Deploying a Decentralized Application (DApp) with Fleek
In this article, we will explore the process of deploying a decentralized application (DApp) using Fleek, a Web3 solution that enables seamless deployment of sites, DApps, and services. We will build a sample pet adoption DApp using React, Hardhat, and Alchemy, and then deploy it to Fleek.
Prerequisites
Before starting this tutorial, make sure you have the following:
- Installed React (we are using React v14 in this tutorial)
- Installed Hardhat
- Created a free account for the Alchemy blockchain developer platform
- Created a free account for Fleek
- Downloaded the MetaMask browser extension
What is Fleek?
Fleek is a Web3 solution that aims to make the process of deploying your sites, DApps, and services seamless. It provides a gateway for hosting your services on the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) or on the Internet Computer (IC) from Dfinity. Fleek describes itself as the Netlify equivalent for Web3 applications.
Building a Sample DApp
In this section, we will build a decentralized adoption tracking system for a pet shop. We will use Alchemy, Hardhat, and React to build the DApp.
First, clone the React application from our GitHub repository and install the dependencies listed in the package.json file. Then, create a contracts folder to store the Solidity code for our pet adoption smart contract.
Next, create a file named Adoption.sol and paste in the code to create the necessary variables and functions within the smart contract.
Creating an Alchemy Application
Alchemy provides features that enable you to connect to an external remote procedure call (RPC) node for a network. RPC nodes make it possible for your DApp and the blockchain to communicate.
To create an Alchemy application, navigate to the Alchemy web dashboard and create a new app. Provide a name and description for the app, then select the Ropsten network.
Building the DApp Frontend
Our DApp will display sixteen different breeds of dogs that can be adopted. We are using TailwindCSS to style this DApp.
To begin, open the state/context.js file and replace the existing content with the code to create the necessary functions to interact with the pet adoption smart contract.
Deploying the React DApp to Fleek
Hosting a DApp on Fleek can be done through the Fleek dashboard, Fleek CLI, or even programmatically using Fleek GitHub Actions. In this section, we will use the Fleek CLI to host the pet shop DApp on IPFS through Fleek.
First, install the Fleek CLI globally on your computer. Then, generate an API key for your Fleek account using the Fleek web dashboard.
Next, initialize a Fleek site workspace within the react-web3 folder using the Fleek CLI. The initialization process is a one-time step for each Fleek site.
Finally, add an environment variable to the .fleek.json file to specify the pet adoption smart contract address.
Conclusion
In this tutorial, we focused on building and hosting a sample DApp on IPFS through Fleek. We built a decentralized adoption tracking system for a pet shop using Alchemy, Hardhat, and React, and then deployed it to Fleek.
If you want to leverage the steps within this tutorial for hosting a production-ready DApp, make sure to connect Fleek to a code host provider, such as GitHub, and deploy the DApp