Skip to main contentWhen building a Parallax application with smart contracts, you’ll want to run it on a local network to see how it works before deploying it.
Similar to how you might run a local server on your computer for web development, you can use a development network to create a local blockchain instance to test your dapp. These Parallax development networks provide features that allow for much faster iteration than a public testnet (for instance you don’t need to deal with acquiring Laxes from a testnet faucet).
Prerequisites
You should understand the basics of the Parallax stack before diving into development networks.
What is a development network?
Development networks are essentially Parallax clients designed specifically for local development.
Why not just run a standard Parallax node locally?
You could run a node but since development networks are purpose-built for development, they often come packed with convenient features like:
- Deterministically seeding your local blockchain with data (e.g. accounts with LAX balances)
- Instantly producing blocks with each transaction it receives, in order and with no delay
- Enhanced debugging and logging functionality
Since Parallax is based on the Ethereum Virtual Machine and RPC, much of the Ethereum tooling can also be used with our smart chain.
Note: Most development frameworks include a built-in development network. We recommend starting with a framework to set up your local development environment.
Ganache
Quickly fire up a personal Ethereum blockchain which you can use to run tests, execute commands, and inspect state while controlling how the chain operates.
Ganache provides both a desktop application (Ganache UI), as well as a command-line tool (ganache-cli). It is part of the Truffle suite of tools.
Hardhat Network
A local Ethereum network designed for development. It allows you to deploy your contracts, run your tests and debug your code.
Hardhat Network comes built-in with Hardhat, an Ethereum development environment for professionals.
