Framework: Hardhat
What is Harthat?
Hardhat is a complete development environment for Ethereum software. Its components help developers to edit, compile, debug and deploy their dApps and smart contracts.
Hardhat components
Hardhat Runner
The main component of the Hardhat is Hardhat Runner — a task runner which helps developers to manage and automate the recurring tasks — compiling, testing, extending projects. The main advantages of the Hardhat Runner are flexibility and extensibility.
Hardhat Runner is about tasks and plugins. Every time you’re running Hardhat from the command-line, you’re running a task. For example, npx hardhat compile runs the built-in compile task. It is possible to define complex workflows where one task can call another one. Workflows can be customized and extended by overriding existing tasks by users and plugins.
Hardhat Network
Hardhat Network is an Ethereum network node for developers, it provides debugging, deploying and simulation processes advantages for local machines. By default, the Network mines a block with each received transaction, in order and without delays.
Hardhat Network runs either as an in-process or a stand-alone daemon. It runs as you use Runner, an in-process Network node is started automatically as you execute tests, tasks or scripts on Runner. All of the Hardhat’s plugins are connected directly to the node’s provider automatically, without any necessity to make changes to your code.
As Hardhat Network is a network itself, it can be run in a stand-alone way to provide a connection opportunity for external clients (MetaMask, script, dApp front-end).
Big advantage of Hardhat Network is that you can see the reason for a transaction or call failure through the information provided by the Network.
Hardhat VSCode
Hardhat has a VS Code extension for Solidity language support and editor integration for Hardhat projects. The extension can help in developers’ routine such as coding process or refactoring by providing the features below:
- Code autocompletion;
- Definitions: Go to, types, references;
- Symbol renaming;
- Solidity code formatting;
- Hardhat projects Inline validation and quick fix suggestions (compiler warnings/errors);
- Hover help tips.
Hardhat summary
Thus, Hardhat is suitable for developing, testing and deploying Ethereum smart contracts. Its broad list of useful features allow developers to simplify the process of creating a smart contract at all stages. In smart contract security audit industry Hardhat may also be used as a sandbox environment.
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