Developer tools are vital in the blockchain ecosystem, making developers’ work easier and shaping their overall experience with the protocol.
As part of W3F’s Decentralised Futures Program, at LimeChain, we propose the creation of an alternative web application for the Polkadot.js API. Our proposal outlines the design and development roadmap for an alternative web application specifically tailored for the Polkadot.js API. Our vision is to create a platform utilized daily by a diverse range of developers and users, including Hosts, Runtimes, Dapp, and Parachain developers. To achieve this, we aim to leverage the strengths of the existing application while enhancing its features. For instance, we plan to expand the capabilities of the JS Console to transform it into a custom IDE for Polkadot.js API prototyping. By combining these enhancements with an intuitive, developer-centric UI and modern technologies, we believe we can deliver an improved developer tools application for Polkadot.js API. Consistent with blockchain principles, the code will be open source under the Apache 2.0 license and contributed to the Polkadot-js GitHub organization.
Ecosystem Fit:
Our project fits into the Polkadot tooling ecosystem by offering an alternative platform for exploring Polkadot using Polkadot.js. The target audience includes a wide range of users, such as Host, Runtime, Dapp, and Parachain developers, as well as normal users interested in exploring on-chain information.
Deliverables and key features:
- Seamless Exploration of the Polkadot Ecosystem: Our application aims to serve as the primary platform for developers to seamlessly explore on-chain information across the entire Polkadot ecosystem, including blocks, chain state, referenda, and cross-chain messaging (XCM).
- Integrated IDE for Rapid Prototyping: We will introduce an integrated development environment (IDE) that enables users to quickly create proof of concepts without leaving the browser tab. This IDE will come pre-loaded with necessary dependencies, offering a complete Polkadot experience.
- Future-Ready Extensibility: The application will be designed with a focus on extensibility, ensuring the code remains adaptable and of top quality as the Polkadot ecosystem evolves over time.
Future Plans:
- Block Explorer Improvements: Enhance block explorer functionality with features such as searching for past blocks and displaying additional data.
- Polkadot.js IDE Improvements: Expand IDE capabilities with additional templates, session sharing between users, and improvements to RPC, Runtime, and State calls.
- Support for More Chains: Extend support for additional relay chains and parachains within the Polkadot ecosystem.
Company Background:
LimeChain is a software development company founded in 2017. We are positioned to handle end-to-end product development, and we have the capability to manage projects from conceptualisation and design to the complete implementation of a certain product. We specialise in blockchain technology, with emphasis in developing blockchain-related and infrastructure solutions.
In the context of the Polkadot ecosystem, we possess considerable expertise in developing various tools, including Gosemble, a framework for building Substrate compatible Runtimes in Go 1, Fruzhin, a Host implementation in Java 1, a framework for runtimes in AssemblyScript, a framework for runtimes in AssemblyScript. On top of that, we have implemented a Parachain Validation Conformance Testing suite.