Contributor: Script Money
Full-stack engineer familiar with Web3 development ecosystem, has written some technical tutorials
This article is the second issue of CryptoChasers' recommended high-quality Web3 educational resources - Solidity Beginner's Guide. Solidity is a programming language specifically designed for writing Ethereum smart contracts. This article is suitable for programmers who want to learn the basics of Solidity. If you are a beginner who doesn't know how to program, I recommend reading the "Best Tutorial - Code Basics" (https://xlog.app/post/cryptochasers/best-tutorial-01-code-basic). All tutorials are freely accessible.
Popular Development Tools#
Development tools are used for contract compilation, testing, and deployment. Different tutorials use different development tools, which are equally important as Solidity itself. Therefore, I will first introduce you to the three mainstream development tools: Remix, Hardhat, and Foundry, and their respective scopes of application.
Remix, Hardhat, and Foundry are the most popular Solidity smart contract development tools:
- Remix https://remix.ethereum.org/ is a web-based editor that is ready to use without the need for local installation of dependencies. It is suitable for beginners to learn Solidity knowledge points, quickly implement prototypes, test, and deploy.
- Hardhat https://hardhat.org/ requires local installation and is written in JavaScript for executing tests and tasks. It has many plugins and has a wide range of applications.
- Foundry https://book.getfoundry.sh/ requires local installation and is written in Solidity for testing and tasks. It has high running efficiency. Many contract libraries are written by Foundry.
From the perspective of learning needs,
- If you want to understand Solidity contracts deployed by others, you may need to copy and deploy them locally for testing. Remix is sufficient.
- If you need to write code to interact with smart contracts online in batches, it is recommended to use Hardhat.
- If your goal is to develop a simple Web3 project, which requires designing contracts, writing tests, and interacting with contracts in the frontend, you can choose between Hardhat and Foundry according to your needs.
- If you want to become a professional smart contract engineer, it is recommended to directly learn Foundry.
Recommended Tutorials#
Blockchain Developer, Smart Contract, & Solidity Course | Foundry Edition 2023#
- Website: https://github.com/Cyfrin/foundry-full-course-f23
- Tools: Remix + Foundry
- Language: English
- Content: Videos + Text Index
This is a comprehensive tutorial that covers blockchain basics, frontend development, auditing, and more. I recommend this tutorial because its videos are up-to-date and focus on the popular Foundry. It covers every step in detail, from installation to auditing, and provides accompanying text indexes on GitHub. This tutorial is suitable for both beginners to follow along and for filling in knowledge gaps. However, the downside is that the video content is quite long, totaling nearly 30 hours.
Ethereum Developer Degree by LearnWeb3#
- Website: https://learnweb3.io/degrees/ethereum-developer-degree/
- Tools: Remix + Hardhat
- Language: English
- Content: Text + Q&A
This is a comprehensive tutorial written by LearnWeb3 DAO, focusing on complete project development. I recommend this tutorial because it is project-oriented, gradually increasing in difficulty, and provides clear explanations of key knowledge. It also includes content required for developing projects such as React, Nextjs, and IPFS. I particularly like its Senior section, which teaches important EVM knowledge. Additionally, they recently launched a new version of the website with elements such as experience points, NFTs, and leaderboards to motivate learning. The downside is that it does not have accompanying video tutorials, and some beginners may encounter difficulties when installing the development environment.
Ethereum Developer Bootcamp by alchemy#
- Website: https://university.alchemy.com/overview/ethereum
- Tools: Hardhat
- Language: English
- Content: Videos + Text + Project Tasks
This is a comprehensive tutorial created by Alchemy, focusing on Solidity itself (they also have a series called "Road to Web3" that leans more towards project development) and comes with a web-based editor. The explanations for complex content are very detailed and often accompanied by charts. It includes many additional topics. Some content is challenging, and the project tasks have a certain level of difficulty. However, the downside of this tutorial is that its videos are not available on YouTube, so it cannot provide Chinese translations. Students need a certain level of English proficiency to study.
Solidity by Example#
- Website: https://solidity-by-example.org/
- Tools: Remix
- Language: English/Chinese
- Content: Text
This tutorial lists various Solidity language features, typical contract designs, hacking attacks, DeFi models, and explains them with Remix examples.
WTF-Solidity#
- Website: https://www.wtf.academy/wtf.academy/solidity-start/
- Tools: Remix
- Language: Chinese/English
- Content: Text
This tutorial is similar to Solidity by Example. It is written by a Chinese author and provides more detailed explanations of knowledge points. The downside is that it covers too much content and is divided into too many sections, making it less suitable for browsing.
Free Solidity Tutorial#
- Website: https://www.rareskills.io/learn-solidity
- Tools: Remix + Foundry
- Language: English
- Content: Text
This tutorial is designed for experienced programmers and tries to keep it short by focusing on key points. It includes project practice chapters and accompanying videos. The downside is that it is not suitable for beginners.
Summary#
When I first learned Solidity, there weren't these excellent tutorials mentioned above. I paid to participate in the ConsenSys Bootcamp 2021 and finally completed and launched an NFT project as an entry point. Then, by continuously participating in contract audits and developing small projects, I gradually completed my knowledge.
My personal recommendation for learning is to first complete a comprehensive tutorial and then consolidate your knowledge through project development. If you encounter any difficulties during this process, you can fill in the gaps. For students who are already very familiar with Web3, you can choose to directly read knowledge-oriented tutorials.
I wish you can learn Solidity soon and become an excellent smart contract developer!