Developer Setup¶

This guide will help you set up your development environment for contributing to Prediction DAO Research.

Prerequisites¶

Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed:

Required Software¶

Node.js v18 or higher (download)
npm or yarn package manager
Git version control (download)
MetaMask browser extension for testing

Recommended Tools¶

VS Code or your preferred IDE
Hardhat for Solidity development
Solidity language support for your IDE
Git GUI (optional, e.g., GitKraken, SourceTree)

Installation¶

1. Clone the Repository¶

git clone https://github.com/chippr-robotics/prediction-dao-research.git
cd prediction-dao-research

2. Install Dependencies¶

Install root project dependencies:

npm install

Install frontend dependencies:

cd frontend
npm install
cd ..

3. Verify Installation¶

Check that everything is installed correctly:

# Verify Hardhat installation
npx hardhat --version

# Verify compilation works
npx hardhat compile

Project Structure¶

prediction-dao-research/
├── contracts/              # Solidity smart contracts
│   ├── FutarchyGovernor.sol
│   ├── WelfareMetricRegistry.sol
│   ├── ProposalRegistry.sol
│   ├── ConditionalMarketFactory.sol
│   ├── PrivacyCoordinator.sol
│   ├── OracleResolver.sol
│   └── RagequitModule.sol
├── test/                   # Contract tests (Mocha/Chai)
│   ├── WelfareMetricRegistry.test.js
│   └── ProposalRegistry.test.js
├── scripts/                # Deployment and utility scripts
│   └── deploy.js
├── frontend/              # React frontend application
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── components/   # React components
│   │   ├── App.jsx       # Main application
│   │   └── App.css       # Styles
│   ├── public/           # Static assets
│   └── package.json
├── hardhat.config.js      # Hardhat configuration
├── package.json           # Project dependencies
└── README.md             # Project documentation

Local Development Workflow¶

1. Start Local Blockchain¶

Open a terminal and start the Hardhat network:

npm run node

This will:

Start a local Ethereum node at http://127.0.0.1:8545
Create 20 test accounts with 10,000 ETH each
Display account addresses and private keys
Keep running in the background

Keep This Terminal Open

Keep this terminal running throughout your development session. The blockchain state resets when you stop it.

2. Deploy Contracts¶

In a new terminal, deploy contracts to the local network:

npm run deploy:local

This will:

Compile all smart contracts
Deploy them to the local network
Display contract addresses
Save deployment artifacts

Save the contract addresses for frontend configuration.

3. Run Tests¶

Run the test suite:

# Run all tests
npm test

# Run specific test file
npx hardhat test test/WelfareMetricRegistry.test.js

# Run with coverage
npm run test:coverage

# Run with gas reporting
npx hardhat test --gas-reporter

4. Start Frontend¶

In a third terminal, start the frontend development server:

npm run frontend

Or navigate to the frontend directory:

cd frontend
npm run dev

The frontend will be available at http://localhost:5173

Configuration¶

Configure MetaMask for Local Development¶

Open MetaMask
Click on network dropdown
Select "Add Network" → "Add a network manually"
Enter:
Network Name: Hardhat Local
RPC URL: http://127.0.0.1:8545
Chain ID: 1337
Currency Symbol: ETH
Import a test account:
Copy a private key from Hardhat node output
MetaMask → Account menu → Import Account
Paste private key

Configure Frontend¶

Update contract addresses in the frontend:

// frontend/src/config.js
export const contracts = {
  FutarchyGovernor: "0x...",
  WelfareMetricRegistry: "0x...",
  ProposalRegistry: "0x...",
  // ... other contracts
};

Environment Variables¶

Create a .env file in the root directory (never commit this!):

# For testnet/mainnet deployment
PRIVATE_KEY=your_private_key_here
INFURA_KEY=your_infura_key_here
ETHERSCAN_API_KEY=your_etherscan_key_here

# For production frontend
VITE_CONTRACT_ADDRESS_GOVERNOR=0x...
VITE_CONTRACT_ADDRESS_REGISTRY=0x...

Development Commands¶

Smart Contract Commands¶

# Compile contracts
npm run compile
npx hardhat compile

# Run tests
npm test
npx hardhat test

# Test specific file
npx hardhat test test/ProposalRegistry.test.js

# Generate coverage report
npm run test:coverage
npx hardhat coverage

# Clean artifacts
npm run clean
npx hardhat clean

# Deploy to local network
npm run deploy:local

# Deploy to testnet
npx hardhat run scripts/deploy.js --network mordor

Frontend Commands¶

# Start development server
cd frontend
npm run dev

# Build for production
npm run build

# Preview production build
npm run preview

# Run linting
npm run lint

Testing¶

Writing Tests¶

Tests use Mocha and Chai:

