As I write this, I feel a little silly because I'm still trying to figure this out, but trust me, I'll do my best to be helpful to new learners.
First of all, let's understand what is Web.3.0?
Web 3.0 is a decentralized technology powered by blockchain. As we all know, blockchain technology provides an efficient and secure way of storing data, thereby enhancing data integrity. The centralized control, data ownership, and privacy concerns of web.2.0 led to web.3.0.
Clearly, we've reached a major inflection point, right? Let's see how we got here:
Web3 developers need to know what Ethereum does!
Before we get into Ethereum, we need to understand what blockchain is, as it is the foundation upon which Ethereum was born. It is very important for you to understand the basics of blockchain.
Now, what is Ethereum?
Ethereum is often referred to as the second most popular cryptocurrency after Bitcoin. It is a software platform that provides developers with the opportunity to build new applications. Ethereum is generally decentralized, and anyone with Internet access can use products and services on Ethereum. It connects people directly through powerful decentralized applications.
Learn about Metamask or any other crypto wallet
Metamask is a browser extension that functions as an Ethereum wallet. The wallet is also used to interact with decentralized applications or dapps. Any crypto user will have this basic skill, but developers should know more than the average crypto user. It's actually a great tool for developers.
What is a smart contract ?
A smart contract is a piece of code that can be automatically executed in a deterministic manner. Smart contract code is usually stored and executed on the blockchain. They are also able to store, send and receive funds. Smart contracts can be written in Solidity. To become a Web3 developer, you need to know how to build your own smart contracts, and of course, that's where Solidity comes in.
Now first let us understand what is solidity!
Solidity is an object-oriented high-level programming language for creating smart contracts that automate transactions on the blockchain, designed to target the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). In addition to static typing, Solidity supports inheritance, libraries, and complex user-defined types. Solidity is similar to one of the most common programming languages, javascript. So if you have experience with javascript, Solidity can be easily learned.
Back to programming, I'm not a fan. But you should have a good understanding of the basics of computer science. Even better if Solidity isn't your first language to learn. Trust me this is a mistake you don't want to make, and even if you make it in the first place, you could end up in trouble down the road.
I will now walk you through how to start programming with Solidity
First, let's start with Remix:
Remix is a browser-based IDE that allows you to write, compile and deploy smart contracts. In addition to the entire contract development process, Remix also acts as a virtual playground for learning about Ethereum.
Let's try HelloWorld.solsmart contracts on Remix .
- Using any browser, open Remix IDE and select New File. Select Solidity as the environment.
- In the code section, enter the smart contract, click compile under the compiler window to compile.
- Click the deploy button under Deploy and run transactions to execute the code.
- After deploying the code, click on the method call in the contract drop-down menu to run the program.
- To debug, click the Debug button corresponding to the method call in the console.
Now let's see how the testnet works!
As you know, testing is the most critical aspect of smart contract development. Smart contracts are known to be irreversible, which basically means that they cannot be edited or recalled once deployed.
In order to deploy smart contracts on mainnet, we need to pay for gas, which is real money. To avoid this, you can test your smart contracts on a testnet before deploying them to the mainnet.
There are currently four testnets in use:
- Rinkeby : A proof-of-authority testnet for people running Geth clients.
- Kovan : A proof-of-authority testnet for those running the OpenEthereum client.
- Ropsten: A proof-of-work testnet. This means it is the best-in-class representation of Ethereum.
- Goerli : A proof-of-authority cross-client testnet for community-based projects. This testnet is available for all clients.
Learn about hard hats!
Hardhat is a next-generation Ethereum tool designed for development. It allows you to deploy contracts, run tests and debug code.
This environment is characterized by different plugin types, which means that developers can choose which plugins they want to include in the development process.
It comes with:
- high flexibility
- You can bring your own tools.
- fully scalable
- Plugin Ecosystem
- fast iteration
- typescript
Let's summarize. I hope this article is helpful to you.
I know that starting to learn Web3.0 and blockchain development can be problematic at first, and I understand that because I've been there myself. But you can do it if you are dedicated and willing to put in the time to learn.