Exports

Chronicle can export the ledger as a deterministic dataset for external review, archival, and independent verification.

Exporting the ledger

Run:

php artisan chronicle:export /absolute/path/to/export-dir

Chronicle will:

1. create the target directory if needed
2. stream entries into entries.ndjson
3. compute the dataset hash
4. build and write manifest.json
5. sign the dataset hash and write signature.json

Output files

An export directory contains:

• entries.ndjson
• manifest.json
• signature.json

Export characteristics

Chronicle exports are designed to be:

• deterministic
• streamable
• verifiable outside the source system

Entries are exported in a stable order using created_at and id.

Verifying an export

Use:

php artisan chronicle:verify-export /absolute/path/to/export-dir

Chronicle will validate file presence, manifest/signature structure, dataset hash, and the full chain across the exported entries.

When to use exports

Exports are useful for:

• periodic off-system audits
• long-term storage
• handing ledger snapshots to third parties
• validating transport or backup integrity

For file-level details, see Export Format. For the full verification process, see Export Verification Guide.