Merge pull request #1951 from bigchaindb/proposal/post-txn-mode

Proposal for extending post transaction api

proposals/extend-post-txn.md

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+## Feature : Add query parameter "mode" to `POST` transaction
+Add new query parameter `mode` to the [post transaction api](https://docs.bigchaindb.com/projects/server/en/latest/http-client-server-api.html#post--api-v1-transactions) such that client can,
+- asynchronously post the transaction
+- post the transaction and return after it has been validated
+- post the transaction and return after it has been committed
+
+## Problem Description
+When posting a transaction it is broadcast asynchronously to Tendermint which enables the client to return immediately. Furthermore, the transaction status API would allow the client to get the current status for a given transaction. The above workflow seems efficient when the client doesn't need to wait until a transaction gets committed. In case a client wishes to wait until a transaction gets committed it would need to poll the transaction status api. 
+The Tendermint api allows to post a transaction in [three modes](http://tendermint.readthedocs.io/projects/tools/en/master/using-tendermint.html#broadcast-api),
+
+- `/broadcast_tx_async` post transaction and return
+- `/broadcast_tx_sync` post transaction and return after `checkTx` is executed
+- `/broadcast_tx_commit` post transaction and return after the transaction has been committed
+
+### Use cases
+- allow clients to post a transaction synchronously i.e. the `POST` transaction request returns after the transaction has passed `checkTx`.
+- allow client to post a transaction and return after a transaction has been committed.
+
+## Proposed change
+Add query parameter `mode` to the [`POST` transaction api](https://docs.bigchaindb.com/projects/server/en/latest/http-client-server-api.html#post--api-v1-transactions)
+
+### Alternatives
+N/A
+
+### Data model impact
+N/A
+
+### API impact
+The query parameter `mode` will be introduced to [`POST /api/v1/transaction`](https://docs.bigchaindb.com/projects/server/en/latest/http-client-server-api.html#post--api-v1-transactions) and will have the following possible values
+- `async`
+- `sync`
+- `commit`
+
+To preserve compability with the existing behavour of the API, the query parameter `mode` is optional. In this case the default value would be `async`.
+
+
+example URI: `/api/v1/transaction?mode=async`
+
+### Security impact
+N/A
+
+### Performance impact
+N/A
+
+### End user impact
+The feature itself will not impact the client drivers but it may lead to [`GET /api/v1/statuses?transaction_id={transaction_id}`](https://docs.bigchaindb.com/projects/server/en/latest/http-client-server-api.html#get--api-v1-statuses?transaction_id=transaction_id) being deprecated in the future.
+
+### Deployment impact
+N/A
+
+### Documentation impact
+The documentation for [posting a transaction](https://docs.bigchaindb.com/projects/server/en/latest/http-client-server-api.html#post--api-v1-transactions) would need to describe the use of query parameter `mode`.
+
+### Testing impact
+Following new test cases should be included
+- `POST` a transaction with no `mode` i.e. `POST /api/v1/transaction`
+- `POST` a transaction with `mode=sync`, `mode=async`, `mode=commit`
+- `POST` a transaction with invalid `mode`
+
+## Implementation
+
+### Assignee(s)
+Primary assignee(s): @kansi
+
+### Targeted Release
+BigchainDB 2.0
+
+## Dependencies
+N/A