BEHIND THE SCENES OF TON: LESSONS LEARNED ON DEPLOYING SMART CONTRACTS, PART 1

The Telegram Open Network (TON), now known as The Open Network, sparked significant interest in the blockchain community with its innovative approach to decentralized applications. TON s programming languages for general-purpose and for writing smart contracts: Tech analysis from the inside view. This is the second article in our series on integrating payment channels on Telegram Open Network. In the first part, we introduced the network, detailed our experience of the contest, and explained how synchronous and asynchronous smart contracts work. MoreOne crucial aspect of any blockchain platform is the ability to deploy and interact with smart contracts. Basics When writing a smart contract using FunC, we needed to understand how to deploy and compile the smart contract, as well as how to call functions using arguments.The TON ecosystem introduced unique challenges and opportunities for developers.A competition was held to attract developers and build a community around TON. news. bitcoin; ethereum; altcoin; nfts; defi; regulation; events; security; markets; business; analysis; technology; people. opinion; interview; guidesThe competition's task served as an inside look at the platform, but the lack of comprehensive documentation and practical examples regarding smart contract deployment and function calls proved to be a hurdle for many.While TON's brief guidelines were helpful as an introduction, they left out critical details that developers needed to successfully navigate the intricacies of the platform.This article, the first in a series, delves into the lessons learned during the early days of smart contract development on TON, exploring the initial struggles and the eventual solutions discovered by the community.

Understanding the Basics of TON Smart Contract Deployment

Before diving into the specific challenges encountered, it's essential to understand the fundamental steps involved in deploying a smart contract on TON. Lessons on developing smart contracts on FunC for The Open Network(TON). The lessons are located in the appropriate folders in .md format, and a code is attached to each lesson. Our community - here .The process differs from other blockchain platforms like Ethereum, primarily due to TON's unique architecture and programming languages.The primary language used for writing smart contracts on TON is FunC.

Writing and Compiling Smart Contracts in FunC

The first step is, of course, writing the smart contract itself.FunC is a low-level language designed specifically for TON's virtual machine. TON's brief guideline was extremely helpful to those who participated in the competition, but it was only an introduction to writing smart contracts on TON that conveniently left out examples or detailed information on deploying and running function calls on smart contracts.[BREAK] For this, a special smart contract stores the deposited funds of the two parties while the payment channel isWriting in FunC requires a solid understanding of data structures and stack manipulation.After the contract is written, it needs to be compiled into executable code.

The compilation process involves using the TON compiler to translate the FunC code into a .boc (Binary Object Container) file.This .boc file contains the compiled bytecode that will be deployed to the TON blockchain.

Deployment Scripts and Fift

The .boc file alone isn't enough to deploy the contract. TON s brief guideline was extremely helpful to those who participated in the competition, but it was only an introduction to writing smart contracts on TON that conveniently left out examples or detailed information on deploying and running function calls on smart contracts.You also need a deployment script, typically written in Fift.Fift is a stack-based programming language used for interacting with the TON blockchain. Related: Behind the Scenes of TON: Lessons Learned on Deploying Smart Contracts, Part 1. A synchronous payment channel allows sending transactions between two users off-chain using on-chain assets. In our case GRAMs.The deployment script performs several crucial tasks:

• Loading the compiled .boc file.
• Setting the initial storage values for the contract.
• Creating a new message to deploy the contract to the blockchain.
• Sending the deployment message to the TON network.

The Fift script essentially crafts a special message that contains the contract's code and initial state, which is then broadcast to the network for execution.

Calling Smart Contract Functions

Once a smart contract is deployed, you'll likely want to interact with it by calling its functions. TON s brief guideline was extremely helpful to those who participated in the competition, but it was only an introduction to writing smart contracts on TON that conveniently left out examples or detailed information on deploying and running function calls on smart contracts. Eventually, everyone figured out how to do all of this, but it tookThis requires sending messages to the contract's address, and these messages need to be carefully crafted to include the function name and arguments. The contest attracted new developers, further built a community around the new platform, and solved existing issues concerning the lack of documentation on smart contracts by providing examples of them and how they are deployed on TON.Like deployment, calling functions involves using Fift or other tools to create and send these messages.

