web3.eth.account.sign method missing in web3==4.0.0?

[miguelsimon]

• Version: web3==4.0.0b11
• Python: 3.6
• OS: ubuntu

What was wrong?

I recently reinstalled web3==4.0.0b11 with pip and the web3.eth.account.sign method described in the docs seems to be gone: https://github.com/ethereum/web3.py/blob/master/docs/web3.eth.account.rst#sign-a-message

To reproduce:

bash-4.2# python3 -m venv env
bash-4.2# source env/bin/activate
(env) bash-4.2# pip install --no-cache-dir web3==4.0.0b11
(env) bash-4.2# python 
Python 3.6.3 (default, Apr  7 2018, 16:26:36) 
[GCC 7.3.1 20180303 (Red Hat 7.3.1-5)] on linux
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> from web3.auto import w3
>>> for k in dir(w3.eth.account):
...     print(k)
... 
__class__
__delattr__
__dict__
__dir__
__doc__
__eq__
__format__
__ge__
__getattribute__
__gt__
__hash__
__init__
__init_subclass__
__le__
__lt__
__module__
__ne__
__new__
__reduce__
__reduce_ex__
__repr__
__setattr__
__sizeof__
__str__
__subclasshook__
__weakref__
_keys
create
decrypt
encrypt
privateKeyToAccount
recoverHash
recoverTransaction
setKeyBackend
signHash
signTransaction
>>> 

A set difference of dir(web3.eth.account) between an old web3==4.0.0b11 build and the new one shows that these methods are no longer there: {'sign', 'recover', 'recoverMessage', 'hashMessage'} while these methods are now present: {'recoverHash', 'signHash', 'init_subclass'}

[miguelsimon]

I hadn't noticed that web3==4.0.0 already came out, I pip install --no-cache-dir web3==4.0.0 and it doesn't seem to be available there either.

[voith]

@miguelsimon can you run pip freeze | grep 'eth-account' .
I have eth-account==0.1.0a2 installed and sign works fine.

However, a new version of eth-account 0.2.0-alpha.0 was released yesterday and that does in fact give me the same error that you're getting.

A quick fix for now should be:
pip install eth-account==0.1.0a2

[miguelsimon]

@voith I have eth-account==0.2.0a0, installing eth-account==0.1.0a2 does indeed fix the issue, thanks for the workaround!

[voith]

cc @carver
I wanted to submit a PR for pinning eth-account to 0.1.0a2(not sure if its the right fix), However there doesn't seem to be a v4 branch.

[pipermerriam]

@voith I believe what's going on here is the following (@carver can verify)

The sign functionality between web3js, web3py, geth, parity, etc has not been implemented consistently or to any specific standard. The most standardized one (what web3.py does and what geth uses) is fundamentally broken for certain inputs.

So, I think we're either removing sign or moving it to different name in preparation for in incoming message signing standard that isn't yet finalized.

[voith]

@pipermerriam
I did have a look at the PR where signHash was introduced and sign was deprecated before commenting here. However the PR also mentions that sign still works.

I think we're either removing sign or moving it to different name in preparation

But the docs of v4 still say that sign works. So this is either a doc fix or the eth-account version needs to be pinned.

[voith]

Tests on master are failing because of this!

[carver]

So, I think we're either removing sign or moving it to different name in preparation for in incoming message signing standard that isn't yet finalized.

Correct.

Tests on master are failing because of this!

Indeed. #758 fixes that.

[carver]

Fixed by pinning eth-account to an older version. But note that sign() will be going away soon. The docs will update with information on how to work around it, at the time that the method is removed.