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Before you begin writing Swig-powered apps—like wallets, token transfers, or Telegram integrations—you need to set up your development environment to support real blockchain interactions using the Swig SDK. This setup follows the official Swig TypeScript SDK and prepares you to build and run your own scripts inside the example workspace. You’ll be writing new files in the same folder as the examples so you can easily compare your code to working references.

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Prerequisites

Before starting, make sure you have the following installed:

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Option A: Node.js + Yarn

  • Node.js v16 or newer
  • Yarn v3+

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Option B (Preferred): Bun

Bun provides better performance and a simpler setup. Install it with:

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Required Tools

Additionally, you’ll need:
  • Solana CLI
  • Rust + Cargo

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Step 1: Clone and Install

First, clone the examples repository and install dependencies:

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Step 2: Navigate to Examples

Move into the examples directory where you’ll write your code:
This location is important because it:
  • Provides access to working examples (transfer-local.ts, mint.ts, etc.)
  • Uses shared tooling without extra configuration
  • Allows side-by-side comparison with official samples

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Step 3: Start the Validator

Start a local Solana testnet for development:
This command:
  • Spins up a local Solana testnet
  • Installs Swig programs into the testnet
  • Creates a safe, reproducible environment for testing
💡 Keep the validator running in a separate terminal window. You only need to start it once per development session.

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Verifying Your Setup

To verify everything is working:
  1. Check the validator:
You should see the local network configuration.

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Common Issues

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Validator Won’t Start

If the validator fails to start:
  1. Check if another validator is running:
  1. Kill any existing processes:

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Installation Problems

If you encounter installation issues:
  1. Clear your package cache:
  1. Remove and reinstall dependencies:

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Port Conflicts

If you see port conflicts:
  1. Check which process is using the port:
  1. Either kill the process or configure a different port in your settings.

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Development Tools

We recommend the following tools for the best development experience:

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Code Editor

  • VS Code with extensions:
    • TypeScript and JavaScript Language Features
    • Solidity
    • Rust

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Browser Extensions

  • Swig Wallet Extension (Coming Soon)
  • Phantom Wallet
  • Solflare Wallet

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Command Line Tools

  • solana-cli for blockchain interaction
  • cargo for Rust development
  • bun for running TypeScript files