Setting up a Node project

Setting up a Node project for smart-contracts

To start a new project, create a directory for it:

mkdir learn_sc && cd learn_sc

Then we will initialize our node project inside the newly created folder:

npm init -y

This will create a package.json file, which will evolve as your project grows, such as when installing dependencies with npm install

JavaScript and npm are some of the most used software tools in the world: if you’re ever in doubt, you’ll find plenty of information about them online.

Using npx

There are two broads type of packages stored in the npm registry: libraries and executables. Installed libraries are used like any other piece of JavaScript code, but executables are special.

A third binary was included when installing node: npx. This is used to run executables installed locally in your project.

For our local blockchain development, we will need to install certain packages/libraries so that we can create a local blockchain network within our local systems. For this we can either Truffle or Hardhat.

Whilst Truffle and Hardhat can be installed globally we recommend installing them locally in each project so that you can control the version on a project-by-project basis.

In this guide, we will be going with using Hardhat.

Tracking with Version Control

Before you get coding, you should add version control software to your project to track changes.

By far, the most used tool is Git, often in conjunction with GitHub for hosting purposes. Indeed, you will find the full source code and history of all OpenZeppelin software in our GitHub repository.

If you’ve never used Git before, a good starting place is the Git Handbook.

Don’t commit secrets such as mnemonics, private keys and API keys to version control! Make sure you .gitignore files with secrets.