How easy it is to develop STEEM blockchain apps - with video tutorial!
In the span of only 9 minutes I'm going to write a basic app that posts an article to the STEEM blockchain and walk you through it step-by-step.
For those of you who don't want to follow along with the video, you can follow the steps and view the completed source on github here: https://github.com/jredbeard/steempostexample
References of places to gain the knowledge required to make this tutorial:
Alpha/pre-release of steemit developer portal: https://steemit.github.io/steemit-docs/
Examples within the steem-js repo on github: https://github.com/steemit/steem-js/tree/master/examples
It's my hope that this tutorial helps inspire others to develop applications that use the STEEM blockchain and see that it's not an unattainable or unrealistically difficult thing to do - in fact, it's quite simple. As time allows I may do further tutorials in the future, or maybe even a whole series.
Thanks for reading and watching, and STEEM on!
Edit: I've updated the example on github for the script line that pulls in the steem-js library to use https instead of http. Anywhere http exists in code should be considered a bug. :)
I'm gonna ask a real dummy question as a non developer. What part of that actually connected all that html with the steem blockchain?
Technically, the function
steem.broadcast.comment(). The function is available by pulling in the steem-js library. By default it connects to steemit.com's public steemd nodes but you can easily have it connect elsewhere instead. The public nodes make it easy for developers to kickstart/develop their own projects without additional infrastructure.Does this only allow you to build a frontend app around the steem crypto? or can you use this to create your own token/coin and web app? does this have to be built on a server or can you do it all local? what if I wanted to make it more like twitter or instagram? or pull in apis from Google for youtube or search to build something new? does it build it on top of steem? or could I rename and make my own blockchain named creem? hypothetically?
That is what the upcoming steem smt's are for: https://smt.steem.io
Do you know (or can you share) when the SMT dev tools will be available? I am very excited to dive in.
you can build apps on steemit using python too
https://steemit.com/steem-dev/@naveendavisv/5-how-to-steemit-application-with-pistion-and-flask-python-programming-modules
And if you would like to learn how to write code, there is a great opportunity, because of CodeSchool Free Weekend :)
There is dedicated path for JavaScript and many, many others! :)
It's great to have tutorials like that.
However I am a firm believer that we should go the extra step and provide some 'higher-level' tools than SteemJS to help developer create bigger STEEM apps more easily.
I believe if we had a good 'boilerplate app', for deploying a simple react-based STEEM app, with STEEMJs, some 3rd party services like AskSteem, SteemConnect, markdown syntax, maybe IPFS for file upload, etc. Then a lot of projects would come out of it.
Interacting with the chain is super easy as as it is already, but building something usable and decent enough for release is much harder for small teams because of the little details.
I don't disagree, although condenser itself is open source and is already a react-based STEEM app using steem-js. I don't know if that meets the qualification for 'simple', but it could potentially be a good starting point for someone to put together a more watered down boilerplate app.
Condenser also has a lot more stuff that a good boilerplate wouldn't need. Steemit a blogging platform on top of STEEM, not everyone has the same use case. Let's say someone wants to make a tic-tac-toe game on top of STEEM, condenser is a terrible starting point. By limiting it to blogging, people are not being innovative and are only copying what already exists.
If someone starts anything like a boilerplate on github, I'd be really glad to help on some stuff
http://SteemCentral.ml is interested and will pay you guys to do something innovative
Just launched
https://steemit.com/steemit/@coincentral/whitepaper-for-our-7-new-steem-projects-by-steemcentral-ml-coincentral-and-cyberspace
You should try to get some support for this from Steemit Inc or whales/witnesses.
This sounds like an interesting idea. I've been looking to get involved in some kind of worthwhile project on Github, as although I've been developing for years, I haven't really used it all that much. This kind of thing wouldn't want to be using something like react would it? I don't know react (yet), but from what I see, although it looks great, it seems like quite a steep learning curve for beginners. Do you mean perhaps extending Bootstrap with some Steem API calls for example, or something else?
And if anyone wants some help with UX/UI design please let me know as well!
Great article, I would love to learn more of this type of dev for Steem and blockchain in general. What resources do you recommend?
The ongoing and evolving developer portal is a good place to reference available functions, https://steemit.github.io/steemit-docs/
Also, if you search the #steemdev tag here on steemit you can find quite a few good examples that other steemians have already posted.
@justinw
Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I will follow you for your promise to provide more easy to follow tutorials.
Follow me @Yehey
Cheers for now.
Thank you for sharing with us! I hope you enjoy the upvote! i follow you,,,
Thanks so much for this. But what do you say to a lib arts degree who is still leery about diving into this arena?
I totally agree with you, @luisneira! I am looking into this right now myself and I think posts like this help the community to evolve much faster. Steemit FTW!
Thanks for the great read, @justinw!
That was interesting. I've never seen someone actually do what you did on the video. Makes it look achievable and takes the mystery out of it. Well done.
Agreed. Even if one doesn't pursue the actual programming, it is helpful/insightful to know what is involved, and that it is not rocket science. I have some HTML skills, and have dabbled in Javascript - and this post makes me actually consider trying my hand at Javascript again if it will useful into the future. Yes, a series would be great -or at least a few more practical examples like this one. Thanks.
Bereh that tulesan droe neuh hy @justinw eukk, lage lam kapai are.
Nyoe kan ku tuleh nyoe koen pu laen, nyoe ku meuharap meurumpok persen bacut bak si karma, meunyoe hana jih jok persen meu bacut theh sang hana so jok keudroe kuh, jadi nyoe komen lon numpang jak siat, meuah beuh, bek neukira apam syara beh, trimong geunaseh, mnyoe awak blah deuh khen thank you very much, nyan ban :)
I have been thinking of working on a Steemit for last couple of weeks. But have been giving up as using Condenser from https://github.com/steemit/condenser felt like a overkill to me.
This video does justice to the title How easy it is to develop STEEM blockchain apps. Thanks to you I will take another dig at this.
Not hard indeed
Nice! this is great I will try to do it I have some background on coding.
Hay @justinw,
This vid is really great and shows how easy Steem transactions are in the end. I really like the idea and this post is really inspiring to do something simular for SteemJ. Thank you for that and best regars! 😊💪
Awesome, that's a great idea - the more hands-on examples we do with the various STEEM libraries, the more development becomes a real possibility for people.
how many way can one say~ thank you!!!?