Conceptualizing PyTeal for Application Development

bhaney44BrianJun 23, 2023

I have a few questions about how to work with PyTeal to create application IDs on Algorand.

What are the fundamental requirements for creating a smart contract with an on-chain ID to handle user application requests?
How can on-chain applications interact with user front-end interfaces, such as a react app?
What is the structure of TEAL code, how can the logic of the byte-code be understood conceptually to allow developers to understand the syntax requirements?
Do on-chain smart contracts typically have private keys associated for control?
What is the most common interface or mechanism for submitting code for an on-chain application smart contract to the Algorand blockchain?

Thank you!

✔ Solved by scholtz in post #3

bhaney44BrianJun 23, 2023

One thing I want to note is that PyTeal generates TEAL. When this happens the TEAL script needs to be deployed to the blockchain from a node using the goal command line interface. One ongoing problem is a lack of effective mechanisms for running goal from the CLI. Here is an Issue I am working through regarding this problem. This problem is especially prevalent on Mac computers with the M1 chip, which often have inherent pathing problems.

scholtzLudo, Everyday AlgonautJun 24, 2023

This is how i use to deploy with one bash script:

Build teal

github.com

scholtz/stabilitas-apps/blob/f4894d118164252cbcacdd7ba8e1c240547a7186/run-deploy-reserve.sh#L1C6-L1C6


      
          python3 onchain/contracts/reserve/Reserve.py || error_code=$?

Deply contract

github.com

scholtz/stabilitas-apps/blob/f4894d118164252cbcacdd7ba8e1c240547a7186/run-deploy-reserve.sh#L8


      
          python3 onchain/contracts/reserve/Reserve.py || error_code=$?
          error_code_int=$(($error_code + 0))
          if [ $error_code_int -ne 0 ]; then
              echo "reserve/Reserve.py build failed";
          	exit 1;
          fi
          
          ts-node src/deploy-reserve-contract.ts || error_code=$?
          error_code_int=$(($error_code + 0))
          if [ $error_code_int -ne 0 ]; then
            echo "run failed";
          	exit 1;
          fi

github.com

scholtz/stabilitas-apps/blob/f4894d118164252cbcacdd7ba8e1c240547a7186/src/deploy-reserve-contract.ts#L71C30-L71C30


      
          let payload = await deployCreatePayload({ client, from: msigAccount, msigConfig, signator: msigSig1 });

Create tx

github.com

scholtz/stabilitas-apps/blob/f4894d118164252cbcacdd7ba8e1c240547a7186/src/txs/reserve/deployReserveTx.ts#L11


      
          import algosdk from "algosdk";
          import * as fs from "fs";
          import compileProgram from "../../algo/compileProgram";
          
          interface InputObject {
            deployerAddress: string;
            client: algosdk.Algodv2;
          }
          const deployReserveTx = async (input: InputObject) => {
            const { deployerAddress, client } = input;
            let approvalProgramTeal = fs.readFileSync("onchain/build/Reserve.teal", {
              encoding: "utf8",
            });
            const clearProgramTeal = fs.readFileSync("onchain/build/ReserveClear.teal", { encoding: "utf8" });
            const fee = 1000;
            const numGlobalByteSlices = 6;
            const numGlobalInts = 20;
            const numLocalByteSlices = 0;
            const numLocalInts = 0;
            const appArgs: Uint8Array[] = [];

github.com

scholtz/stabilitas-apps/blob/f4894d118164252cbcacdd7ba8e1c240547a7186/src/txs/reserve/deployReserveTx.ts#L26


      
          const numGlobalByteSlices = 6;
          const numGlobalInts = 20;
          const numLocalByteSlices = 0;
          const numLocalInts = 0;
          const appArgs: Uint8Array[] = [];
          
          const params = await client.getTransactionParams().do();
          const compileApprovalProgram = await compileProgram(client, approvalProgramTeal);
          const compileClearProgram = await compileProgram(client, clearProgramTeal);
          
          return algosdk.makeApplicationCreateTxnFromObject({
            from: deployerAddress,
            onComplete: algosdk.OnApplicationComplete.NoOpOC,
            suggestedParams: params,
            approvalProgram: compileApprovalProgram,
            clearProgram: compileClearProgram,
            numGlobalByteSlices,
            numGlobalInts,
            numLocalByteSlices,
            numLocalInts,
            appArgs,

Sign tx and send to network

github.com

scholtz/stabilitas-apps/blob/f4894d118164252cbcacdd7ba8e1c240547a7186/src/deploy-reserve-contract.ts#L72C22-L72C22


      
          payload = await msigAppendSignature({ msigConfig, payload, signator: msigSig2 });

Fund account with minimum balance

github.com

scholtz/stabilitas-apps/blob/f4894d118164252cbcacdd7ba8e1c240547a7186/src/deploy-reserve-contract.ts#L75


      
            version: 1,
          };
          const msigAccount = <string>process.env.msig ?? algosdk.multisigAddress(msigConfig);
          await fundAccount({ client, sender, receiver: msigAccount, amount: 1_000_000 });
          if (!reserveAppId) {
            logger.info(`going to deploy reserve app`);
            let payload = await deployCreatePayload({ client, from: msigAccount, msigConfig, signator: msigSig1 });
            payload = await msigAppendSignature({ msigConfig, payload, signator: msigSig2 });
            reserveAppId = await deployExecute({ client, payload });
            logger.info(`${Date()} reserveAppId: ${reserveAppId}`);
            await fundAccount({ client, sender, receiver: algosdk.getApplicationAddress(reserveAppId), amount: 10_000_000 });
          }
          if (true) {
            // configure
            console.log("configureVariablesCreatePayload");
            const feeAccount = algosdk.generateAccount();
            addrFee = feeAccount.addr;
            console.log(`addrFee=${addrFee}`);
            await fundAccount({ amount: 1000000, client, receiver: feeAccount.addr, sender });
            await optInToAsa(client, feeAccount, assetOracleBase);
            await rekeyToApp({ sender: feeAccount, app: reserveAppId, client });

Configure smart contract with app calls

github.com

scholtz/stabilitas-apps/blob/f4894d118164252cbcacdd7ba8e1c240547a7186/src/deploy-reserve-contract.ts#L86


      
          }
          if (true) {
            // configure
            console.log("configureVariablesCreatePayload");
            const feeAccount = algosdk.generateAccount();
            addrFee = feeAccount.addr;
            console.log(`addrFee=${addrFee}`);
            await fundAccount({ amount: 1000000, client, receiver: feeAccount.addr, sender });
            await optInToAsa(client, feeAccount, assetOracleBase);
            await rekeyToApp({ sender: feeAccount, app: reserveAppId, client });
            let payload = await configureVariablesCreatePayload({
              client,
              from: msigAccount,
              signator: msigSig1,
              reserveAppId,
              addrFee,
              addrLPFee,
              appAMM,
              appTokens: tokensAppId,
              assetAMMLP,
              assetOracleBase,

I am it is possible to do it with goal cli commands but if you code in some language it is much easier to do it this way.

luisdanielgpLuis GuzmánJun 25, 2023

You should also take a look at Algokit, the Explore command runs Dappflow, “a web-based user interface that let’s you visualise an Algorand network and deploy and call smart contracts via a graphical user interface”
It comes in handy for deploying and testing smart contracts in sandbox, testnet or even mainnet.

scholtzLudo, Everyday AlgonautJun 25, 2023

I do not understand how/why DAppFlow changed from the open source to closed source app… I believe core infrastructure should be open source… DAppFlow was first open source explorer, algorand foundation put it into algokit, and then they changed it to closed source?