Skip to main content
Version: v1.4

The Schema Tool

Smart contracts need robustness, combining both flexibility and stringent regulation to prevent mistakes and foster efficiency. Using the Schema Tool ensures consistency, and simplifies smart contract development.

Why Use the Schema Tool?​

Ensure Robustness and Consistency​

By employing a code generator rooted in a schema definition file, you achieve:

  • Reliability: Through debugged, trustworthy generated code.
  • Adaptability: Facilitating modifications in the smart contract interface.
  • Intent Reflection: Enforcing defined smart contract behavior at compile-time.
  • Multilingual Support: Accommodating various programming languages.

Prevent Repetitive Coding​

Initial experiences illustrated repetitive coding in:

  • on_load function setup and maintenance.
  • Function access rights verification.
  • Function parameter type and presence confirmation.
  • Establishing access to State, Params, and Results maps.
  • Common string constant definitions.

The schema tool diminishes redundancy and ensures up-to-date functionalities.

The Schema Definition File​

Defining a Clear Interface​

The schema definition file serves as a single source of truth, encompassing crucial details like:

Automation with Schema Tool​

Using the Schema Tool, the file facilitates:

  • Skeleton Generation: Crafting a smart contract framework that needs function implementations.
  • Interface Generation: Creating interfaces to functions with stringent compile-time type-checking, thereby reducing errors.

Benefits of Schema Tool in Smart Contracts​

Centralized Information​

Having all pertinent details in one place allows:

  • Uniform Function Calls: Through a generated interface used by client-side code.
  • Error Minimization: Via compile-time type-checking.

Efficiency and Simplicity​

Knowledge of all essential aspects leads to:

  • Constant Generation: Avoiding typo-prone key strings repetition and precalculating essential values like Hnames.
  • Informative Code: Generating code to correctly notify the host about available Funcs and Views.