# Creating Your First Solana Program: A Beginner’s Perspective

Solana is a blockchain known for its speed, scalability, and developer-friendly ecosystem. Whether you're building decentralized finance (DeFi) apps, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), or on-chain games, Solana offers tools to bring your ideas to life.

This guide helps you begin by integrating wallet functionality into your app using Next.js. Afterward, we’ll discuss building a Solana program with Rust.

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Why Start with Wallet Connection?

Connecting a wallet is foundational in blockchain applications. It allows users to authenticate, manage funds, and interact with on-chain programs. For Solana, popular wallets like Phantom or Solflare are commonly used.

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Setting Up Your Project

Step 1: Create a Next.js App

Start by creating a new Next.js app:

npx create-next-app@latest my-solana-app
cd my-solana-app

Step 2: Install Dependencies

Install the necessary packages to interact with Solana and wallets:

yarn add @solana/web3.js @solana/wallet-adapter-react @solana/wallet-adapter-react-ui @solana/wallet-adapter-wallets

Step 3: Set Up Wallet Context

Create a wallet connection context in your app.

1. Create a WalletContextProvider.js file in the components folder:

1. Wrap the app in the provider: Update _app.js to include the wallet context provider.

import WalletContextProvider from '../components/WalletContextProvider';
import '../styles/globals.css';

function MyApp({ Component, pageProps }) {
  return (
    <WalletContextProvider>
      <Component {...pageProps} />
    </WalletContextProvider>
  );
}

export default MyApp;

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Building the Wallet Connection Interface

Step 1: Create a Connect Button

1. Add a button to let users connect their wallets:

   import { useWallet } from '@solana/wallet-adapter-react';
   import { WalletMultiButton } from '@solana/wallet-adapter-react-ui';

   const Home = () => {
     const { publicKey } = useWallet();

     return (
       <div style={{ padding: '20px', textAlign: 'center' }}>
         <h1>Welcome to My Solana App</h1>
         <WalletMultiButton />
         {publicKey && <p>Connected: {publicKey.toString()}</p>}
       </div>
     );
   };

   export default Home;

Step 2: Style the Button

The @solana/wallet-adapter-react-ui package comes with pre-built styles. Ensure your app imports these styles to display the wallet connection button correctly.

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Testing the Wallet Integration

1. Start the Development Server:

   yarn dev

1. Visit the App in Your Browser: Open http://localhost:3000 and connect your Phantom wallet. You should see the wallet address displayed upon connection.

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Where to Go Next?

Now that you have a connected wallet and basic transaction functionality, you’re ready to build more complex applications:

1. Write your own Solana programs in Rust.
2. Integrate the Anchor Framework for easier program development.
3. Explore use cases like NFTs, DeFi, or GameFi.

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Conclusion

Starting with wallet integration using Next.js makes your app user-friendly and prepares you for deeper Solana development. Once you’ve mastered the basics of wallet connection, you can move on to writing on-chain programs and creating powerful, decentralized applications.

For more resources:

• Solana Web3.js Documentation
• Phantom Wallet Documentation
• Solana Official Docs

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Building on Solana can be challenging yet rewarding. Did this guide help you get started?

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