Content platform

Endless CMS: A Step-by-Step Guide

This document provides a complete, step-by-step guide to developing, deploying, and interacting with a simple Content Management System (CMS) DApp on the Endless blockchain. We will cover:

Developing and Deploying the Move Smart Contract.
Building a Rust CLI to Interact with the Deployed Contract.

By the end of this guide, you will have a fully functional decentralized application and a clear understanding of the end-to-end development process.

Part 1: The Move Smart Contract

In this section, we'll create, configure, and deploy the Move contract that powers our CMS.

Step 1.1: Initialize the Move Project

First, let's set up the project structure for our Move contract.

Open your terminal in the endless-cms directory.
Initialize a new Move package named endless-cms:
```
# Make sure you are in the root project directory
cd move
endless move init --name endless-cms
```
This command creates a standard Move project layout inside the move directory, including a sources folder for your contract code and a Move.toml manifest file.

Step 1.2: Create and Fund a Deployer Account

We need an account to deploy our contract. The endless CLI can create one for us.

Run the initialization command:
```
endless init
```
Follow the prompts:
- Choose testnet for the network.
- Press Enter when asked for a private key to generate a new one.
The CLI will generate a new account, save its configuration in move/.endless/config.yaml, and automatically fund it with testnet EDS tokens.
IMPORTANT: Copy the account address from the output. You will need it in the next step. It will look something like EGiHscDkCe9Giv7kwv8ha7bk61woSic4xpJ66UMc4XrA.

Step 1.3: Configure the Contract Manifest (`Move.toml`)

Now, we need to tell our contract where it will live and what other contracts it depends on.

Open the move/Move.toml file.
Add a named address for your contract under the [addresses] section. Use the account address you copied in the previous step. Let's call it cms_address.
```
[addresses]
cms_address = "EGiHscDkCe9Giv7kwv8ha7bk61woSic4xpJ66UMc4XrA" # <-- PASTE YOUR ADDRESS HERE
```

Add the EndlessFramework as a dependency under [dependencies]. This framework provides essential tools for building on Endless, like the Object model.

[dependencies]
EndlessFramework = { git = "https://github.com/endless-labs/endless-move-framework.git", subdir = "endless-framework", rev = "main" }

Step 1.4: Write the Smart Contract (`cms.move`)

Create a new file move/sources/cms.move and add the provided contract code.

(For brevity, the full code is omitted here. Copy the content from the file provided in the prompt.)

Key Functions Explained:

init_module(admin_signer: &signer): Called once upon deployment. It creates the PostCounter resource and stores it under the deployer's (admin's) account.
publish_post(admin_signer: &signer, author_signer: &signer, ...): This is a multi-agent function. It requires two signatures to execute:
- admin_signer: To prove the caller has access to the PostCounter to assign a unique ID.
- author_signer: To designate the post's owner. It creates a new Post as a separate Object on the chain.
edit_post(author_signer: &signer, ...): A single-signer function that allows the original author to modify a post's title and content. It verifies ownership by checking post_ref.author == signer::address_of(author_signer).
delete_post(author_signer: &signer, ...): Allows the author to permanently delete their post. It uses move_from to remove the Post resource and object::delete to destroy the Object itself.
get_post(post_address: address): A read-only #[view] function. It doesn't require a signature or a transaction. It fetches post data from the chain and returns it in a PostData struct.

Step 1.5: Compile and Deploy

Now, let's get the contract on-chain.

Compile the code:
```
endless move compile
```
This command checks for errors and builds the bytecode.

