Remix is an open source web and desktop application for smart contract development. It allows developers to write, deploy, and debug Ethereum smart contracts without having to set up a complex development environment.
Overview
Some key things to know about Remix:
- Developed and maintained by the Remix Project team funded by the Ethereum Foundation
- Web-based IDE does not require any installation
- Desktop IDE available for download to work offline
- Plugins allow easy extensibility and integration
- Built-in compiler, debugger, deployment tools
- Great for beginners and experts alike to develop Ethereum dApps
Key Features
Remix supports the entire smart contract development lifecycle. Key features include:
Coding
- Browser-based IDE for writing Solidity smart contracts
- Code completion and syntax highlighting
- Multiple themes for customizing the editing experience
- Contract metadata publishing to IPFS/Swarm
Compiling
- Inbuilt Solidity compiler
- Compilation settings customization
- Compilation warnings and errors highlighted
Debugging
- Visual debugger with breakpoints
- Transaction debugger for debuging live contracts
- State variable inspection
- Call stack navigation
- Transaction stepping
Testing
- Unit testing framework for Solidity
- Test file creation and execution
- Test output inspection
- Code coverage metrics
Deployment
- Deploy to Remix VM for quick testing
- Deploy to any Ethereum testnet or mainnet
- Hardware wallet integration
- Transaction recording, replay and storage
Plugins
One of Remix’s powerful capabilities is its extensibility through plugins. Some useful plugins include:
- Git Plugin – Push/pull contracts to Github and other Git providers
- Terminal Plugin – In-browser terminal integrated with Remix
- Scaffold-eth Plugin – Quickly build common Ethereum dApp templates
- Eth-cheatsheets Plugin – Reference Solidity syntax and best practices
Developers can build their own plugins to extend Remix as well. The Remix Plugin Engine makes building plugins simple.
Libraries
Along with the IDE and plugins, Remix Project provides reusable libraries for tool developers:
- Remix Analyzer – Smart contract static analysis for security
- Remix Debug – Steppers and transaction debugging utilities
- Astwalker – Traversing Solidity ASTs made easy
- Remix Tests – Framework for unit testing Solidity contracts
These libraries power many Remix IDE features under the hood. External tools can leverage them as well to build integrated Ethereum developer tooling.
Using Remix
Getting started with Remix is very simple:
- Open https://remix.ethereum.org in your browser
- Create a new file (File Explorer -> New File) and start writing your Solidity code
- Compile using the Solidity Compiler plugin
- Under Deploy and Run, deploy to the Remix VM to test
- Connect Metamask wallet to deploy to a real testnet
Refer to our Getting Started guide for more details.
For developers who want to contribute and get involved, Remix is fully open source. Check out GitHub to explore the codebase.
Resources
Some helpful resources for learning more about Remix:
So get ready to Remix and start unlocking the power of Ethereum dApp development!