Transaction speed is one of the prominent highlights for fuelling network traffic. Blockchain platforms with higher network speed could ensure better exchange functionalities through on-chain transaction confirmations. People search for ways to build a dApp on Solana‘ without an idea about Solana’s functionalities. What is Solana blockchain, and how can it help you develop dApps? Solana is one of the prominent competitors to Ethereum in the domain of dApp development with faster transaction processing. It can utilize cryptographic time-sampling as well as facilitate regulation of network traffic alongside offering processing speeds of around 2500 transactions each second.
The growing interest in methods to build dApp on Solana can be attributed to low gas fees, which challenges the benefits of Ethereum. With a unique Proof of History consensus mechanism and Proof of Stake Tower BFT consensus, Solana resolves the problems of transaction latency and costs. The dynamic ecosystem of Solana includes multiple features and tools, such as Wormhole and the interoperability protocol. In the following post, let us look at the ideal methods for building your dApps on Solana.
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What is Solana Blockchain?
The Solana blockchain was introduced in 2017 by Anatoly Yakovenko. It is an open-source, public blockchain network that utilizes a unique combination of Proof of Stake and Proof of History consensus mechanisms. The native currency of Solana, SOL, helps in the regulation of peer-to-peer transactions on the blockchain. In addition, Solana dApp development also includes the assurance of using NFTs and smart contracts in the Solana ecosystem.
The time-keeping technique with Proof of History consensus helps resolve the issues of scalability and transaction processing time. According to the founder of Solana, the Proof of History consensus could offer viable support for automating the transaction sequencing process on the Solana blockchain network.
The native command-line program of Solana enables support for multiple types of wallets on the blockchain. Solana advocates for the use of application wallets or online browser-based wallets. The browser-based wallets offer better user experiences as compared to command-line tools. Experts who want to know ‘How to create a dApp on Solana‘ are likelier to choose command-line-based wallets to access the Solana blockchain’s new attributes. The Solana blockchain network’s basic design offers valuable dApp development features. Therefore, it is important to identify the features of Solana which encourage dApp development on the blockchain platform.
Why Do DApp Developers Prefer Solana?
The necessity of building the best dApps on the Solana blockchain network is evident in the innovative design of Solana. First, developers do not need prior expertise in Rust programming of smart contracts. Remember that Rust is the core programming language on the Solana blockchain. At the same time, you do not need any prior experience in blockchain technology owing to the user-friendly approaches for programming on Solana blockchain.
Developers can refer to smart contracts as programs, and programming languages such as Rust, C++, and C are useful for program development on Solana networks. One of the interesting highlights of Solana dApps points to the use of smart contracts for developing robust on-chain dApps for unique use cases.
On top of it, the Solana ecosystem also includes different readymade tools for inexperienced users in dApp development on the Solana blockchain. For example, the new Solana Web3.js SDK offers easier and more efficient communication between the Solana blockchain and smart contracts.
The JSON RPC API serves as the foundation for developing dApps on the Solana network with the facility of communication between users and the blockchain. For the following advantages, developers prefer Solana for developing dApps over other programmable blockchains.
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Speed and Cost
The two most challenging aspects of dApp development are transaction speed and cost. Solana is a top choice among programmable blockchains with capabilities for processing around 2500 transactions per second. At the same time, you can build dApp on the Solana blockchain with the lowest possible gas fees.
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Easier Programmability
Another significant reason for dApp development on the Solana blockchain is the assurance of easy user experiences. With the facility of readymade tools and an easier deployment process, Solana also ensures the flexibility for hosting multiple dApps. Solana also offers the benefits of cross-chain transactions and dApp hosting with the Wormhole bridging protocol. Since Solana is an open-source blockchain, developers could find codes and software for developing dApps in the Solana ecosystem. Developers can download the source code of Solana directly from GitHub and set up their nodes instantly.
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Rust Programming Language
The most important highlight in developing a Solana dApp example is the Rust programming language. All the decentralized applications on the Solana blockchain are created by using the Rust programming language. It can resolve the problems of thread concurrency and memory safety while offering efficient programming flexibility.
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Steps for Creating a DApp on Solana
The distinct features of Solana showcase a viable impression of reasons to build dApps on the blockchain network. However, the core highlight of a Solana dApp tutorial is the outline of steps for creating a dApp on Solana. Here are some steps you must follow to create your dApp.