Publish to the testnet:

endless move publish

Compiling, may take a little while to download git dependencies...
INCLUDING DEPENDENCY EndlessFramework
INCLUDING DEPENDENCY EndlessStdlib
INCLUDING DEPENDENCY MoveStdlib
BUILDING endless-cms
package size 4639 bytes
Do you want to submit a transaction for a range of [6900 - 10300] Veins at a gas unit price of 100 Veins? [yes/no] >
yes
transaction_hash:7ap6VL4AyqF4UqWHFhjox6Vup59VgXYirERh3SsqVDMJ
gas_used:69
gas_unit_price:100
sender:c52e5477ea9cb1a6418008c87d8944dc387ffc150fa22e168e4c9e30f2887dc3
sequence_number:4
success:true
timestamp_us:1751368521594869
version:249142591
vm_status:Executed successfully

Confirm the transaction when prompted. After a few moments, the contract will be live! The output will show the transaction hash and confirm success. Your cms_address is now a published module.

Part 2: The Rust Client

With the contract live, we need an application to talk to it. We'll build a Rust CLI.

Step 2.1: Initialize the Rust Project

Navigate to the root of your project (endless-cms).

Create a new Rust binary project.

# cargo init endless-cms
# This command should be run from the `endless-cms` parent directory first.
# The provided src directory will be used

(Assuming the src directory is already set up as a cargo project)

Step 2.2: Add Dependencies (`Cargo.toml`)

Open Cargo.toml and ensure the following dependencies are listed. They provide the tools for blockchain communication, command-line parsing, and data handling.

[package]
name = "endless-cms"
version = "0.1.0"
edition = "2024"

[dependencies]
anyhow = "1.0.71"
bcs = { git = "https://github.com/aptos-labs/bcs.git", rev = "d31fab9d81748e2594be5cd5cdf845786a30562d" }
clap = { version = "4.5.40", features = ["cargo"] }
serde = { version = "1.0.193", features = ["derive", "rc"] }
once_cell = "1.10.0"
url = { version = "2.4.0", features = ["serde"] }
tokio = { version = "1.35.1", features = ["full"] }
hex = "0.4.3"
rand_core = "0.5.1"
rand = "0.7.3"
serde_json = { version = "1.0.81", features = ["preserve_order", "arbitrary_precision"] }   

# endless sdk dependencies
endless-sdk = { git = "https://github.com/endless-labs/endless-rust-sdk" }

[patch.crates-io]
serde-reflection = { git = "https://github.com/aptos-labs/serde-reflection", rev = "73b6bbf748334b71ff6d7d09d06a29e3062ca075" }
merlin = { git = "https://github.com/aptos-labs/merlin" }
x25519-dalek = { git = "https://github.com/aptos-labs/x25519-dalek", branch = "zeroize_v1" }

The [patch.crates-io] section is crucial. It tells Cargo to use specific versions of dependencies from git repositories instead of the default versions from crates.io. This is often necessary when working with rapidly developing blockchain SDKs to ensure all components are compatible.

Step 2.3: The Rust Code

Your project has four key files in src/:

main.rs: The entry point. Uses clap to define and parse CLI commands (create-account, publish-post, etc.).
cms.rs: The core logic for interacting with the smart contract.
event.rs: Defines Rust structs that match the Move events, allowing for easy deserialization.
post.rs: Contains default post content for easier testing.

Step 2.4: How the Client Calls the Contract

This is the most critical part. The functions in src/cms.rs are responsible for all on-chain communication.

IMPORTANT: Before running the client, open src/cms.rs and update the MODULE_ADDRESS constant to your contract address from Step 1.2.

// src/cms.rs

// MAKE SURE THIS ADDRESS MATCHES YOUR DEPLOYED CONTRACT ADDRESS
const MODULE_ADDRESS: Lazy<AccountAddress> =
    Lazy::new(|| AccountAddress::from_str("EGiHscDkCe9Giv7kwv8ha7bk61woSic4xpJ66UMc4XrA").unwrap());

1. Calling a View Function (e.g., get_post)

Read-only calls are simple and don't cost gas.

