Are you intrigued by the world of blockchain and eager to dive into the exciting realm of decentralized applications (dApps) and smart contracts? This introductory guide will walk you through the key concepts and technologies required to start your journey as a blockchain developer. We'll also introduce you to Envio, a game-changing blockchain indexing toolkit designed to streamline your developer experience and optimize your dApp and smart contract design.
What are Decentralized Applications (dApps)?
A decentralized application, often referred to as “dApp”, is an application built on a decentralized network and combines a frontend user interface (e.g. web application) and smart contract.
Some popular dApps include Uniswap, the most popular decentralized exchange; Aave, a borrowing and lending protocol; and OpenSea, an NFT marketplace. Uniswap, at the time of writing, is deployed on 9 Blockchains, such as Ethereum, Arbitrum, Polygon, Base, and more.
What is a Frontend?
The frontend is the part of the DApp end-users can see and interact with such as the graphical user interface (GUI), much like traditional web applications. In Web3 or blockchain, the frontend additionally communicates with the application logic defined in smart contracts.
What is a Smart Contract?
Smart contracts are the building blocks of dApps and are self-executing, code-based agreements that run on a blockchain. They are designed to operate without an intermediary, meaning they can run self-sufficiently on a decentralized network (i.e. the blockchain) instead of a single computer or server controlled by a central authority - a fundamental innovation in the world of blockchain technology.
Smart contracts automatically enforce predefined rules and conditions, executing actions when specific criteria are met. These contracts eliminate the need for intermediaries, enhancing trust, security, and efficiency in digital transactions. Smart contracts find applications in various industries beyond finance, offering tamper-proof automation and transparency.
Communication between the Frontend and Smart Contract
Frontend applications (e.g. web applications) communicate with a smart contract on the blockchain via a node. This is because the blockchain is a decentralized network composed of nodes that all run the same software and keep a copy of all states of the blockchain - including the data and code associated with every smart contract. On Ethereum, this is known as the EVM (Ethereum Virtual Machine).
The nodes one connects with are often called “node providers'' or “RPC providers”. These node providers implement a JSON-RPC specification, ensuring a uniform set of methods when frontend applications interact with the smart contracts deployed onto the runtime environment of the blockchain.
You can access the information stored on the blockchain by connecting to it through a node provider like Infura. However, if you want to make changes to the blockchain's data, you'll need an additional component. When you want to interact with a smart contract on the blockchain, it's called a transaction. To perform a transaction, a user or application must sign it using their private key, a fundamental concept of blockchain and cryptography. Developers use a wallet to sign transactions on the blockchain.
Understanding Programming Languages for Blockchain Development
Before diving into blockchain development, it's essential to know the lingo. There are plenty of different programming languages readily available, but let's explore some commonly used in blockchain development: Solidity, JavaScript, and Rust. We'll dive into their unique characteristics and how they fit into the blockchain development landscape and developer experience.
Solidity:
- Solidity is a high-level programming language specifically designed for writing smart contracts on the Ethereum blockchain.
- It is statically typed and compiled, not interpreted.
- Primarily used for creating smart contracts that run on EVM-compatible blockchains.
- It has become the standard language for Ethereum smart contract development.
JavaScript:
- JavaScript is a high-level interpreted programming language widely used in blockchain development.
- Primarily used for client-side scripting in web browsers.
- Enables developers to create interactive and dynamic Web3 applications.
- It has been the standard language for web development for a significant period.
Rust:
- Rust is a systems programming language known for its safety and performance.
- Primarily used for low-level system software development, e.g. operating systems and embedded systems.
- Rust's ownership system and borrow checker help prevent memory-related errors, making it a reliable choice for critical applications.
- It has gained recognition in blockchain development, notably in projects like Polkadot and Solana, where security and performance are critical in decentralized networks.
- We, at Envio, use it for its raw speed in our
envioCLI tool, and teams like Paradigm use it with Foundry, a blazingly fast smart contract development framework.