The Challenges Faced During Early TON Development

Despite the relatively straightforward steps outlined above, early TON developers faced numerous challenges due to the limited documentation and lack of readily available examples. TON's brief guideline was extremely helpful to those who participated in the competition, but it was only an introduction to writing smart contracts on TON that conveniently left out examples or detailed information on deploying and running function calls on smart contracts.Many developers found themselves spending a significant amount of time reverse-engineering the system and figuring out the best practices.

Lack of Comprehensive Documentation

As mentioned earlier, the official TON documentation, while helpful as a starting point, lacked the depth and breadth needed for practical development.Key aspects such as deployment scripts, function calling, and error handling were not adequately covered.This forced developers to rely on trial and error, which was a time-consuming and frustrating process.

The brief guidelines provided by TON were indeed beneficial for those participating in the competition. ton的简要指南对那些参与竞赛的选手来说确实是有帮助的，但它只是介绍如何在ton上编写智能合约，而且也是省略了有关在智能合约上如何部署和运行函数调用的示例的详细信息。尽管最后每个人都弄明白了如何开工，但这无疑让大家付出了大量额外时间和精力。However, they primarily focused on introducing the concept of writing smart contracts on TON, conveniently omitting details on deploying contracts and executing function calls. An inside look at the Telegram Open Network competition with an analysis of the contest s task. Amid news of its recent spat with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, relatively few people have likely heard about Telegram s Open Network competition that occurred some weeks ago. It was a milestone event that transformed the once-miniscule MoreThis lack of comprehensive documentation meant that developers had to dedicate significant additional time and effort to understand the underlying mechanisms.

Limited Examples and Tutorials

The absence of practical examples and tutorials further compounded the problem.Developers struggled to find working code snippets that demonstrated how to perform common tasks, such as deploying a simple contract or calling a function with arguments. Please note, this is a STATIC archive of website cointelegraph.com from, cach3.com does not collect or store any user information, there is no phishing involved.The lack of real-world examples made it difficult to grasp the nuances of the TON development environment.

Without concrete examples, it was challenging for newcomers to understand how to structure their code, handle errors, and optimize their contracts for performance. In the first part, we introduced the network, detailed our experience of the contest, and explained how synchronous and asynchronous smart contracts work.[BREAK] To deploy a smart contract, you need to write a deploy script in Fift and compile it to a.boc file.[BREAK] To make a function call, write a script that will send an external message to the deployed smart contract.[BREAK] Boc isThis scarcity of learning resources hindered the growth of the TON developer community.

The Intricacies of FunC and Fift

FunC and Fift, while powerful languages, have a steep learning curve. Behind the Scenes of TON: Lessons Learned on Deploying Smart Contracts, Part 2FunC's low-level nature requires a deep understanding of the TON virtual machine, and Fift's stack-based programming model can be challenging for developers accustomed to more traditional languages.

The lack of high-level abstractions and the need to manage memory manually added to the complexity of development.Many developers struggled to write efficient and bug-free code in FunC and Fift, leading to increased development time and potential security vulnerabilities.

Understanding the TON Blockchain Architecture

The TON blockchain architecture itself presented another hurdle.TON's sharding and asynchronous messaging system differed significantly from other blockchain platforms, making it difficult for developers to transfer their existing knowledge and skills.

Understanding how messages were routed, how shards interacted with each other, and how to handle asynchronous calls required a significant amount of research and experimentation. The TON white paper provides more in-depth information about payment channels, but we will briefly explain them again. A synchronous payment channel allows sending transactions between two users off-chain using on-chain assets.The lack of clear explanations and diagrams made it challenging to grasp the underlying principles of the TON architecture.

Community Efforts and Solutions

Despite the challenges, the TON developer community rallied together to overcome these obstacles. Related: Behind the Scenes of TON: Lessons Learned on Deploying Smart Contracts, Part 1 A synchronous payment channel allows sending transactions between two users off-chain using on-chain assetsThrough collaboration, experimentation, and knowledge sharing, they gradually built a solid foundation for smart contract development on TON.

