DEV Community: Sohail Ishaque

Solana CRUD from Scratch: Decentralized App

Sohail Ishaque — Fri, 20 Jun 2025 21:33:19 +0000

I Built a Fully On-Chain Notes App on Solana Using Anchor + Next.js

Hey devs! 👋

I recently built a full-stack Solana dApp where users can create, update, and delete notes that live entirely on-chain. It was a great experience to combine Anchor (Rust) for the smart contract with Next.js 14 + TailwindCSS for the frontend — so I thought I'd share what I learned and how I approached it.

🔧 What I Built

It's a classic CRUD app — but on Solana!

Users can:

📝 Create a note (title + content)
✏️ Update it
🗑️ Delete it

All stored on-chain in Solana accounts using Program Derived Addresses (PDAs).

Live demo coming soon... 👀

🧱 Stack

🟨 Anchor (Rust framework for Solana smart contracts)
⚛️ Next.js 14 (with App Router)
🎨 TailwindCSS (for styling)
🔐 @solana/wallet-adapter (wallet connection)
📣 SweetAlert2 (beautiful loading/toast popups)

🧠 What I Learned

How to structure accounts in Solana using Anchor’s #[account] macro
Writing validators and error handling with require! and custom #[error_code]
Creating PDAs using seeds:

  seeds = [b"note", author.key().as_ref(), title.as_bytes()]

Hooking up the frontend using @project-serum/anchor and React hooks
Handling wallet connection state, transaction sending, and UI feedback

🧾 The Smart Contract (Rust + Anchor)

Here is a simplified view of the program logic:

pub fn create_note(ctx: Context<CreateNote>, title: String, content: String) -> Result<()> {
    let note = &mut ctx.accounts.note;
    let clock = Clock::get()?;

    require!(title.len() <= 100, NotesError::TitleTooLong);
    require!(!content.trim().is_empty(), NotesError::ContentIsEmpty);

    note.author = ctx.accounts.author.key();
    note.title = title;
    note.content = content;
    note.created_at = clock.unix_timestamp;
    note.last_updated = clock.unix_timestamp;

    Ok(())
}

The Note account looks like this:

#[account]
#[derive(InitSpace)]
pub struct Note {
    pub author: Pubkey,
    #[max_len(100)]
    pub title: String,
    #[max_len(1000)]
    pub content: String,
    pub created_at: i64,
    pub last_updated: i64,
}

🖥️ Frontend Highlights

Connect to wallet via @solana/wallet-adapter-react
Interact with the program using @project-serum/anchor
SweetAlert2 loading indicators
Tailwind UI for responsive layout

const provider = new AnchorProvider(connection, wallet, {});
const program = new Program(idl, programId, provider);

await program.methods
  .createNote(title, content)
  .accounts({ author, note, systemProgram })
  .rpc();

🚀 Built with ❤️ for the Solana ecosystem

Thanks for reading!

Github :

Code

Stuck Between Blockchain and Cloud Computing: Seeking Career Advice

Sohail Ishaque — Fri, 04 Oct 2024 21:39:14 +0000

Hi everyone,

I’ve been deeply involved in blockchain for the past 2 years, primarily working with Solidity. However, with the current market downturn, blockchain freelancing jobs have become scarce. Before diving into blockchain, I spent many years in networking and system administration mainly in Windows environments but also good in linux.

Now, I’m at a crossroads and could really use some advice.

My Dilemma:
Blockchain Path: I’m proficient in Solidity, but to expand my skills and job opportunities, I would need to learn Rust and Golang. However, with the current state of the blockchain market, I’m not sure how viable this path is for quick returns.

Cloud Computing Path: I have some foundational knowledge in AWS, GCP, Docker, and Kubernetes, but it’s mostly from tutorials. I haven’t had much real-world, professional experience in cloud computing.

My Concerns:
I’m 41 years old, and I’m looking to make a quick turnaround in earnings. I feel like I’ve already wasted a lot of time, so I need to choose a path that will give me the best chance at earning well quickly.

Should I stick with blockchain and invest in learning Rust and Golang, or should I pivot towards cloud computing and pursue AWS/GCP certifications? Any advice or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Stuck between Blockchain, DevOps and call center..

Sohail Ishaque — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 22:28:13 +0000

I appologize if this is not the right forum for such a question, but..
ok so

firstly, i am a decent blockchain developer but only have worked on fiverr with different clients, haven't got into any fulltime job.

Secondly, i am good with docker and kubernetes, no ci/cd or terra

The problem with me is that i keep on bouncing between blockchain and devops, but fails to fully focus on one.

What should i go with ? any guidance would be highly appreciated.

Thankyou.