Polkadot.JS API UI enhancements
Introduction:
At LimeChain, we propose the introduction of an a number of new features for the UI of Polkadot.js API. We understand the pivotal role that developer tools play at the adoption of blockchain protocols, simplifying developers' workflows and leaving a positive impression on their experience with building on top of the protocol. As frequent users of the current application, we recognize its usefulness, but also see opportunities for improvement in UX and functionality.
We envision creating an application that serves as a daily tool for a wide range of users, including Hosts, Runtimes, Dapp, and Parachain developers. Our plan is to enhance the positive aspects of the existing application while addressing its shortcomings. For example, we aim to elevate the existing JS Console into a custom-tailored IDE for Polkadot.js API prototyping. By combining intuitive UI with cutting-edge yet reliable technologies, we aim to create a next-gen developer tools application for Polkadot.js API.
Key Features include:
Enabling seamless exploration of the Polkadot Ecosystem: The application will serve as the primary platform for developers to explore on-chain information across the entire Polkadot ecosystem, including blocks, chain state, referenda, xcm, and more.
Introduction of an integrated IDE for Rapid Prototyping: Users will be able to create quick proof of concepts within the browser tab, with pre-loaded dependencies tailored to their requirements, facilitating a complete Polkadot experience.
The application will be designed with adaptability in mind, ensuring longevity and adaptability as the Polkadot ecosystem evolves over time. The codebase will be open source under the Apache 2.0 license and contributed as repositories to the Polkadot-js GitHub organization.
We outline the following milestones for our project:
- Polkadot.js API Sandbox IDE: Create an integrated development environment for Polkadot.js API prototyping.
- Real-time Block Explorer: Develop a tool for real-time exploration of blockchain data.
- Chain State, RPC, and Runtime Calls: Handle various types of calls related to chain state, RPC, and runtime operations.
- Polkadot.js API Support: Dedicate time to address high-priority issues in the Polkadot.js API ecosystem.
For a detailed description of our proposal, please visit: Proposal Document
Company Background:
LimeChain is a software development company founded in 2017. We are positioned to handle end-to-end product development, and we have the capability to manage projects from conceptualisation and design to the complete implementation of a certain product. We specialize in blockchain technology, with emphasis in developing blockchain-related and infrastructure solutions.
In the context of the Polkadot ecosystem, we possess considerable expertise in developing various tools, including
Gosemble, a framework for building Substrate compatible Runtimes in Go,
Fruzhin, a Host implementation in Java, a framework for runtimes in AssemblyScript, a framework for runtimes in AssemblyScript. On top of that, we have implemented a
Comments (6)
Requested
Proposal Failed
Hello @limechain - I am wondering if you have reviewed this post and plan to collaborate with current dev teams already working on some changes/improvements to Polkadot JS API? it is sometimes unfortunate to see double work on so many things when it comes to treasury spendings, and I think your roadmaps and goals can be coordinated for both teams to benefit from the collaboration.
Hello @RTTI-5220 (POLKADOT)
Thank you for bringing this.
Indeed, our proposal includes a scope directly related to the Polkadot.js API itself, specifically outlined as Milestone 5 – Polkadot.JS API Support, which serves as the final milestone within the scope. The rationale behind including this milestone is to actively contribute towards enhancing the stability and reliability of the API upon which our implementation relies.
Given the extended timeline, our strategy would be to coordinate these changes precisely when we approach this milestone. This approach efficiency and prevents redundant efforts, safeguarding against duplicative work.
Hello @chrislime,
Thanks for the proposal, but I find a number of issues with it. I think you need to open up a discussion and collect a lot of developer feedback before embarking on this project, and below are the issues I find problematic.
Therefore, I reject. Please open a discussion for these features so that your development decisions are based on the needs of the developer community at large and not only your team's requirements.
Best regards,
kukabi | Helikon
Hello @🏔 HELIKON 🏔
It’s true that most of these features are already available in other projects. Our goal is to build them with nuances that they will be distinguishable from the rest in terms of developer utility and experience.
Some things that our team is going to improve:
The block explorer will integrate in a better way with the other parts of the app - for now these are Chain State and Runtime Call pages. In practice this means that for every block in the block explorer page you will have a dropdown next to it that allows users to directly jump to directly executing a runtime metadata query or a chain state query for that specific block in order to find the data they need. All of that with one or two clicks. This is currently not possible, the number of manual clicks to acomplish this task are much more and overall the existing Chain State and Runtime UI/UX can be improved.
Chain State, Runtime Query and RPC Calls pages will have local history of executed commands/calls. This will enable users to use frequently used commands faster and save precious development time.
We’ve adjusted our proposal to highlight these distinguishing features. Keep in mind that we have more plans for such features like:
Allow me to provide further details about the outined team. This is our leadership team that is responsible for our contributions in the Polkadot ecosystem:
Upon project confirmation, our plan is to assemble a dedicated engineering team with a specialized expertise in TypeScript for the implementation. It's worth noting that our company currently comprises 130 team members, allowing is to flexible when coming up with a team configuration according to the project's specific requirements.
Kind Regards, LimeChain team
Polkassembly is now a read-only archive. Commenting is disabled.