// In src/cms.rs
pub async fn get_post(address: &str) -> Result<PostData> {
    let rest_client = Client::new(NODE_URL.clone());
    let post_address = AccountAddress::from_str(address).unwrap();

    // 1. Create a ViewRequest with the function ID and arguments
    let result = rest_client
        .view(
            &ViewRequest {
                function: GET_POST_VIEW_FUNCTION.clone(), // "address::CMS::get_post"
                type_arguments: vec![],
                arguments: vec![serde_json::Value::String(post_address.to_string())],
            },
            Option::None,
        )
        .await?;

    // 2. Deserialize the JSON response into the PostData struct
    let v = result.inner()[0].clone();
    let post_data: PostData = from_value(v)?;

    Ok(post_data)
}

2. Calling a Single-Signer Function (e.g., edit_post)

For transactions that require only one signature, the HelperClient simplifies the process.

// In src/cms.rs
pub async fn edit_post(...) -> Result<PostEditedEvent> {
    let helper_client = HelperClient::new(&rest_client);
    let author_signer = load_account(author).unwrap();
    // ...
    let args = vec![
        bcs::to_bytes(&post_address).unwrap(),
        bcs::to_bytes(&new_title).unwrap(),
        // ...
    ];

    // 1. The helper_client builds, signs, and submits the transaction
    let txn_hash = helper_client
        .entry_function(
            MODULE_ADDRESS.clone(),
            MODULE_NAME,
            "edit_post",
            &author_signer,
            args, // Arguments are BCS serialized
            vec![],
            None,
        )
        .await?;
    // ... wait for transaction and get event
}

3. Calling a Multi-Agent Function (e.g., publish_post)

This is the most complex interaction, requiring manual transaction construction.

// In src/cms.rs
pub async fn publish_post(...) -> Result<PostPublishedEvent> {
    let admin_signer = load_account(admin).unwrap();
    let author_signer = load_account(author).unwrap();
    // ...

    // 1. Build the basic transaction payload for the primary signer (admin)
    let txn = RawTransaction::new(
        admin_signer.address(),
        // ... sequence number, gas, etc.
        TransactionPayload::EntryFunction(EntryFunction::new(
            // ... module and function name
            vec![],
            vec![ // BCS serialized arguments
                bcs::to_bytes(title).unwrap(),
                bcs::to_bytes(content).unwrap(),
            ],
        )),
        // ...
    );

    // 2. Specify the other signers (author)
    let data: RawTransactionWithData =
        RawTransactionWithData::new_multi_agent(txn.clone(), vec![author_signer.address()]);

    // 3. Sign the transaction data with EACH private key
    let admin_sig = admin_signer.private_key().sign(&data).unwrap();
    let author_sig = author_signer.private_key().sign(&data).unwrap();

    // 4. Create an authenticator containing both signatures
    let admin_account_authenticator =
        AccountAuthenticator::ed25519(admin_signer.public_key().clone(), admin_sig);
    let author_account_authenticator =
        AccountAuthenticator::ed25519(author_signer.public_key().clone(), author_sig);

    let txn_auth = TransactionAuthenticator::multi_agent(
        admin_account_authenticator.clone(),
        vec![author_signer.address()],
        vec![author_account_authenticator],
    );

    // 5. Submit the fully signed transaction
    let signed_txn = SignedTransaction::new_with_authenticator(txn, txn_auth);
    let pending_transaction = rest_client.submit(&signed_txn).await?;
    // ... wait for transaction and get event
}

Part 3: Putting It All Together

Now you can use the Rust CLI to interact with your live contract.

Create User Accounts: You need an admin (the same one that deployed the contract) and an author. Create JSON files for them.

