldn't have to track labels and user IDs.

[tim-peterson]

Thanks that'd be great. If we could use label for get_user_balance, withdraw_from_user, etc. that would be awesome!

[tim-peterson]

@doersf any updates on a fix for not making us track labels and user IDs?

[doersf]

Hey Tim, it's bunched in with some updates we're currently testing for rapid withdrawals. Will let you know once we push these live with relevant doc updates. Cheers :)

[tim-peterson]

Sounds good thanks!

[doersf]

Tim, new methods are now available:

withdraw_from_users, withdraw_from_addresses, withdraw_from_labels

Check them out: https://block.io/api#withdrawal-methods

PHP library was also updated to include these. Cheers!

[tim-peterson]

I see them in the PHP library that I just updated with Composer! awesome!

It would be good to add to the docs for create_user and Withdraw From Labels, that the labels, like the user_id, must be unique such that one can't send/receive from multiple users using the withdrawal_from_labels method.

[doersf]

Good point, will make it clear. Cheers, Tim.