In this article, you will learn what is Solidity used for and advantages of solidity programming. Decentralized Applications are applications built on the open-source, peer-to-peer network of Ethereum Blockchain which uses smart contracts and front-end user interfaces to create decentralized platforms.
Developing a Dapp, like any other app, requires programming and executing code on the system. Solidity programming stands apart from the other programming languages and is the programming language of choice in Ethereum.
What is Solidity used for?
Solidity is an object-oriented programming language created specifically by the Ethereum Network team for constructing and designing smart contracts on Blockchain platforms.
It's used to create smart contracts that implement business logic and generate a chain of transaction records in the blockchain system. It acts as a tool for creating machine-level code and compiling it on the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM).
It has a lot of similarities with C and C++ and is pretty simple to learn and understand. For example, a “main” in C is equivalent to a “contract” in Solidity. Like other programming languages, Solidity programming also has variables, functions , classes, arithmetic operations, string manipulation, and many other concepts.
Evolution of Solidity Programming
Solidity is a relatively new language that is rapidly growing.
Solidity is currently the core language on Ethereum and other private blockchains operating on competing platforms, such as Monax and its Hyperledger Burrow blockchain which uses Tendermint for consensus.
SWIFT has created a proof of concept that runs on Burrow and uses Solidity.
What are EVM and Smart Contracts?
EVM is an Ethereum Virtual Machine. The Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) provides a runtime environment for Ethereum smart contracts. It is primarily concerned with ensuring the security and execution of untrusted programs through the use of an international network of public nodes.
EVM is specialized in preventing Denial-of-Service attacks and certifies that the programs do not have access to each other's state, as well as establishing communication, with no possible interference.
Smart Contracts
Smart contracts refer to high-level program codes compiled into EVM before being posted to the Ethereum blockchain for execution.
It enables you to conduct trustworthy transactions without the involvement of a third party; these transactions are traceable and irreversible.
Programming languages commonly used to create and write smart contracts are Serpent, Solidity, Mutan, and LLL.
Data Types of Solidity Programming
It supports all the common data types seen in other OOP languages, such as,
Boolean - The Boolean data type returns '1' when the condition is true and '0' when it is false, depending on the status of the condition.
Integer - You can sign or unsign integer values in Solidity. It also supports runtime exceptions and the 'uint8' and 'uint256' keywords.
String - Single or double quotes can denote a string.
Modifier - Before executing the code for a smart contract, a modifier often verifies that any condition is rational.
Array - The syntax of Solidity programming is like that of other OOP languages, and it supports both single and multidimensional arrays.
Apart from that, Solidity programming allows you to "Map" data structures with enums, operators, and hash values to return values stored in specific storage places.
Advantages of Solidity Programming
Apart from the primary functionality of Solidity Programming, there are many other features provided by Solidity programming that cause it to have an edge over other Ethereum based languages.
Apart from fundamental data types, Solidity programming also allows complex data types and member variables.
It provides an Application Binary Interface (ABI) to enable type safety. If the compiler discovers a data type mismatch for any variable, the ABI generates an error.
It refers to the 'Natural Language Specification,' which is used to turn user-centric specifications into language that machines can understand.
Bottom Line
Whether you're an experienced Blockchain developer or just an enthusiast who is interested to explore more about the crypto world or a fresher who wants to explore and understand the in-depth technicality of Blockchain networks, learn and explore more about cryptocurrencies and Blockchain, its technology like programming languages with all level of experience. And this article supports you with what is Solidity used for and advantages of Solidity programming.
