VS Code Extensions Required for Blockchain Development

Blockchain development requires a lot of work at the backend. Whether you are new or already established yourself as a Blockchain expert, you would be required to know about the syntax, which can eventually help in the Blockchain applications’ seamless functioning. In this blog, we will be exploring VS Code extensions.

What is the VS Code?

It is a great tool for editing Solidity smart contracts. This tool is currently available on Windows, Mac, & Linux. VS Code works well with Truffle. With the help of the VS code, the Blockchain developer can be helpful in the following:

1. Creating a smart contract

2. Import or generate package that can be deployed in the HLF environment

3. Deploying an existing smart contract

What difference does the VS Code make?

The VS Code plugin saves a lot of time for the HLF developer regarding chain code development and testing it against the IBM Blockchain Platform. The developer has the leverage of choosing between Golang, Java, JavaScript, TypeScipt to write the smart contract.

After writing the smart contract, the developer can use the VS code plugin to deploy the smart contract and test its functionality. At present, the VS code plugin allows queries on the IBM Blockchain platform.

This also helps to quickly test against an actual blockchain network and check the results by your chaincode. This step particularly becomes useful at the product development stage, as the developer can check and test at the development stage. If there is an error, then the problem can be diagnosed for any error, which reduces the probability of error or flaw in the end product.

Here is how you go about the installation of the VS code:

· You need first to check if the system is compatible with VS code. Windows 10, Linux, or Mac OS presently supports the VS code, so check if you have the same system.

· Once you have installed the VS code, your next work should be on IBM’s smart contract. The extension can help in generating a smart contract skeleton on your chosen Hyperledger Fabric.

· You can now use the command on the VS Code extension. If you are using MacOS, then you would need the command — Ctrl+Shift+P or Cmd+Shift+P.

· Once you have launched the command, your next move should be to move to the left sidebar and click on the IBM Blockchain Platform icon.

· Now click on the Smart Contract Package and click on create a smart contract project from the drop-down menu.

· Your next step should be to choose the programing language, JavaScript, TypeScript, Java, and Go.

· The extension will enquire if you want to name the asset in the generated contract.

· Now choose the location, and save the project.

· Then click create and select a new folder you had created and saved the project.

· Finally, add to the Workspace option.

This was the basic step of using VS Code extension for the IBM Blockchain platform.

Conclusion- There are new developments taking place in Blockchain, and so the is the demand for Blockchain developers who will help in leveraging this technology.

You can join the Blockchain certification course by Blockchain Council to know more about this technology and its use cases.