IBM Blockchain Platform Extension for VS Code

The IBM Blockchain Platform extension helps developers to create, test and debug smart contracts, connect to Hyperledger Fabric environments, and build applications that transact on your blockchain network.

For a step-by-step guide on getting started with the extension's features, access our Beginner Tutorial via our integrated Home page. Alternatively, explore, clone and open the Hyperledger Fabric samples, all without leaving VS Code. For more comprehensive documentation, follow this link

IBP Extension Homepage

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Installation

Please visit the Visual Studio Code Marketplace for installation and more details.

Requirements

The first time you install this extension, it will check your system for the prequisites, and guide you to install any that you are missing.

Windows 10, Linux, or Mac OS are currently the supported operating systems. Each of these operating systems have their own additional requirements.

For the full list of requirements that the extension will check for, please refer to the 'Dependency Installation' section at the end of the README.

Smart Contract Development Lifecycle

Please note that all commands contributed by this extension are accessible via the VS Code Command Palette. The commands outlined below are available from burger menus located on the panel headers, or by right-clicking tree items, in the extension's side bar view.

The expected smart contract development lifecycle follows several broad points, all possible entirely within VS Code using this extension:

Creating and packaging a smart contract
Connecting to an instance of Hyperledger Fabric
Deploying a smart contract
Submitting transactions and generating functional-level smart contract tests

Common tasks and how to complete them

Once you have installed the IBM Blockchain Platform VS Code extension, it is possible to access a large set of tutorials using the >View Tutorial Gallery command.

The tutorial gallery is best place to start once you have installed the extension and will teach you mostly everything that you need to know!

Some information on how to complete other undocumented tasks can be found here.

Useful Commands

The IBM Blockchain Platform extension provides an explorer and commands accessible from the Command Palette, for developing smart contracts quickly:

Command	Description
Add Environment	Add a Hyperledger Fabric instance environment
Add Gateway	Add a Hyperledger Fabric instance gateway
Add Identity To Wallet	Add an identity into a wallet to be used when connecting to a Hyperledger Fabric gateway
Add Wallet	Add a wallet containing identities to be used when connecting to a gateway
Associate A Wallet	Associate a wallet with a gateway to be used when connecting
Associate Directory for Transaction Data	Associate a directory of transasction data with a smart contract
Associate Identity with a Node	Associate an identity with a node to enable the extension to connect to that node
Connect Via Gateway	Connect to a Hyperledger Fabric instance using a gateway
Create New Project	Create a new smart contract project
Create Identity (register and enroll)	Create, register and enroll a new identity from the local Fabric runtime certificate authority
Delete Environment	Delete a Hyperledger Fabric instance environment
Delete Identity	Delete an identity from a wallet
Delete Gateway	Delete a Hyperledger Fabric instance gateway
Delete Package	Delete a smart contract package
Deploy Smart Contract	Deploy a smart contract package to an environment
Dissociate A Wallet	Remove the association between a wallet and a gateway
Dissociate Directory for Transaction Data	Remove the association between a directory of transaction data and a smart contract
Disconnect From Environment	Disconnect from the environment you're currently connected to
Disconnect From Gateway	Disconnect from the blockchain gateway you're currently connected to
Export Connection Profile	Export connection profile for a blockchain gateway
Export Package	Export a smart contract package to use outside VS Code
Export Wallet	Export a wallet to use outside VS Code
Generate Tests for All Smart Contracts	Create functional level test files for all contracts
Generate Tests for Smart Contract(s)	Create functional level test files for single or multiple contracts
Import a Package	Import a smart contract package
Import nodes into environment	Import more nodes into an environment
Open Release Notes	Open the release notes page
Package Open Project	Create a new smart contract package from a project in the Explorer
Remove Wallet	Remove a wallet from the Fabric Wallets view
Replace Identity Associated with a Node	Replace which identity is associated with a node
Restart Fabric Runtime	Restart the local Fabric instance
Start Fabric Runtime	Start the local Fabric instance
Stop Fabric Runtime	Stop the local Fabric instance
Subscribe to Event	Subscribe to an event emitted from a smart contract
Teardown Fabric Environment	Teardown the local Fabric runtime (hard reset)
Transact with Smart Contract	Submit & evalutate transactions to deployed smart contracts
Upgrade Smart Contract	Upgrade an instantiated smart contract
View Homepage	View the extensions homepage
View Sample Gallery	View the smart contract and application sample gallery
View Prerequisites	View the required and optional dependencies on the prerequisites page

Dependency Installation

Click to view installation instructions

The following dependencies are required on all operating systems:

VS Code version 1.40.0 or greater

VS Code version can be found by running: code --version

The following dependencies are optional:

Node v10 (v10.15.3 or greater) or v12 (v12.13.1 or greater) and npm v6.x or greater

Node version can be found by running: node --version

npm version can be found by running: npm --version

If installing Node and npm using a manager such as 'nvm' or 'nodenv', you will need to set the default/global version and restart VS Code for the version to be detected by the Prerequisites page.

Go version v1.12 or greater for developing Go contracts

Go version can be found by running: go version

Java v8 for developing Java contracts

Java version can be found by running: java -version

Additional requirements for Windows

You are using Windows 10 Pro or Enterprise and have the Anniversary Update 1607

1 Org Local Fabric functionality

This extension can use Docker to run a simple pre-configured local Hyperledger Fabric network on your machine. By default this feature is enabled as we highly recommend using it, however you may disable this feature if required.

You will need the following:

Docker version v17.06.2-ce or greater

Docker version can be found by running: docker --version

Additional requirements for Windows

Docker for Windows is configured to use Linux containers (this is the default)
You will need to install OpenSSL v1.0.2 OpenSSL binaries
- Install the normal version, not the version marked as "light"
- Install the Win64 version into C:\OpenSSL-Win64 on 64-bit systems

For more information see the 1 Org Local Fabric section.

Additional information

To open the Prerequisites page manually, run the View Prerequisites command inside VS Code from the Command Palette.

Please note: the extension doesn't currently work with the VSCode Remote Development feature, we plan to make this work in the future, follow progress here.

Contact Us

If you have find any problems or want to make suggestions for future features please create issues and suggestions on Github.

Just so you know

The extension uses telemetry reporting to track usage data and help improve future extension versions. Disabling VS Code telemetry reporting also disables the extension's telemetry reporting. For instructions on how to disable telemetry reporting, please visit the Visual Studio Code FAQ

License

The source code files are made available under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (Apache-2.0), located in the LICENSE file.

This Font Software is licensed under the SIL Open Font License, Version 1.1. This license is copied below, and is also available with a FAQ at: http://scripts.sil.org/OFL