Building dApp requires a bit of coding language. You don’t have to be a connoisseur of some sort in coding, but a bit of basic coding skills helps a lot. All in all, this article will give you a comprehensive and quick way to create your first dApp. A dApp is technically an application that leverages blockchain technology.
One of the platforms that offer such services is Ethereum, but there are other places where you can launch your application. For instance, Binance Smart Chain and Polkadot, etc. But for illustration’s sake, we’ll focus on the Ethereum platform.
Steps on Building dApp for the first time
1. Conceptualization
Before anything, you need to have a rough idea of what you want to create. There’s no way you can build a dApp from thin air, no siree! Building dApp takes time and a good flow of ideas. You can use charts to anticipate how the app will work and what it will achieve. Also, start with a mission statement and the problem you are trying to solve.
Only then can you start working on the app. Otherwise, you’ll get stuck severally in your thought process, and that will hinder the development of your dApp. With that in mind, write down the ideas and construct a rough sketch of the dApp.
2. Familiarize with Ethereum
Since you will be building dApp on Ethereum, you need to understand how the platform works. Decentralized applications need a network, and you can only understand it by understanding the Ethereum platform. For instance, you need to understand that decentralized applications must be open-source and follow the consensus protocol. That means for any changes to occur in the dApp, the community must come to a consensus.
Additionally, the backend must include the smart contract and needs to run on the decentralized network. The dApp platform also needs to use the standard algorithm, and the information should be stored in cryptographic standards. That said, learning more about the consensus-based protocol is the first step, and it’s non-negotiable.
3. Time to work on your blockchain
When building dApp, you will have to choose the client that best works for you. In this case, if you are a new developer; you can go for the test PC. This tool is part of the Truffle tools. The best part about this instrument is that it’s easy to start since it uses the CLI.
I’m assuming you took your time to study the Ethereum platform so you can understand this part. If any of the terms I’ve mentioned don’t make any sense to you, you will need to revisit the Ethereum dApp platform. Unfortunately, this test PC doesn’t mine blocks, but you can use the CLI to specify such commands. All in all, you will use the command line to program your Application.
4. Communication with the network
For your dApp to work effectively, it needs to communicate directly with the Ethereum blockchain. One of the easiest to make this communication happen is by using the ‘web3.js.’ All you have to do is install it, which is pretty easy to do.
Additionally, there are specific commands that you will need to configure to ensure the communication is efficient, including coding the acongig.js file and the web3. All these are necessary and cannot be avoided if you want your app to run on a decentralized network.
5. Start learning Solidity
This language is specific to Ethereum’s smart contracts, and it’s specifically designed for building dApp. Python, Java, and C++ inspire the Solidity language. The front end of your dApp can be in any language, but the admin side must include a smart contract; hence, you must learn the language if you are a dApp developer.
6. Smart contract coding
To correctly code the smart contracts, always ensure you keep your computing storage and logic minimum. That’s because this process requires gas which isn’t free. Therefore, you will have to spend ETH when coding and executing your smart contracts. Simple logic will require less gas. Above all, only use simple codes since the more complex it is, the higher your chances of making errors.
7. Deploying the dApp
The next step is to deploy the smart contracts. You can use Truffle to deploy your smart contracts. Deployment with this tool is straightforward.
8. Use your Ethereum account
For the smart contracts to operate effectively, you will have to spend ETH, which means you will need to create an Ethereum account if you don’t have one. More importantly, never share your wallet with anyone online. You will need to buy ETH and store them in your wallet. All in all, once the Ethereum account is up and running, your dApp should function without any hurdles. If there’s an issue, you will have to go back to the back end.
9. Transact
Last but not least, you will have to transact on your account to activate the dApp you’ve built. That will also help ensure the app is running. You will also need to pay fees to miners. The transaction will be a transaction of value, and at the end of it, you will have to pay the miner.
Take Away Message
As you’ve seen, building dApp is not as easy as most people tend to think. It requires patience, creativity, and, most of all, skill. Otherwise, you will have to spend a lot on gas fees because of errors or changes of ideas at the last minute. As I said earlier, ensure you have all your thoughts in check before creating your dApp.
All in all, building dApp is quite fun and exciting. It takes a couple of practices before you can get it right, but it’s worth it. If you want to learn more about Ethereum, you can check out the tutorial on their platform. There are also other resources on the Ethereum platform that you can use to your advantage, including an online course on Solidity and the Truffle tool suite. These items are intended to make your coding experience smoother.