const { expect } = require("chai");
const { ethers } = require("hardhat");

describe("ProposalRegistry", function () {
  let proposalRegistry;
  let owner, proposer;

  beforeEach(async function () {
    [owner, proposer] = await ethers.getSigners();

    const ProposalRegistry = await ethers.getContractFactory("ProposalRegistry");
    proposalRegistry = await ProposalRegistry.deploy();
    await proposalRegistry.waitForDeployment();
  });

  it("Should submit a proposal", async function () {
    const tx = await proposalRegistry.connect(proposer).submitProposal(
      "Test Proposal",
      "Description",
      ethers.parseEther("100"),
      proposer.address,
      1, // welfare metric
      { value: ethers.parseEther("50") } // bond
    );

    await expect(tx)
      .to.emit(proposalRegistry, "ProposalSubmitted")
      .withArgs(0, proposer.address);
  });
});

Test Coverage¶

Aim for high test coverage:

Unit Tests: Test individual functions
Integration Tests: Test contract interactions
Edge Cases: Test boundary conditions
Error Cases: Test failure scenarios

Run coverage:

npm run test:coverage

Code Style¶

Solidity Style Guide¶

Follow the Solidity Style Guide:

// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
pragma solidity ^0.8.20;

/**
 * @title ProposalRegistry
 * @notice Manages proposal submission and lifecycle
 */
contract ProposalRegistry {
    // State variables
    uint256 public proposalCount;

    // Events
    event ProposalSubmitted(uint256 indexed proposalId, address indexed proposer);

    // Modifiers
    modifier onlyProposer(uint256 proposalId) {
        require(proposals[proposalId].proposer == msg.sender, "Not proposer");
        _;
    }

    // Functions (grouped by visibility)
    function submitProposal(
        string memory title,
        string memory description,
        uint256 fundingAmount,
        address recipient,
        uint256 welfareMetricId
    ) external payable returns (uint256) {
        // Implementation
    }
}

JavaScript/React Style¶

Use ESLint with appropriate config:

// Use arrow functions
const MyComponent = ({ prop1, prop2 }) => {
  // Use hooks
  const [state, setState] = useState(initialState);

  useEffect(() => {
    // Side effects
  }, [dependencies]);

  return (
    <div className="my-component">
      {/* JSX */}
    </div>
  );
};

export default MyComponent;

Debugging¶

Hardhat Console¶

Debug contracts interactively:

npx hardhat console --network localhost

> const ProposalRegistry = await ethers.getContractFactory("ProposalRegistry");
> const registry = await ProposalRegistry.attach("0x...");
> await registry.proposalCount();
BigNumber { value: "5" }

Console Logging in Contracts¶

Use Hardhat's console.log:

import "hardhat/console.sol";

contract MyContract {
    function debug() public {
        console.log("Debug value:", someValue);
    }
}

Frontend Debugging¶

Use browser developer tools:

// Add debug logging
console.log("Contract address:", contractAddress);
console.log("Transaction hash:", tx.hash);

// Inspect transaction details
const receipt = await tx.wait();
console.log("Transaction receipt:", receipt);

Common Issues¶

Contract Deployment Fails¶

Problem: Error: insufficient funds

Solution: Ensure your account has enough ETH for gas fees

Problem: Error: nonce too low

Solution: Reset MetaMask account or clear transaction history

Problem: Contract verification fails

Solution: Ensure you're using the correct compiler version

Frontend Connection Issues¶

Problem: MetaMask doesn't connect

Solutions:

Check network (should be Hardhat Local)
Verify RPC URL is correct
Clear MetaMask cache
Reload the page

Problem: Contract calls fail

Solutions:

Verify contract addresses are correct
Check if contracts are deployed
Ensure ABI is up to date
Verify you're on the correct network

Best Practices¶

Development Workflow¶

Branch: Create feature branch from main
Code: Implement changes with tests
Test: Ensure all tests pass
Commit: Make atomic, well-described commits
Push: Push to your fork
PR: Create pull request with description

Git Commits¶

Write clear commit messages:

# Good commits
git commit -m "Add proposal submission validation"
git commit -m "Fix oracle bond requirement check"
git commit -m "Update ProposalList component styling"

# Bad commits
git commit -m "fixes"
git commit -m "update"
git commit -m "WIP"

Testing Before Committing¶

Always run tests before committing:

# Run all checks
npm run compile
npm test
cd frontend && npm run lint && npm run build

Next Steps¶

Now that your environment is set up:

Getting Help¶

If you encounter issues:

Check the FAQ
Review existing GitHub issues
Ask in community channels
Create a new issue with details