# 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:

     ```bash
     dir NFTMinter
     ```
   * Navigate into your newly created directory:

     ```bash
     cd NFTMinter
     ```
3. **Initialize Anchor Project**:
   * Within your project directory, initialize a new Anchor project by running:

     ```bash
     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.

     <figure><img src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/hJwQd3QQkLb-0DlplMDmedSTy8IXpwtEKm-qU7ZsMyER-AXXbzO1OLSey58Uw31X3L4oJVi8p3_aAYbvFgiBZwvFP_08MlvrrYl4MGyU6Q02BQwkfs42sfvW8kjtsmx-ohTd4UNNC3uehd0L2O3zEcU" alt=""><figcaption><p>Example Output</p></figcaption></figure>
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.<br>

     <figure><img src="/files/KoEYfHyG0hlhgU9AFpNi" alt=""><figcaption><p>Example Directory</p></figcaption></figure>

**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.


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