Algorand PyTeal Starter Template

A basic starter template to learn PyTeal development for Algorand blockchain smart-contracts.

Setup

Install Dependencies

1. Install Git
2. Install Docker Desktop
3. Install Algorand sandbox
4. Copy this project without cloning:

   git clone -b main --depth 1 --single-branch git@github.com:manustays/algorand-pyteal-smart-contract-starter-template.git && rm -rf algorand-pyteal-smart-contract-starter-template/.git/

Setup the Sandbox for Local Testing

1. Start Docker Desktop and goto the Sandbox folder
2. Add your project folder as bind volume in the Sandbox Docker image:
   • In the Sandbox root folder, edit the file docker-compose.yml and add the following lines under the key services.algod:

     volumes:
       - type: bind
         source: <path to this project folder>
         target: /data

3. Start the Sandbox docker container with the command: ./sandbox up -v
4. Other useful Sandbox commands (after starting it):
   1. Shut down the Sandbox: ./sandbox down
   2. Get a list of test wallets/accounts: ./sandbox goal account list
   3. Check the balance of an account (app account or wallet): ./sandbox goal balance --address <account-address>
   4. Reset Sandbox (including the test accounts): ./sandbox reset

Setup your Project

1. Goto project folder & setup Python virtual env for the project (one time only): python3 -m venv venv
2. Activate the Python virtual environment (everytime you start this project):

   $ ./venv/Scripts/activate # Windows
   $ ./venv/bin/activate # Linux/Mac

3. Check if virtual env is setup properly: pip -V
   • It should show the path to Python executable under your project's venv folder.
4. Install the python dependencies (one time only): pip3 install -r requirements.txt

Compile & Run

1. Within the project folder:
   1. Activate the Python virtual environment (if not already done): . venv/bin/activate
   2. Build source files: ./build.sh contracts.<subfolder>.<filename-without-py-ext>
2. Within the Sandbox folder:

   1. Enter the docker container terminal: ./sandbox enter algod

   2. Check if project’s bound volume is working: ls /data

   3. Get test wallet accounts: goal account list

      • Copy account address in a variable for easy access: WALLET1=F74DX......

   4. Deploy contract within sandbox:

      goal app create --creator $WALLET1 --approval-prog /data/build/approval.teal --clear-prog /data/build/clear.teal --global-byteslices 1 --global-ints 3 --local-byteslices 0 --local-ints 0

      1. It returns a numeric app ID if successfully deployed (eg: 1)
      2. Store in a variable for easy access: APPID=1

   5. Get deployed app info: goal app info --app-id $APPID

      1. It returns application account, creator, approval hash, clear hash, etc.

   6. Read smart contract storage: goal app read --global --app-id $APPID --guess-format

      1. Returns a formatted JSON with all current global values

   7. Maintain minimum balance (0.1 algo or 100,000 microalgo) in the smart contract account:

      goal clerk send -f $WALLET1 -t $APP_ACCOUNT -a 100000

      1. Algorand PyTeal Course | Transaction Fee Pooling and Minimum Balances - YouTube

   8. Call a Smart Contract Operation:

      goal app call --app-id $APPID --from $WALLET1 --app-arg "str:inc"

      1. Here, “inc” is the operation name as defined in the smart contract
      2. Check updated values (counter incremented to one):

Debug Smart Contract

Sandbox comes with the tealdbg tool for debugging. It requires a transaction dump file as input that we can generate while executing the smart-contract.

1. Generate the transaction dump file:

   goal app call --app-id $APPID --from $WALLET1 --app-arg "str:dec" **--dryrun-dump -o tx.dr**

2. Start debugger session:

   tealdbg debug -d tx.dr --listen 0.0.0.0

   
   1. The debug port (9392) can also be found from the docker-compose.yml file under the key: CDT_PORT.
3. Open the Chrome browser and goto chrome://inspect/#devices
   1. Click on “Configure” beside the “Discover network targets” option.
   2. Add localhost:9392
   3. Under “Remote Target”, look for the Algorand TEAL program and click on “inspect”.

Links

• Official Algorand Smart Contract Guidelines
• PyTeal Documentation
• Algorand DevRel Example Contracts
• Awesome-Algorand

Credits

• Forked from algorand-devrel/pyteal-course.
• Accompanying tutorial on YouTube