Introduction

The Build section is split into three parts: 1) writing smart contracts, 2) building applications, and 3) how-to guides.

Find explanations on what each section contains below.

Smart contracts

Smart contracts are self-executing programs with the terms of an agreement written directly into the code. They automatically enforce and execute the terms of the contract when predefined conditions are met. Developers must define the rules and logic of the contract while also ensuring security. Once written and tested, smart contracts are deployed to the blockchain, where they become immutable and publicly accessible.

This section will walk you through how to get set up to write smart contracts on Stellar, plus an introduction to testing, storing data, and deploying your contracts. It also provides an array of example contracts for use.

Applications

Applications interact with the blockchain and can use smart contracts as the backend. They provide user interfaces, manage user interactions, and can integrate with smart contracts to operate. Users can interact with the blockchain using the application interface. Writing smart contracts focuses on the backend logic and rules enforced on the blockchain while building applications involves creating the front end and integrating it with these smart contracts to provide a complete user experience.

note

You can create applications on Stellar without using smart contracts, as demonstrated in the Wallet SDK tutorial or the JS SDK Payment Application tutorial.

This section walks you through design considerations for applications and tutorials for building applications with or without smart contracts.

How-To Guides

This section provides step-by-step instructions to help users complete specific tasks associated with developing on Stellar. These tasks can include instructions for aspects of writing contracts, interacting with contracts, building applications, using Stellar operations, setting up infrastructure, and more.

How-to guides assume that the user has some experience and knowledge with building on Stellar and are not typically for beginners.