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The Build section is split into three parts:
  1. Smart contracts
  2. Applications
  3. How-to guides
Explanations for each section are stated below:

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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. Once written and tested, smart contracts are deployed to the blockchain, where they become immutable and publicly accessible.
While defining the rules and logic of the contract, developers must be security conscious to avoid vulnerabilities such as integer overflows, access control flaws, and other exploits that could compromise the integrity and functionality of the smart contract.
This section will walk you through how to write and deploy smart contracts on Stellar, including the installation process, an introduction to testing, storing data, and more. It also provides a variety of example contracts for reference and use.

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Applications

Applications interact with the blockchain and can use smart contracts as the backend. They:
  • Provide user interfaces (UI);
  • Manage user interactions;
  • Integrate with smart contracts to operate.
Writing smart contracts focuses on the backend logic and rules enforced on the blockchain, while building applications involves creating the frontend and integrating it with these smart contracts to provide a complete user experience.
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.

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How-to guides

This section provides step-by-step instructions to help users complete specific tasks associated with building 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.