Hive Application Framework (HAF) - How Programming on the Blockchain Became As Easy As Knowing SQL?

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(Edited)

I don't know how many of you follow the updates put out by @blocktrades for his team^. They are more technical in nature and not everyone can follow, but the language is sometimes more accessible to the regular people.
^) For readers coming from outside Hive, Blocktrades is the leading team in developing the blockchain core of Hive (and now additional frameworks and tools, like HAF)

The latest update was intended for programmers' eyes, not for the regular people.

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The post is a guide to set up a HAF server for developers, plus a description of what HAF is and how it helps developers create decentralized apps much easier on Hive.

Basically, they can write their back-end code in any language that supports SQL queries, using a PostgresSQL database.

Even php works with PostgresSQL databases, and that's a language often used to handle the server-side programming of websites. That's to mention another language not mentioned as often as python or C++ here on Hive.

Introducing a database layer between the blockchain core and the dapp programmers is the best thing that can happen for the ease of use of the technology - on the programming side - and it will likely lead to a growing number of dapps in the Hive ecosystem.

The focus was wisely chosen, in my opinion. Don't focus on end users directly, focus on dapp creators which will bring end users. Much more impactful!

And HAF was blocktrades' team main focus since the last hard fork.

What does HAF mean for the regular person on Hive?

Directly, nothing. Indirectly, immensely.

HAF eases development, which means development will go faster AND it will become accessible to a broader category of programmers.

Which means we will likely see more dapps on Hive and more reliable (as in with fewer bugs), because by using HAF the developers use SQL queries - which they probably familiar to -, not the blockchain technology directly.

This is certainly the opposite direction than Ethereum has taken. Instead of forcing ALL developers learn a language used less frequently, and open the smart contracts to vulnerability because developers do not master the language and inherently produce buggy code, do the opposite. Allow the developers use the languages they are most comfortable with and put at their disposal tested and optimized SQL code they can use without worrying about bugs or performance issues.

Which do you think is better? I certainly vote for the flexible (and safe) solution.

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23 comments
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I have to agree. Making things easier on the development is a better choice. Also PostgreSQL is fairly simple and it follows the general SQL standards for the normal query language.

Found via Listnerds

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I believe it's easier to jump from one version of SQL to another than from general programming to blockchain, so any experience with any version of SQL is good.

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Well SQL itself won't change much between versions. At most, I think optimization and maybe a few clauses will be added but nothing should be removed. The basics of SQL and how relation algebra plays a part won't change.

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Articles like this are among my favorite. Thank you, learning on hive is a trick sometimes, I have been trying to get a HE witness node going and it has been quite the challenge. We need more of these posts on Hive :-D

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I haven't really tried to have my own witness, on HE or Hive, but I made a few experimental scripts on Hive using one of the python libraries (as I was learning a bit of python, since I wasn't familiar with it).

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I'm not really a technical guy so thank you for explaining all of this in a digestible way for everybody. If more programmers are able to work on Hive, it's a huge win for all of us. Great post!

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If more programmers are able to work on Hive, it's a huge win for all of us.

I believe so too. Thanks for dropping by.

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Can't wait to have Blocktrades on the show in a few weeks...This is like, the coolest development for the blockchain in a long time.

Hoping it opens things up big time!

Thanks for promoting this on ListNerds!!

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Hmm, make sure some guys who know programming in the affiliate marketing world see that. HAF might be what they need to finally make the switch.

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Thank you for this update on the technical side of development in the trading market.
ListNerds led me to your great article.
Thank you

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I learned just enough SQL to pass a course in library school about 13 years ago. I was a real beast with FORTRAN in the day, though.

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