Skip to main content
When 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

​
Available tools

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.
⌘I