_section: Provider @<Provider>

Explain what a provider is...


_subsection: Accounts Methods  @<Provider--account-methods>

_property: provider.getBalance(address [ , blockTag = latest ]) => Promise<[[BigNumber]]>  @<Provider-getBalance> @SRC<providers/base-provider>
Returns the balance of //address// as of the //blockTag// block height.

_property: provider.getCode(address [ , blockTag = latest ]) => Promise<string<[[DataHexString]]>>  @<Provider-getCode> @SRC<providers/base-provider>
Returns the contract code of //address// as of the //blockTag// block height. If there is
no contract currently deployed, the result is ``0x``.

_property: provider.getStorageAt(addr, pos [ , blockTag = latest ]) => Promise<string<[[DataHexString]]>>  @<Provider-getStorageAt> @SRC<providers/base-provider>
Returns the ``Bytes32`` value of the position //pos// at address //addr//, as of the //blockTag//.

_property: provider.getTransactionCount(address [ , blockTag = latest ]) => Promise<number>  @<Provider-getTransactionCount> @SRC<providers/base-provider>
Returns the number of transactions //address// has ever **sent**, as of //blockTag//.
This value is required to be the nonce for the next transaction from //address//
sent to the network.

_heading: Examples

_code: @lang<javascript>

// <hide>
const provider = ethers.getDefaultProvider()
// </hide>

// Get the balance for an account...
provider.getBalance("ricmoo.firefly.eth");
//!

// Get the code for a contract...
provider.getCode("registrar.firefly.eth");
//!

// Get the storage value at position 0...
provider.getStorageAt("registrar.firefly.eth", 0)
//!

// Get transaction count of an account...
provider.getTransactionCount("ricmoo.firefly.eth");
//!


_subsection: Blocks Methods  @<Provider--block-methods>

_property: provider.getBlock(block) => Promise<[[providers-Block]]>  @<Provider-getBlock> @SRC<providers/base-provider>
Get the //block// from the network, where the ``result.transactions`` is a list
of transaction hashes.

_property: provider.getBlockWithTransactions(block) => Promise<[[providers-BlockWithTransactions]]>  @<Provider-getBlockWithTransactions> @SRC<providers/base-provider>
Get the //block// from the network, where the ``result.transactions`` is
an Array of [[providers-TransactionResponse]] objects.


_subsection: Ethereum Naming Service (ENS) Methods

TODO: Explain ENS here...

_property: provider.lookupAddress(address) => Promise<string>  @<Provider-lookupAddress> @SRC<providers/base-provider>
Performs a reverse lookup of the //address// in ENS using the
//Reverse Registrar//.  If the name does not exist, or the
forward lookup does not match, ``null`` is returned.

_property: provider.resolveName(name) => Promise<string<[Address](address)>>  @<Provider-ResolveName> @SRC<providers/base-provider>
Looks up the address of //name//. If the name is not owned, or
does not have a //Resolver// configured, or the //Resolver// does
not have an address configured, ``null`` is returned.

_heading: Examples

_code: @lang<javascript>

// <hide>
const provider = ethers.getDefaultProvider()
// </hide>

// Reverse lookup of an ENS by address...
provider.lookupAddress("0x6fC21092DA55B392b045eD78F4732bff3C580e2c");
//!

// Lookup an address of an ENS name...
provider.resolveName("ricmoo.firefly.eth");
//!


_subsection: Logs Methods  @<Provider--log-methods>

_property: provider.getLogs(filter) => Promise<Array<[[providers-Log]]>>  @<Provider-getLogs> @SRC<providers/base-provider>
Returns the Array of [[providers-Log]] matching the //filter//.

Keep in mind that many backends will discard old events, and that requests
which are too broad may get dropped as they require too many resources to
execute the query.


_subsection: Network Status Methods  @<Provider--network-methods>

_property: provider.getNetwork() => Promise<[[providers-Network]]>  @<Provider-getNetwork> @SRC<providers/base-provider:method.BaseProvider.getNetwork>
Returns the [[providers-Network]] this Provider is connected to.

_property: provider.getBlockNumber() => Promise<number>  @<Provider-getBlockNumber> @SRC<providers/base-provider>
Returns the block number (or height) of the most recently mined block.

_property: provider.getGasPrice() => Promise<[[BigNumber]]>  @<Provider-getGasPrice> @SRC<providers/base-provider>
Returns a //best guess// of the [[gas-price]] to use in a transaction.


_subsection: Transactions Methods  @<Provider--transaction-methods>

_property: provider.call(transaction [ , blockTag = latest ]) => Promise<string<[[DataHexString]]>>  @<Provider-call> @SRC<providers/base-provider>
Returns the result of executing the //transaction//, using //call//. A call
does not require any ether, but cannot change any state. This is useful
for calling gettings on Contracts.

_property: provider.estimateGas(transaction) => Promise<[[BigNumber]]>  @<Provider-estimateGas> @SRC<providers/base-provider>
Returns an estimate of the amount of gas that would be required to submit //transaction//
to the network.

An estimate may not be accurate since there could be another transaction
on the network that was not accounted for, but after being mined affected
relevant state.

_property: provider.sendTransaction(transaction) => Promise<[[providers-TransactionResponse]]>  @<Provider-sendTransaction> @SRC<providers/base-provider>
Submits //transaction// to the network to be mined. The //transaction// **must** be signed,
and be valid (i.e. the nonce is correct and the account has sufficient balance to pay
for the transaction).

