Go-Merkle: An implementation of merkle tree in Golang

Introduction

This is an empirical implementation of Merkle Tree. It's target to skcrach the high extendable, readable coding framework of the Merkle Tree.

Design Highlights

Extendability

Theorectically, Merkle tree could be adapted to different data types, tree structures, and hash functions, etc. Therefore, we adopt follow design to make our implementation extendable.

Data type extension friendly

We design the Data interface. Any type of content implementing the Data interface could constructure a merkle tree with our implementation.
```
type Data interface {
    CalculateHash() ([]byte, error)
    Equals([]byte, error)
}
```
Tree structure extension friendly

We design the Children slice in node structure to put the children of the node,
so that does not limit the number of children.
- Binary Merkle Tree: put left and right child of the node in Children successively.
- Multiway Merkle Tree: put all children of the node in Children successively.
```
type MerkleNode struct {
    Children []*MerkleNode // allow Multiway Trees
    Hash     []byte  // allow different hash function
    Data 	 Data
}
```
Hash function extension friendly

We design the byte slice Hash in node structure to hold the data digest,
so that does not limit the digest length.

Readability

Godoc support

Require godoc, use go get -v golang.org/x/tools/cmd/godoc to install it.

Developers could read the API document of the whole package
```
(RepoRoot)$ godoc -http=:8080
```
then visit http://localhost:8080/pkg/go-merkle/ in web browser
Comments in line

All key programming reasons have been commented in line

PlyTools/go-merkle

Go-Merkle: An implementation of merkle tree in Golang

Introduction

Design Highlights

Extendability

Readability

Get started

Project Structure

Unit Test