Step 1: Installation of Rust, Solana, Anchor, and Yarn
Before you start preparing for the development of dApps on the Solana blockchain, it is important to look for essential dependencies. The first requirement in answers for ‘how to build a dApp on Solana‘ would refer to Rust, the programming language required for writing Solana smart contracts. You can use the following command for installing Rust.
curl — proto ‘=https’ — tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh
You can also opt for installing GitBash from the Git-Downloads for installing Rust on Windows. Gitbash is the terminal that helps in running unique commands which are not available with Windows. Following the installation of Gitbash, you can use the command mentioned above to install Rust in the Gitbash terminal. The next important task in this step of Solana dApp development is the addition of Rust executables with the following command.
export PATH="$HOME/.cargo/bin:$PATH"
You can complete the first step of developing dApps on the Solana blockchain by installing it. The following command could help in installing Solana blockchain on your machine.
sh -c "$(curl -sSfL https://release.solana.com/v1.9.8/install)"
Step 2: Node.js Installation
The recommended practices for creating the best dApps on Solana also focus on installing Node.js alongside other dependencies. Developers must install Node.js with yarn, an important dependency required for functioning with Anchor programs. You can opt for installing the Node.js LTS version and confirm the installation using the following command.
node --version npm --version Developers could then use the following command for installing yarn. npm i –g yarn
Step 3: Anchor Installation
Once you have installed the necessary dependencies, you can move to the next step of a Solana dApp tutorial by installing Anchor. It is an essential protocol for programming on the Solana blockchain network. You can install Anchor on the Solana blockchain with the following command,
cargo install --git GitHub - project-serum/anchor: 
Solana Sealevel Framework anchor-cli --locked
Subsequently, you must also verify the installation by using the following command.
anchor --version cargo install --git GitHub - project-serum/anchor:
Finally, you have to confirm the installation by using the following command.
anchor --version
Step 4: Project Setup
After installing the necessary dependencies for a Solana dApp example, developers have to set up the project they want to work on. However, it is important to remember that Solana has been configured with presets for functioning on the mainnet. The default configuration suggests that every transaction features a unique SOL token as gas fees. Therefore, developers must avoid repetitive and redundant steps during dApp development on Solana.
The configuration for developing Solana dApps would focus on the following tasks.
- Configuration of Solana CLI Utility for using the devnet.
- Init project within the Anchor framework.
Now, you must work on setting up Solana for working with the devnet network by leveraging the following command.
solana config set --url devnet
Subsequently, guides on ‘How to create a dApp on Solana‘ would focus on obtaining access to your wallet for running and deploying programs. Here is the command you can use to access the wallet required for Solana development.
solana-keygen new --force
Developers must also ensure verification of the wallet address with the help of the following command.
solana address
In addition, developers creating dApps on the Solana network must also insert the airdrop command to obtain test Solana tokens. You can also use the following command to find out the Solana wallet balance.
solana balance
Now, you can set up the Anchor framework with the help of the following command.
anchor init solana-global-article cd solana-global-article
Step 5: Programming on Rust
A significant portion of Solana dApp development focuses on creating the Rust program for your dApp. Access the global article project through the code editor and visit the “Programs” section. You can access src and Lib.rs to obtain the home for Rust crates. Access the file and remember that Lib.rs-home for Rust crates is a starter and serves as the primary file for the Solana program.
The code on Rust for Solana smart contracts would vary according to your desired use cases. However, you must follow the recommended practices for Rust programming. Developers can start with creating data structures for storing the content and ensuring the Article struct’s addition. In the next step, developers must create the Initialize struct and visit the “Program” section to develop the main function.
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Step 6: Updating Anchor on Solana
The next step in creating a Solana dApp example would be updating Anchor. You can open “programs/mysolanadapp/src/lib.rs” and update the content using relevant commands.
Step 7: Developing the React App
Another important highlight in ‘how to build a dApp on Solana‘ would be creating the front end of the dApp. You can use React to create the front end or user interface for your dApps. Developers can create a new application by overwriting the existing application directory at the base of the Anchor project. Subsequently, developers should also install the relevant Solana web3 and Anchor dependencies.
Step 8: Deploying the Solana dApp
The final step in developing Solana dApps points to best practices for deploying the dApps. You can deploy the dApp by copying the new IDL to the front end and locally serving the front-end application. Finally, you can switch to the cluster of devnet for deploying the dApp.
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Bottom Line
Solana is an efficient blockchain with open-source programmability and the advantages of higher processing speed. The Solana dApp tutorial explained the importance of the Solana blockchain network for dApp development. In addition, the detailed outline of the steps in developing decentralized applications on Solana offers an effective guide for developers.
Interestingly, the multiple advantages of Solana blockchain, such as interoperability, lower transaction costs, and scalability, encourage more developers to use Solana for dApp development. Learn more about the fundamentals of Solana blockchain and start developing productive dApps now.
*Disclaimer: The article should not be taken as, and is not intended to provide any investment advice. Claims made in this article do not constitute investment advice and should not be taken as such. 101 Blockchains shall not be responsible for any loss sustained by any person who relies on this article. Do your own research!
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