Sharing Knowledge and Code Snippets

Developers actively shared their knowledge and code snippets on forums, chat groups, and online repositories. Skip to main content Bitcoin Insider. MenuThis collaborative effort helped to fill the gaps in the official documentation and provided practical examples for common tasks.

By sharing their experiences and solutions, developers accelerated the learning process for others and contributed to the growth of the TON ecosystem.This spirit of collaboration was crucial in overcoming the initial challenges.

Building Open-Source Tools and Libraries

The community also developed open-source tools and libraries to simplify the development process.These tools provided higher-level abstractions and automated many of the tedious tasks involved in deploying and interacting with smart contracts.

For example, some developers created libraries that simplified the process of creating deployment scripts in Fift, while others built tools that automated the compilation and deployment of FunC contracts. news: Behind the Scenes of TON: Lessons Learned on Deploying Smart Contracts at Cash Tech NewsThese tools significantly reduced the barrier to entry for new developers and improved the overall efficiency of the development process.

Documenting Best Practices

Recognizing the need for comprehensive documentation, the community began documenting best practices for smart contract development on TON. TON s programming languages for general-purpose and for writing smart contracts: Tech analysis from the inside view $ BTC $57,782 ; EOS $4.57 -1.02% ;These documents covered topics such as contract design, security considerations, and performance optimization.

By codifying the knowledge and experience gained through trial and error, the community created a valuable resource for new developers and helped to ensure the quality and security of TON smart contracts.

Payment Channels on TON: A Practical Example

One area where the TON community made significant progress was in the development of payment channels.Payment channels allow two parties to conduct multiple transactions off-chain, reducing the load on the main blockchain and improving transaction speed.While the TON white paper provides in-depth information, let's explore the fundamentals of synchronous payment channels on TON and their relevance in demonstrating smart contract deployment.

Synchronous Payment Channels

A synchronous payment channel enables two users to send transactions between each other off-chain using on-chain assets.In the context of TON, these assets are typically GRAMs (or their equivalent in the current TON ecosystem).

The basic process involves the following steps:

1. Initialization: Both parties deposit funds into a smart contract on the TON blockchain.This smart contract acts as an escrow account.
2. Off-Chain Transactions: The parties exchange signed messages representing transfers of funds within the channel.These messages are not immediately broadcast to the blockchain.
3. Settlement: At any time, either party can submit the latest state of the channel to the smart contract on the blockchain.The smart contract verifies the signatures and distributes the funds according to the agreed-upon balances.

This approach significantly reduces the number of transactions that need to be processed on the main chain, improving scalability and reducing transaction fees.

Deploying and Interacting with a Payment Channel Contract

The development of payment channels on TON provided a practical example of the challenges and solutions involved in deploying and interacting with smart contracts.Developers had to carefully design the contract logic to ensure the security and fairness of the channel.

They also had to implement efficient mechanisms for creating and verifying signatures, as well as for handling disputes and resolving conflicts.The experience gained from building payment channels contributed significantly to the overall understanding of smart contract development on TON.

Key Takeaways and Future Directions

The early days of smart contract development on TON were marked by challenges stemming from limited documentation, a steep learning curve for FunC and Fift, and a complex blockchain architecture.However, the TON developer community demonstrated remarkable resilience and ingenuity in overcoming these obstacles.Through collaboration, knowledge sharing, and the development of open-source tools, they laid the groundwork for a thriving TON ecosystem.

Here are some key takeaways from this experience:

• Comprehensive documentation is essential: Clear and detailed documentation is crucial for enabling developers to effectively build on any blockchain platform.
• Practical examples are invaluable: Real-world examples and tutorials significantly accelerate the learning process and help developers understand how to apply theoretical concepts to practical problems.
• Community collaboration is key: A strong and supportive developer community can help to overcome challenges and foster innovation.

As the TON ecosystem continues to evolve, it is important to build upon these lessons and continue to invest in documentation, education, and community support.By providing developers with the resources they need to succeed, TON can unlock its full potential and become a leading platform for decentralized applications.

In the next part of this series, we'll delve deeper into specific code examples and explore advanced topics such as asynchronous contract interactions and security best practices.