Instruction file imported from arec1b0/nim-blockchain-node (.cursor/rules/development-workflow.mdc). Copyright stays with the author.

Development Workflow & Build Process

🚀 Quick Start Commands

Initial Setup

git clone https://github.com/dkrizhanovskyi/nim-blockchain-node.git
cd nim-blockchain-node
nimble install

Build & Run

nimble build          # Compiles to main.exe
./main.exe            # Run the blockchain node
nimble test           # Run all tests

📁 Project Structure Overview

nim-blockchain-node/
├── src/                    # Source code organized by architectural layers
│   ├── core_engine/        # Consensus, state management, VM
│   ├── cryptography/       # Key management, signatures, ZK proofs  
│   ├── network/           # P2P, mempool, block propagation
│   ├── storage/           # Database modules
│   └── main.nim           # Entry point
├── tests/                 # Unit and integration tests
├── docs/                  # Architecture and setup documentation
└── nim_blockchain_node.nimble  # Build configuration

⚙️ Build Configuration

The nim_blockchain_node.nimble file defines:

• Build task: Compiles with release optimizations
• Test task: Runs all test suites sequentially
• Dependencies: Currently minimal, designed for core Nim capabilities

📚 Documentation Resources

Essential reading for understanding the project:

• docs/architecture.md: Detailed system architecture
• docs/getting_started.md: Quick start guide
• docs/setup_guide.md: Detailed Windows 11 setup
• docs/contributing.md: Development guidelines
• README.md: Project overview

🔧 Development Environment

Prerequisites

• Nim 2.2.2+: Core language requirement
• Nimble: Package manager (bundled with Nim)
• Git: Version control
• PowerShell 7: Recommended shell for Windows

IDE Setup

• VSCode: Recommended with Nim extension
• File watching: Use nimble build for incremental compilation
• Debugging: Compile with debug flags for development builds