Step 1: Initialize Anchor Project

Anchor is a framework that simplifies SVM development, providing tools and abstractions for building Eclipse programs. Initializing an Anchor project sets up the necessary project structure and configurations.

Prerequisites

• Ensure you have Anchor and Solana CLI installed. If not, refer to earlier sections of this guide for installation instructions.

• Visual Studio Code (VS Code) should be installed and configured to use WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) if you are on a Windows machine.

Project Initialization

1. Open Visual Studio Code:

   • Launch Visual Studio Code. If you're working within WSL, make sure VS Code is connected to your WSL instance.

2. Create a New Directory:

   • Open a terminal in VS Code (Terminal > New Terminal) and navigate to the location where you want to create your project.

   • Create a new directory for your project with:

     dir NFTMinter

   • Navigate into your newly created directory:

     cd NFTMinter

3. Initialize Anchor Project:

   • Within your project directory, initialize a new Anchor project by running:

     anchor init NFTMinter --javascript

   • This command creates a new Anchor project named "NFTMinter" and sets it up to use JavaScript for the project's scripts. Anchor will generate a basic project structure, including a lib folder for your program's logic and a tests folder for your project's test scripts.

     

     Example Output
4. Examine Project Structure:

   • After initialization, take a moment to explore the created project structure. You can use the VS Code explorer pane to navigate through the files and folders. You’ll find:

     • Anchor.toml: The configuration file for your Anchor project.

     • programs/: Directory where your program source code will reside.

     • tests/: Directory for your project's test scripts.

     • app/: A template for a front-end application if you decide to develop one.

     

     Example Directory

Next Steps

• With your Anchor project initialized, you’re ready to begin smart contract development. The next steps involve writing your smart contract logic within the programs/ directory and creating tests to ensure your contract works as expected.