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Prerequisites

This page details the steps that need to be completed before working with =nil;.

Dependencies​

Prior to working with =nil;, it is recommended to install the following:

  • Nix
  • Node.js > 18.0.0
  • NPM
  • Git
  • Hardhat

To install Nix:

sh <(curl -L https://nixos.org/nix/install) --daemon

To install Node.js and NPM via NVM:

curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.7/install.sh | bash
nvm install 20
npm install -g npm

To install Git:

apt-get install git

To install Hardhat:

npm install hardhat

The =nil; repository​

The =nil; cluster, its developer tooling, and additional projects related to =nil; are stored in a monorepo that uses Nix for dependency and project management:

git clone https://github.com/NilFoundation/nil.git
cd nil

To enter the Nix development environment:

nix develop

To build all binaries:

make

Read this tutorial to learn more about running the cluster locally.

Nil.js​

The =nil; client library is a TypeScript module that allows for interating with the cluster using JS classes and functions.

Get started with developing using Nil.js.

The 'Reference' section contains descriptions of all essential classes and functions.

=nil; CLI​

The =nil; CLI is an easy-to-use tool for interacting with the cluster from any shell: it supports all major operations and can be integrated into a CI/CD pipeline.

Get started with the =nil; CLI.

The 'Reference' section contains a full list of commands that can be used via the =nil; CLI.

info

When using the =nil; CLI, it is possible to switch between verbose and quiet outputs using the --quiet | -q and --verbose | -v flags. This documentation uses verbose outputs throughout.

Smart contracts package​

The @nilfoundation/smart-contracts NPM package contains the source code of all extension libraries and various Solidity contracts used inside =nil; (such as the basic smart account contract).

npm -g install @nilfoundation/smart-contracts

Follow this explanation to learn more about the theory behind async execution.

JSON-RPC API​

=nil; exposes a JSON-RPC API that supports several methods from regular Ethereum as well as some methods that are unique to the cluster.

Apart from the usual means of interacting with a JSON-RPC API (e.g., by sending CURL requests), the documentation portal provides an interactive API reference.

To use it, follow the link above, select a method, input the API endpoint in the form and fill the method parameters. Click on 'Send Request' to send the request.

info

The documentation portal will also generate a valid CURL script depending on the request params. This script can be used in CI pipelines or bash scripts.

Block explorer​

The =nil; block explorer is a web app that tracks statistics about blocks, accounts, and transactions.

info

Information in the block explorer may update with a slight delay compared to the current state of the cluster.

Access the =nil; block explorer and learn about its usage.