_property: provider.waitForTransaction(hash [ , confirms = 1 [ , timeout ] ]) => Promise<[TxReceipt](providers-TransactionReceipt)>  @<Provider-waitForTransaction> @SRC<providers/base-provider>
Returns a Promise which will not resolve until //transactionHash// is mined.


_subsection: Event Emitter Methods @<Provider--event-methods>

Explain events here...

_property: provider.on(eventName, listener) => this  @<Provider-on> @SRC<providers/base-provider>
Add a //listener// to be triggered for each //eventName//.

_property: provider.once(eventName, listener) => this  @<Provider-once> @SRC<providers/base-provider>
Add a //listener// to be triggered for only the next //eventName//,
at which time it be removed.

_property: provider.emit(eventName, ...args) => boolean  @<Provider-emit> @SRC<providers/base-provider>
Notify all listeners of //eventName//, passing //args// to each listener. This
is generally only used internally.

_property: provider.off(eventName [ , listener ]) => this  @<Provider-off> @SRC<providers/base-provider>
Remove a //listener// for //eventName//. If no //listener// is provided,
all listeners for //eventName// are removed.

_property: provider.removeAllListeners([ eventName ]) => this  @<Provider-removeAllListeners> @SRC<providers/base-provider>
Remove all the listeners for //eventName//. If no //eventName// is provided,
**all** events are removed.

_property: provider.listenerCount([ eventName ]) => number  @<Provider-listenerCount> @SRC<providers/base-provider>
Returns the number of listeners for //eventName//. If no //eventName// is
provided, the total number of listeners is returned.

_property: provider.listeners(eventName) => Array<Listener>  @<Provider-listeners> @SRC<providers/base-provider>
Returns the list of Listeners for //eventName//.


_heading: Events  @<Provider--events>

Any of the following may be used as the //eventName// in the above methods.

_definition: **Log Filter**

A filter is an object, representing a contract log Filter, which has the optional
properties ``address`` (the source contract) and ``topics`` (a topic-set to match).

If ``address`` is unspecified, the filter matches any contract address.

See events for more information on how to specify topic-sets.

_definition: **Topic-Set Filter**

The value of a **Topic-Set Filter** is a array of Topic-Sets.

This event is identical to a //Log Filter// with the address omitted (i.e. from
any contract).

_definition: **Transaction Filter**

The value of a **Transaction Filter** is any transaction hash.

This event is emitted on every block that is part of a chain that
includes the given mined transaction. It is much more common that the
[once](Provider-once) method is used than the [on](Provider-on) method.

_null:

In addition to transaction and filter events, there are several named
events.

_table: Named Provider Events @style<full>

$Block:    emitted when a new block is mined
$Error:    emitted on any error
$Pending:  emitted when a new transaction enters the memory pool; only
           certain providers offer this event and may require
           running your own node for reliable results
$WillPoll: emitted prior to a polling loop is about to begin;
           //(very rarely used by most developers)//
$DidPoll:  emitted after all events from a polling loop are emitted;
           //(very rarely used by most developers)//
$Poll:     emitted during each poll cycle after `blockNumber` is updated
           (if changed) and before any other events (if any) are emitted
           during the poll loop;
           //(very rarely used by most developers)//
$Debug:    each Provider may use this to emit useful debugging information
           and the format is up to the developer;
           //(very rarely used by most developers)//

|   **Event Name**    |  **Arguments**                   <|   **Description**  <<<|
|    ``"block"``      |   //blockNumber//                <| $Block             <<<|
|    ``"error"``      |   //error//                      <| $Error             <<<|
|    ``"pending"``    |   //pendingTransaction//         <| $Pending           <<<|
|    ``"willPoll"``   |   //pollId//                     <| $WillPoll          <<<|
|    ``"poll"``       |   //pollId//, //blockNumber//    <| $Poll              <<<|
|    ``"didPoll"``    |   //pollId//                     <| $DidPoll           <<<|
|    ``"debug"``      |   provider dependent             <| $Debug             <<<|


_code: Events Example @lang<javasript>

// <hide>
const provider = ethers.getDefaultProvider();
const txHash = utils.id("dummy-data");
// </hide>

provide.on("block", (blockNumber) => {
    // Emitted on every block change
})


provider.once(txHash, (transaction) => {
    // Emitted when the transaction has been mined
})


// This filter could also be generated with the Contract or
// Interface API. If address is not specified, any address
// matches and if topics is not specified, any log matches
const filter = {
    address: "dai.tokens.ethers.eth",
    topics: [
        utils.id("Transfer(address,address,uint256")
    ]
}
provider.on(filter, (log, event) => {
    // Emitted whenever a DAI token transfer occurs
})


// Notice this is an array of topic-sets and is identical to
// using a filter with no address (i.e. match any address)
const topicSets = [
    utils.id("Transfer(address,address,uint256"),
    null,
    [
        myAddress,
        myOtherAddress
    ]
]
provider.on(topicSets, (log, event) => {
    // Emitted any token is sent TO either address
})


provider.on("pending", (tx) => {
    // Emitted when any new pending transaction is noticed
});

provider.on("error", (tx) => {
    // Emitted when any error occurs
});


_subsection: Inspection Methods  @<Provider--inspection-methods>

_property: Provider.isProvider(object) => boolean  @<Provider-isProvider> @SRC<abstract-provider>
Returns true if and only if //object// is a Provider.