Note

If you are new to the blockchain technology, taking our Introduction to Blockchain Technology self-paced course is highly recommended. Also, for a comprehensive coverage of blockchain development in Ethereum or mastering Solidity programming, taking our below self paced courses is highly recommended:

Recap

In our previous series, we cover the following 12 articles:

In this article, we review one of popular Ethereum development tools called Infura which provides a collection of full node interfaces that allow the client application to access the Ethereum network.

In this and next article series, we will explore the popular tools and frameworks that you come across frequently while starting to learn Ethereum. This will help you get a grasp on the big picture of the Ethereum ecosystem and apply this knowledge to Ethereum project development. The topics that we will cover in this series are as follows:

  • Understanding the Ethereum development tools and framework
  • The Ethereum client API
  • Ethereum storage
  • Ethereum messaging – Whisper
  • Popular smart contract libraries

Understanding the Ethereum development tools and frameworks

For the DApp software development life cycle, efficient use of the popular tools, frameworks, and libraries can help reduce the time from prototype to production and reduce the risk of the smart contract. Since more people are using and testing these tools, they tend to be more stable.

There are many different Ethereum development tools and frameworks the market today, all of which represent different standards. Here are some of the most popular tools and frameworks:

  • Truffle
  • Embark  Infura
  • DApp Waffle

In our other tutorial series, Smart Contract Development and Test Fundamentals, we discussed the Truffle tool. In this article, we will review one of the popular tools listed here—Infura. For other tools, please visit their official websites to learn more.

 

Working with Infura

Infura provides a collection of full node interfaces that allow the client application to access the Ethereum network in a scalable, secure, and reliable way. ConsenSys provides Infura service to maintain these Ethereum and InterPlanetary File System(IPFS) nodes.

Developers don’t need to worry about the complexity of running these Ethereum and IPFS nodes. MetaMask uses Infura as the Ethereum provider to connect to the Ethereum blockchain. The following diagram shows the technical architecture of how a web client connects with IPFS and the Ethereum node through Infura:

 Ethereum blockchain development in Infura

To start working with the Infura service, you need to sign up for an account from the Infura website: https://infura.io/register. At the time of writing, the latest available version is Infura V3.

Once you’ve signed up, you can create a project to start your DApp development. The website will provide you with an access token to connect to the relevant Ethereum network. After creating a project, you should see the following page:

 Ethereum blockchain development in Infura

Infura provides links for various environments, including the main Ethereum network and other popular test networks. These environments are listed in the following table:

Env Link
Main Ethereum Network https://mainnet.infura.io/v3/YOUR-PROJECT-ID
Rinkeby Test Ethereum Network https://rinkeby.infura.io/v3/YOUR-PROJECT-ID
Ropsten Test Ethereum Network https://ropsten.infura.io/v3/YOUR-PROJECT-ID
Görli Test Ethereum Network https://goerli.infura.io/v3/YOUR-PROJECT-ID
IPFS Gateway https://ipfs.infura.io/ipfs/

Next, let’s explore Infura’s Ethereum API.

 

Next Article
In our next article (Review of Infura Ethereum API), we discuss how Infura Ethereum API works.

This article is written in collaboration with Brian Wu who is a leading author of “Learn Ethereum: Build your own decentralized applications with Ethereum and smart contracts” book. He has written 7 books on blockchain development.

Resources

Free Webinars on Blockchain

Here is the list of our free webinars that are highly recommended:

 

Free Courses

Here is the list of our 10 free self-paced courses that are highly recommended:

 

Self-Paced Blockchain Courses

If you like to learn more about Hyperledger Fabric, Hyperledger Sawtooth, Ethereum or Corda, taking the following self-paced classes is highly recommended:

  1. Intro to Blockchain Technology
  2. Blockchain Management in Hyperledger for System Admins
  3. Hyperledger Fabric for Developers
  4. Intro to Blockchain Cybersecurity
  5. Learn Solidity Programming by Examples
  6. Introduction to Ethereum Blockchain Development
  7. Learn Blockchain Dev with Corda R3
  8. Intro to Hyperledger Sawtooth for System Admins

 

Live Blockchain Courses

If you want to master Hyperledger Fabric, Ethereum or Corda, taking the following live classes is highly recommended:

 

Articles and Tutorials on Blockchain Technology

If you like to learn more about blockchain technology and how it works, reading the following articles is highly recommended:

 

Articles and Tutorials on Ethereum and Solidity

If you like to learn more about blockchain development in Ethereum with Solidity, reading the following articles and tutorials is highly recommended:

 

Articles and Tutorials on Hyperledger Family

If you like to learn more about blockchain development with Hyperledger, reading the following articles and tutorials is highly recommended:

 

Articles and Tutorials on R3 Corda

If you like to learn more about blockchain development on Corda , reading the following articles and tutorials is highly recommended:

 

Articles and Tutorials on Other Blockchain Platforms

If you like to learn more about blockchain development in other platforms, reading the following articles and tutorials is highly recommended: