Developer FAQs

Welcome to the Somnia Network Developer FAQ! This guide is designed for developers building on Somnia's high-performance EVM-compatible blockchain. It covers environment setup, smart contract development, network configuration, APIs, optimization, testing, advanced features, troubleshooting, and resources.

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Development Environment Setup

Getting Started

Q: What development tools are compatible with Somnia?

A: Somnia is fully EVM-compatible, so you can use all standard EVM development tools:

• Hardhat: Most popular framework for smart contract development

• Foundry: Fast, portable toolkit written in Rust

• Remix IDE: Browser-based development environment

• Truffle: Comprehensive development suite

• Brownie: Python-based development framework

Simply configure these tools to connect to Somnia's network endpoints.

Q: How do I configure my development environment for Somnia?

A: Add Somnia network configuration to your project.

For Hardhat (hardhat.config.js):

For Foundry (foundry.toml):

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How do I get test tokens for development?

To obtain Somnia Test Tokens (STT) for development:

1. Discord Method:

   • Join the Somnia Discord server

   • Go to the #dev-chat channel

   • Tag @emma_odia (Somnia DevRel)

   • Request test tokens with your wallet address

2. Email Method:

   • Email [email protected]

   • Include your project description and GitHub profile

   • Provide your testnet wallet address\

3. Google cloud web3 faucet here

Q: What are the network parameters for Somnia?

A: Key network information:

Testnet:

• Chain ID: 50312

• RPC URL: https://dream-rpc.somnia.network

• Block Explorer: https://shannon-explorer.somnia.network/

• Currency: STT (Somnia Test Token)

Mainnet:

• Chain ID: 5031

• RPC URL: https://api.infra.mainnet.somnia.network

• Block Explorer: https://explorer.somnia.network/

• Currency: SOMI (Somnia Token)

Alternatively you can check out https://chainlist.org/ for other RPC options.

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Smart Contract Development

Contract Deployment

Q: How do I deploy smart contracts to Somnia?

A: Deployment process is identical to EVM, you can deploy with:

• Hardhat

• Foundry

• Remix

Q: Are there any differences in smart contract development for Somnia?

A: Somnia is fully EVM-compatible, so:

• All Solidity features work identically

• Same gas mechanics and opcodes

• Compatible with OpenZeppelin libraries

• Standard deployment tools work

• Bonus: Much lower gas costs and faster execution

Q: How do I verify contracts on Somnia?

A: Contract verification process:

1. Via Block Explorer: Use the verification tab on Somnia Explorer

2. Via API Verification here

Gas Optimization

Q: How do gas fees work on Somnia?

A: Somnia uses a dynamic gas fee model:

• Payment Token: Fees are paid in SOMI tokens on Mainnet and STT on Testnet

• Base Fee: Dynamically adjusted based on block execution time

• Minimum Gas: 21,000 gas for basic transactions

• Validator Rewards: 50% of gas fees go to validators

• Volume Discounts: Available for high-volume applications

Tip: Gas costs are significantly lower than Ethereum mainnet due to Somnia's optimized architecture, you can check out more on somnia gas model here.

Q: Should I optimize for gas on Somnia?

A: While gas optimization is still good practice:

• Less Critical: Lower fees mean less pressure for extreme optimization

• Focus on Features: More room for feature-rich applications

• User Experience: Better UX with lower transaction costs

• Standard Practices: Still follow Solidity best practices

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Network Configuration

RPC Providers

Q: What RPC providers are available for Somnia?

A: Multiple RPC providers support Somnia:

Primary Providers:

• Ankr: Enterprise-grade RPC infrastructure

• Stakely: High-performance RPC services

• Official: Somnia's native RPC endpoints

Configuration example:

// Multiple RPC endpoints for redundancy
const rpcUrls = [
  "https://somnia-json-rpc.stakely.io",
  "https://api.infra.mainnet.somnia.network",
  "https://somnia-rpc.publicnode.com"
];

Check out chainlist for more RPC Endpoints

Q: How do I configure MetaMask for Somnia?

• This guide helps configure metamask for Somnia Netwrok

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APIs and Integration

JSON-RPC APIs

Q: What APIs does Somnia support?

A: Somnia supports standard EVM JSON-RPC APIs:

Core Methods:

• eth_* methods: Used for blockchain-related operations, such as querying data, sending transactions, or interacting with smart contracts.

• net_* methods: Provide information about the network, such as its status or connected peers.

• web3_* methods: Offer details about the client, such as version or configuration.

• debug_* methods: Enable debugging features on supported nodes, often used for troubleshooting or advanced analysis.

Q: Are there any API rate limits?

• High Performance: Designed for enterprise-level usage

• Standard Limits: Follow typical JSON-RPC conventions

Q: How do I integrate Somnia with my existing dApp?

A: Integration is straightforward due to EVM compatibility.

Follow the viem setup on the docs

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Performance and Optimization

Somnia's Architecture

Q: What makes Somnia so fast?

A: Somnia achieves 1M+ TPS through four key innovations:

1. Accelerated Sequential Execution: Compiled EVM bytecode translates to highly optimized native code.

2. IceDB: Ultra-fast database with 15-100 nanosecond read/write operations and built-in snapshotting.

3. MultiStream Consensus: Proof-of-stake BFT protocol that decouples data production from consensus, enabling parallel processing.

4. Advanced Compression: Streaming compression and BLS signature aggregation for high compression ratios.

Learn more here.

Q: What are the performance details I should be aware of?

• TPS Capacity: 1,000,000+ transactions per second

• Finality Time: Sub-second transaction finality

• DEX Performance: 1 million swaps per second

• Concurrent Users: Designed for millions of users

• Block Time: Optimized for real-time applications

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Testing and Deployment

Testing Strategies

Q: How do I test my contracts on Somnia?

A: Use standard testing frameworks with Somnia configuration.

Hardhat Testing:

// test/Contract.test.js
const { expect } = require("chai");
const { ethers } = require("hardhat");

describe("Contract", function () {
  let contract;
  
  beforeEach(async function () {
    const Contract = await ethers.getContractFactory("YourContract");
    contract = await Contract.deploy();
    await contract.deployed();
  });
  
  it("Should work on Somnia", async function () {
    // Test your contract logic
    expect(await contract.someFunction()).to.equal(expectedValue);
  });
});

Foundry Testing:

// test/Contract.t.sol
pragma solidity ^0.8.0;

import "forge-std/Test.sol";
import "../src/Contract.sol";

contract ContractTest is Test {
    Contract public contractInstance;
    
    function setUp() public {
        contractInstance = new Contract();
    }
    
    function testSomniaCompatibility() public {
        // Test contract functionality
        assertEq(contractInstance.getValue(), expectedValue);
    }
}

Q: What should I test specifically for Somnia?

A: Focus on these areas:

• Gas Usage: Verify lower gas consumption

• Performance: Test high-frequency operations

• Real-time Features: Validate sub-second finality

• Batch Operations: Test transaction batching

• Event Emission: Verify real-time event handling

Common Error Messages

Q: What do common error messages mean?

Common errors and solutions:

Insufficient funds for gas

• Solution: Add SOMI tokens to your wallet

• Check: Verify gas price and limit settings

Execution reverted

• Solution: Check contract conditions and requirements

• Debug: Use transaction simulation tools

Network error

• Solution: Verify RPC endpoint and internet connection

• Fallback: Try alternative RPC providers

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Resources and Support

Documentation and Guides

Q: Where can I find comprehensive documentation?

A: Official resources:

• Main Documentation here

• GitHub: Official repositories and code examples

Q: How do I get developer support?

A: Multiple support channels:

Discord Community:

• Join the official Somnia Discord

• #dev-chat channel for technical discussions

• Real-time support from community and team

Email Support:

• [email protected]

• Include project details and specific questions

• Response within 24-48 hours

GitHub Issues:

• Report bugs and feature requests

• Contribute to open-source tools

• Community-driven solutions

Learning Resources

Q: What learning resources are available for Somnia development?

A: Educational materials:

Tutorials:

• Smart contract deployment guides

• dApp integration examples

• Performance optimization tutorials

• Real-time application development

Code Examples:

• GitHub repositories with sample projects

• Integration templates for popular frameworks

• Best practice implementations

Community Content:

• Developer blog posts

• Video tutorials

• Workshop recordings

• Conference presentations

Contributing to the Ecosystem

Q: How can I contribute to Somnia's developer ecosystem?

A: Ways to contribute:

Build Applications:

• Create innovative dApps leveraging Somnia's performance

• Open-source your projects for community benefit

• Share integration patterns and best practices

Community Participation:

• Answer questions in Discord

• Write tutorials and guides

• Speak at developer events

• Mentor new developers

Technical Contributions:

• Contribute to open-source tools

• Report and fix bugs

• Improve documentation

• Create developer tooling

Feedback and Testing:

• Test new features and provide feedback

• Report performance issues

• Suggest improvements

• Participate in beta programs

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Congratulations! You now have comprehensive knowledge for developing on Somnia Network. This FAQ covered environment setup, contract development and verification, API integration, optimization, testing, advanced features, troubleshooting, and resources.

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