DApp Development
Now this is where the rubber meets the road! Utilizing developer tools and languages can be highly beneficial to the development process, meaning that prior knowledge of JavaScript are highly valuable skill and sure does come in handy when developing dApps.
Below, we'll guide you through some core fundamentals and prerequisite packages required before setting sail on your development journey to become a proficient blockchain application developer.
Setting up your development environment
Before you can start building dApps, you'll need to set up your development environment. This typically involves installing some necessary software and tools such as:
- Setting up an integrated development environment (IDE). VS Code is a brilliant software tool that helps programmers develop software code efficiently and has support for almost every major programming language. VS Code also provides integrations with Web3 technologies like Hardhat for an optimal and inclusive developer experience.
- Setting up Node.js, a JavaScript runtime environment that allows you to execute JavaScript code on the server side. It's essential for running various development tools and server applications, like your web application.
- Installing a smart contract development framework. Hardhat and Foundry are all smart contract development platforms that help blockchain developers test, compile, deploy, and debug their smart contracts onto the blockchain.
- The next important dependency for developing Web3 dApps is a local network such as the Hardhat Network, or Foundry’s Anvil, which offers you a private blockchain for creating, testing, compiling, and deploying smart contracts. You can use a local network as a viable resource for accessing a safe testing environment to evaluate your smart contracts and decentralized applications.
Writing, deploying, and testing smart contracts
Backend development in blockchain involves creating smart contracts and indexing data from said smart contracts. After development, you'll deploy your smart contracts to the blockchain, making them live and accessible to users. Extensive testing is paramount to ensure that your contracts behave as intended. Undergoing a smart contract audit is also highly recommended, especially if your smart contracts hold users’ funds.
Interfacing with smart contracts
Smart contracts are at the heart of many blockchain applications. To interact with them, you'll use code libraries like web3.js or ethers.js. These libraries use JSON-RPC requests to a specific Ethereum node through JSON APIs and allow your frontend code to communicate with smart contracts on the blockchain, enabling actions like sending transactions and retrieving data.
Handling transactions and wallet integrations
DApps often need to integrate with wallets in order to create or sign transactions. You'll need to integrate wallet solutions like MetaMask or Rabby into your frontend. This will enable secure transactions and interactions on the blockchain.
Ensuring security and best practices
Security is hugely important when developing your blockchain applications. Be sure to follow the best practices when it comes to protecting your smart contracts and dApps from vulnerabilities and attacks. These techniques include code audits, secure coding practices, and thorough testing.
Managing blockchain data
Blockchain applications often deal with enormous amounts of data. This data management is essential for creating functional and responsive dApps. Backend development in Web3 applications can be quite challenging and time-consuming for a developer, often leading to a slower development process. This is where Envio comes into the picture, simplifying the developer process and experience, and making developers way more efficient.
Exploring Envio as an Indexing Solution
Envio is your gateway to frictionless and rapid blockchain development. Say goodbye to the challenges of latency, reliability, and costs that often plague developers. By leveraging Envio, you'll have the tools you need to access, transform, and store real-time or historical data from any EVM-compatible smart contract.
By understanding these concepts behind decentralized applications, you'll be well on your way to becoming a proficient blockchain developer. These concepts form the foundation of blockchain development and open up exciting possibilities in the world of Web3 and decentralized technologies.
Ship with us. 🚢
By builders, for builders. Envio is a dev-friendly, speed-optimized, modern blockchain indexing solution that addresses the limitations of traditional blockchain indexing approaches and gives developers peace of mind. By harnessing the power of Envio, developers can overcome the challenges posed by latency, reliability, and costs across various sources. Envio serves as the front door for any application’s need to access, transform, and save real-time or historical data, from any EVM-compatible smart contracts. If you're a blockchain developer looking to enhance your development process and unlock the true potential of Web3 infrastructure, look no further.
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