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Developing dapps with Rell and Chromia clients

A decentralized application, or dapp, consists of various components that work together to serve a valuable purpose for users. Its decentralized functionality allows users to operate it without relying on a single company for control.

On Chromia, dapps have two main parts:

  • The user-facing side: This is what users see and interact with, including buttons and screens. It acts as the storefront of your dapp.
  • The decentralized backend: This core component runs on a specialized database known as a blockchain. Here, the real magic happens, ensuring security and transparency.

To build this backend, you will use Chromia's own programming language called Rell. Think of Rell as a toolkit designed specifically for constructing dapp backends on Chromia.

The structure of a decentralized application built in Rell resembles the following:

Rell Structure

In Rell, you manage requests through two types of actions:

  1. Data-modifying requests (Operations): These requests modify the state of the database.
  2. Data-retrieving requests (Queries): These requests retrieve data from the database.

Relational operators play a crucial role in handling both types of requests, allowing you to leverage the power of relational programming concepts.

After you develop your dapp, you can quickly deploy and update it to Chromia's public Testnet or Mainnet. The deployment process remains straightforward and well-documented, making it easy for you to bring your decentralized application to life on Chromia's blockchain network.

How does the user interface connect to the backend? Chromia provides a postchain-client that allows you to link your dapp's frontend to the decentralized backend running on Chromia's blockchain network. This client library enables you to send transactions and retrieve information from a blockchain node using Rell.

You can choose from various client libraries to interact with your dapps. For a complete list of available client libraries and their documentation, visit the Client libraries section.

Next up​

Next, we will explore providers in Chromia - the individuals and organizations who contribute computing power to the network by running nodes, their roles, staking requirements, and how they are rewarded for supporting the ecosystem.