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Pairing a block hash with its height

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1// Copyright (c) 2024-present The Bitcoin Core developers
2// Distributed under the MIT software license, see the accompanying
3// file COPYING or http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php.
4
5#ifndef BITCOIN_INTERFACES_TYPES_H
6#define BITCOIN_INTERFACES_TYPES_H
7
8#include <uint256.h>
9
10namespace interfaces {
11
12//! Hash/height pair to help track and identify blocks.
13struct BlockRef {
14    uint256 hash;
15    int height = -1;
16};
17
18} // namespace interfaces
19
20#endif // BITCOIN_INTERFACES_TYPES_H
21

FILE GUIDE · KEY SECTIONS

Pairing a block hash with its height

BlockRef is a compact structure for tracking a block using both identity and position.

Line 13 ↗

A default height marks an unspecified reference

The height starts at -1; callers fill a useful hash and height when they have a block reference. A height alone is insufficient to distinguish competing blocks. Holding a BlockRef also does not guarantee the block is still on the active chain after a reorganization.

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