A definitive Guide To Blockchain Programming

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Since the beginning of time, data capturing and sharing has always had a human element. There has always been a middleman present between you and your information. For example, a retailer is the middleman between you and a wholesaler.

In that instance, the retailer becomes the central authority because your fresh produce is controlled by them. The retailer determines how many you can get and at what price. The middlemen have all the power and you have to just trust that they are putting your needs first and conducting business ethically [blockchain for enterprise].

Blockchain Programming

If you have ever watched movies online then you have made use of a BitTorrent file-sharing protocol [examples of disruptive technology]. It is a peer-to-peer protocol that allows one to access, download and share copies of files that are located on various computers. No single computer controls a single file. In that way, the central authority has been totally done away with.

Blockchain works the same way because it is completely decentralized [What is Blockchain?]. It completely cuts out the middleman and you aren’t forced to put all your trust into one entity [blockchain industry].

Blockchain Programming Fundamentals

Consensus

Because blockchain is decentralized, there are millions of nodes all over the world transmitting information [Blockchain and cryptocurrency basics]. Not all nodes are the same though, some are connected to fast computers and some may be connected to slow computers. The slower computers will receive the data after the faster ones, but there still needs to be one blockchain that consists of the same information. Consensus protocols assist all the nodes by adjusting the data intermittently to ensure that at the end of the day they all have the same information and the blockchain is accurate.

Hash functions

A Hash is a function that takes a lengthy numerical value and compresses it. It is then used to identify the data in a specific block on a chain.

Distributed ledger technology

DLT uses cryptography to store information accurately and securely. Once the data has been stored, it cannot be changed and it can only be accessed through the use of a key or a cryptographic signature [blockchain use cases].

Smart contract development

Smart Contracts are programs that run on a blockchain [smart contracts in blockchain]. They are triggered by the terms of an agreement between two users. Essentially they are lines of code that state the terms of the agreement.

Cryptography

Cryptography is taking plain text and converting it into code or taking code and converting it into plain text. its main function is to keep and share data but only be legible to those it is meant for. It is also used to authenticate users that want access to a specific network.

Best Blockchain Programming Languages

C++

C is a programming language that uses a procedural programming model and was originally developed to write operating systems. Attempting to develop a large-scale application in C proved difficult for a lot of programmers because there is no concept of classes and objects [application of blockchain].

In 1985 Bjarne Stroustrap released C++. C++ is an augmented C language. It is an Object-Oriented programming language, which means that it combines data and functions to make objects. This is helpful when developing apps because the code can easily be reused in other programs without having to be rewritten.

C++ took all the good elements of C, like its productivity, pliability and security and combined them with its object-oriented approach to create the main language for blockchain programming.

Here are some reasons why it’s usually a blockchain programmer’s first choice:

C++ is one of the most fully fledged programming languages out there and it is improved upon regularly. Its functions are optimized because of its analytical methods and debuggers.
It has the ability to segregate different lines of code and encapsulate them so that they do not collide.
C++ is capable of polymorphism. This means it can perform multiple tasks separately. This aids in the performance of the digital ledger in its entirety.
It allows for multi-threading. Threads are a bunch of instructions that are supposed to be carried out at the same time. In blockchain development there will be some tasks that need to run concurrently and C++ allows for this [What is Blockchain Development?].
C++ allows for better memory usage, which is essential because there’s a lot of information being passed around in the blockchain system.

Python

Python is an easy-to-learn programming language. Its structure is based on a simple premise: Simplicity, readability, and minimalism. (Farr, 2018). It has garnered support from developers old and new because it has a fairly limited syntax which makes it easier to read.

JavaScript

While JavaScript is well-known for adding interactivity to websites, it also possesses capabilities that are beneficial to blockchain. It can be used to construct an uncomplicated but fortified blockchain that can protect against hackers and any other unsavory characters. One thing it doesn’t have though, is the SHA256 hash function. SHA stands for Secure Hashing Algorithm. Hashing is the process of receiving an input of any length and producing an output of fixed length. 256 refers to the length of the output. When using the SHA256 function, regardless of the length of the input, the output will always be 256 bits long.

Solidity

The Ethereum blockchain is superior by way of speed and ease of use. This is because it makes use of Solidity. It is an object-oriented and effective programming language that is mainly used to implement Smart contracts. It is also called the curly bracket language. Solidity merges JavaScript’s code and functions along with C++’s classes. This makes it the most intricate coding language. Despite that, it is still user friendly and there is a lot of information available on how to use it.

GOLang

GoLang (‘Go’ for short) is a programming language that was developed by Google in 2007. It was only released for use by the public in 2012. On inception, the aim was for it to take easy-to-use syntax from JavaScript and combine that with C++’s tried and tested security features. GoLang is run inside of an operating system which means it is able to handle many parts of a block chain at the same time. Ethereum’s Software Development Kit is written in GoLang so there are several blockchain apps that use this language.

How to Become a Blockchain Programmer

With this book, you will gain a theoretical knowledge of blockchain technology, its benefits, drawbacks and its place in the ever-changing world [benefits of blockchain]. But beyond that you need technical skills that will allow you to do the practical work.

You need to have an understanding of some major concepts, like:

Consensus
Hash functions
Distributed ledger technology

A data structure is the model you follow to sort and store data so that it's easy to find and amend later. It could also describe a stack of data values, how they relate and what functions you can apply to them. There are two simple data structures that blockchains combine:

The linked list data structure

Linked lists are organized into straight lines. The different components are linked with pointers to the first node [IoT and Blockchain]. The first node is referred to as the head and it has two parts. One half of the node contains data and the other half makes reference to the next node. They are all structured the same way and always have something to refer back to.

The stack

The stack is also a straight data structure. Its principle is; Last in, First out. So the last component in the stack is always taken out first. The first pointer is called ‘top.’ It’s how a programmer will keep track of the first component in the stack. Once you add another component to the stack, the top's value increases by one and becomes two so that it always appears on top.

Types of Blockchain Developers

Blockchain Developers are responsible for building and improving upon all Blockchain-related applications. They develop Decentralized applications and Smart contracts. They also design the architecture and protocols for a blockchain. So developers make secure digital transactions possible by generating systems and applications that are able to record and store data, while preventing external changes and compromise.

Core Blockchain Developer

Core developers are responsible for the architecture of the Blockchain. They are in charge of designing the protocols needed to operate a blockchain solution. They also design consensus protocols and make big decisions.

In order to be an effective core developer, you have to have a full understanding of Blockchain technology and its architecture. You have to know how hash, DLT and Consensus functions work. You also have to have a firm grasp on data structures and coding.

These are some of their main duties:

Designing blockchain features that enhance functionality
Designing blockchain and consensus protocols
Mapping out security for the network
Quality assurance

Blockchain Software Developer

Software developers put the architecture designed by core developers into practice. They generate decentralized applications in line with blockchain architecture and protocol. They deal with the front and back end development of these applications and they oversee the stack running the applications.