Retrieving Account Information

This tutorial walks you through how to retrieve account-related data on the VSL network using the vsl-cli tool.

Whether you're working with multiple accounts or debugging a transaction, understanding how to inspect account details is essential.

Step 1: Enter REPL Mode

Launch the interactive CLI shell in temporary configuration mode:

vsl-cli repl --tmp-config

Step 2: Connect to a Network

You can connect to a local or remote VSL node.

Option A: Local Node

vsl> server:launch --db tmp --genesis-file "genesis.json"

Make sure the accounts you're inspecting exist in the genesis.json file if using a local setup.

Option B: Remote Devnet

vsl> network:add remote --url https://rpc.vsl.pi2.network
vsl> network:use remote

Check the connection:

vsl> health:check

Step 3: List Existing Accounts

To view all accounts you've created in the current configuration:

vsl> account:list

This will show a list of account aliases and their associated addresses.

Step 4: Check Active Account

To see which account is currently active:

vsl> account:current

If needed, switch accounts:

vsl> account:use alice

Step 5: Get Account Details

To fetch full details for a specific account (by alias or address):

vsl> account:get alice

Or by address:

vsl> account:get 0x0101010101010101010101010101010101010101

This includes public address, type, and metadata if available.

Step 6: Check Account Balances

To get the native token balance:

vsl> account:balance

To view asset balances for the current account:

vsl> asset:balances

For a specific asset:

vsl> asset:balance DEMO

Step 7: Get or Set Account State

Every account has an optional state field, represented as a fixed-size hash. You can use it to store application-specific metadata.

To read it from the network:

vsl> account:state-get <address>

To update it (only if you know the format your application expects):

vsl> account:state-set '{"my":"state"}'

This is an advanced feature intended for custom integrations. The VSL CLI does not enforce structure or meaning for the account state. It’s up to your application to define how it’s used.

Optional: Use JSON Output

For structured scripting or debugging, append --json to any command:

vsl> account:list --json
vsl> account:get alice --json

Cleanup (Optional)

If you're using a temporary setup:

vsl> account:remove alice
vsl> network:remove remote
vsl> server:stop

Next Steps

You now know how to inspect accounts and their balances on the VSL network. This is helpful for:

• Verifying transaction results

• Auditing token holdings

• Debugging application logic

You can now move on to tutorials like submitting a claim or retrieving settled claims.