How to build a dApp on TRON

The popularity of TRON DApps is growing continually. More and more developers are getting involved in TRON DApp development today. This article covers the whole procedure of how to build a TRON DApp.

TRON is a blockchain-based decentralized platform that features its cryptocurrency known as TRONIX (TRX). TRON has established itself as a robust blockchain network for developers. It supports smart contracts and its own TRON Virtual Machine (TVM), all of which contribute to developing decentralized applications (DApps). 

Any Web3 developer can begin TRON DApp development and create TRON DApps, including DeFi use-cases and even TRON DApp games. The TRON network supports DApp blockchain development and native tokens, such as TRC-10.

For anyone looking to create DApps that involve a transaction process, having node access is an essential part of the development cycle, as nodes can aid in gathering data and confirming transactions went through.

The features of the TRON network are as follows:

• TRON prevents single points of failure.
• The network enables Secure Peer-to-Peer (P2P) payments.
• TRON maintains privacy and avoids conflicts. 
• The network features high scalability and trust. 

All these aspects make the TRON DApp blockchain highly convenient for DApp development.

Building a DApp on TRON

Web3 developers can access Tron-IDE, Tronbox, and TronStation. As for the Software Development Kits (SDKs), there are TronWeb and Trident-Java. 

Each developer can write a smart contract, deploy it to the TRON Chain, and verify it afterward.

1. Create a Smart Contract

To create a smart contract, similar to Ethereum, the smart contracts on TRON are written in Solidity. New developers will need to read the Solidity documentation. Please note that Smart Contracts compile on the TRON Virtual Machine (TVM).

Here is an example of a function that will set the string in the message variable passed as an argument.

pragma solidity v0.8.18;

contract HelloWorld {    // Define the variable message of type string  message;    // Write function to change the value of the variable message    function postMessage(string value) public {        message = value;    }    // Read function to fetch variable message    function getMessage() public view returns (string){        return message;    } }

2. Set up TronLInk to deploy a smart contract

TronLink can be used as a bridge that connects DApps to the TRON DApp blockchain. For the deployment of smart contracts onto the test network, each developer needs to get the TronLink Chrome extension.

Then, set up a wallet password and an account that has some TRX coins through which you can pay the fee on the TRON DApp blockchain for the deployment of the smart contracts. As we are using the testnet, this can be gained from the Shasta Faucet. 

The deployment of the smart contract can occur on either the Mainnet or the Testnet. The Shasta Private Test Network will be utilized for the procedure in this example.

TronBox can be used for the deployment of smart contracts. The tronbox.js file holds the configurations that the contract will deploy to. 

module.exports = {   networks: {       development: {           from: 'address',           privateKey: 'private key',           consume_user_resource_percent: 30,           fee_limit: 100000000,           fullNode: "https://api.trongrid.io",           solidityNode: "https://api.trongrid.io",           eventServer:  "optional",           network_id: "*" // Match any network id       },       production: {           from: 'other address',           privateKey: 'other private key',           consume_user_resource_percent: 30,           fee_limit: 100000000,           fullNode: "https://api.trongrid.io",           solidityNode: "https://api.trongrid.io",           eventServer:  "optional",           network_id: "*"       },  } };

Upon compiling the smart contract, developers need to deploy it. First, they should set the network to the testnet in Tronlink by navigating to Settings, Switch Mode, and selecting the Shasta Testnet.

3. Create an application and install variables

Developers can create a client-side application that will be used to interact with the smart contract, such as getting or writing data. For this, they need to install variables need to be installed using the following command in their terminal after the modules have been installed:

$ npm install

Once the modules have been installed, developers can access the DApp from a web browser and begin testing it. After the testing in the testnet environment, the blockchain DApp made on the TRON network is ready to be released on the market.

Nodes in DApp Development

A blockchain node is a connection point in a data communications network that accepts or disapproves any blockchain transactions, verifies transactions, and keeps all data in cryptographically linked blocks.

There are multiple types of blockchain nodes, such as full nodes, pruned full nodes, archival full nodes, authority nodes, mining nodes, master nodes, staking nodes, light nodes, lightning nodes, and even super nodes.

The type of nodes supported by a blockchain will depend on its overall structure. However, some types of nodes, such as full nodes, are relevant in every blockchain. These nodes are the custodians of a blockchain, as they keep all copies of the ledger synchronized and sort encrypted data of past transactions.

They also take on new blocks for scalable growth and  are programmed algorithmically to execute transactions based on the majority consensus.

Nodes can be used to communicate with other nodes within the network, which is useful for the creation of DApp TRON.

Developers can use these nodes to create DApps that can create use cases within decentralized finance, web browsing, gaming, and social media.

Why Use a Node Provider

When we look at the procedure of developing smart contracts on top of TRON (TRX), they need to be developed and deployed on TronLink, a bridge connecting a TRON DApp to the TRON blockchain. Additionally, the smart contract needs to be deployed on the mainnet or testnet for use in Tron DApp games or other DeFi use cases.

A blockchain maintains a data recording, open ledger, and identical copies, which are managed by a network of featuring nodes. 

Each node is a computer that runs the software behind the blockchain DApp, and its goal is to make the network immutable and increase security by reducing the possibility of potential hacks. This assists them in TRON DApp development.

If a developer wants to track their progress throughout all aspects of the TRON DApp development cycle, they can access a node.

It is better to use a node provided due to the following reasons:

• Node providers enable a reduction in the cost associated with in-house node deployment, servers, and DevOps team maintenance.
• Node providers can contribute towards better speed and efficiency by providing required data, including hashrate, difficulty, block height, wallet addresses, transaction data, balance history tickers list, or other data.
• Node providers can make the DApp blockchain application development process easier and more efficient by covering all the processes required for node maintenance.

These are some of the main reasons developers can benefit from using the node provider’s service throughout the decentralized DApp blockchain application development cycle.

NOWNodes is a blockchain-as-a-service provider that easily enables any developer to access a TRON blockchain node.

Conclusion

The TRON blockchain has benefits such as scalability, speed, and security, and features a thriving ecosystem of DApps that is consistently growing.Developers can carry on blockchain DApp development on top of TRON and leverage its high speed, efficiency, broad adoption rate, and user base as a means of getting ahead of the curve and gaining a broader audience and higher usage.