# Create a file named `admin.json` with the private key of your deployer account.
# Then create a new author account:
cargo run -- create-account --name author

Finished `dev` profile [unoptimized + debuginfo] target(s) in 35.07s
Running `target\debug\endless-cms.exe create-account --name author`
Create author account 3ABb3G1gyPJEqpVWPBNSyhQ5JyXsyxw5mCsGELqa4TVr

Fund the Author Account:

cargo run -- faucet-account --name author

Finished `dev` profile [unoptimized + debuginfo] target(s) in 1.17s
Running `target\debug\endless-cms.exe faucet-account --name author`
Successfully fauceted account 0x2011925e9870a742c19bb793fc0172b3d7acc85410f47735048fdc0362b815f9 : 1000000000
Fauceting account author:1000000000

Publish a Post:

cargo run -- publish-post --admin admin --author author --title "Hello from Endless" --content "This is my first post on my decentralized CMS!"

Finished `dev` profile [unoptimized + debuginfo] target(s) in 1.15s
 Running `target\debug\endless-cms.exe publish-post --admin admin --author author --title "Hello from Endless" --content "This is my first post on my decentralized CMS!"`
Found matching event type: EGiHscDkCe9Giv7kwv8ha7bk61woSic4xpJ66UMc4XrA::CMS::PostPublishedEvent
Publish post 'PostPublishedEvent { post_id: "1", author: "3ABb3G1gyPJEqpVWPBNSyhQ5JyXsyxw5mCsGELqa4TVr", post_address: "E7oERdbBYeFMPzu2MFUVaCRfEwxX6ELFcuZo9H4TXvsm", title: "Hello from Endless" }'

The command will print the PostPublishedEvent, which includes the post_address. Copy this address!

## https://scan.endless.link/object/E7oERdbBYeFMPzu2MFUVaCRfEwxX6ELFcuZo9H4TXvsm/resources?network=testnet
EGiHscDkCe9Giv7kwv8ha7bk61woSic4xpJ66UMc4XrA::CMS::Post
{
    "author": "3ABb3G1gyPJEqpVWPBNSyhQ5JyXsyxw5mCsGELqa4TVr",
    "content": "This is my first post on my decentralized CMS!",
    "created_at": "1751369126",
    "del_ref": {
        "self": "E7oERdbBYeFMPzu2MFUVaCRfEwxX6ELFcuZo9H4TXvsm"
    },
    "post_id": "1",
    "title": "Hello from Endless",
    "updated_at": "1751369126"
}

Get the Post:

cargo run -- get-post --address E7oERdbBYeFMPzu2MFUVaCRfEwxX6ELFcuZo9H4TXvsm

Finished `dev` profile [unoptimized + debuginfo] target(s) in 1.26s
Running `target\debug\endless-cms.exe get-post --address E7oERdbBYeFMPzu2MFUVaCRfEwxX6ELFcuZo9H4TXvsm`
Getting post with Address: E7oERdbBYeFMPzu2MFUVaCRfEwxX6ELFcuZo9H4TXvsm
PostData { post_id: "1", author: 2011925e9870a742c19bb793fc0172b3d7acc85410f47735048fdc0362b815f9, title: "Hello from Endless", content: "This is my first post on my decentralized CMS!", created_at: "1751369126", updated_at: "1751369126" }

Edit the Post:

cargo run -- edit-post --author author --address E7oERdbBYeFMPzu2MFUVaCRfEwxX6ELFcuZo9H4TXvsm --title "An Edited Title" --content "I have updated the content."

Finished `dev` profile [unoptimized + debuginfo] target(s) in 1.20s
Running `target\debug\endless-cms.exe edit-post --author author --address E7oERdbBYeFMPzu2MFUVaCRfEwxX6ELFcuZo9H4TXvsm --title "An Edited Title" --content "I have updated the content."`
Found matching event type: EGiHscDkCe9Giv7kwv8ha7bk61woSic4xpJ66UMc4XrA::CMS::PostEditedEvent
Edit post 'PostEditedEvent { post_id: "1", author: "3ABb3G1gyPJEqpVWPBNSyhQ5JyXsyxw5mCsGELqa4TVr", post_address: "E7oERdbBYeFMPzu2MFUVaCRfEwxX6ELFcuZo9H4TXvsm" }'

Post's title and content is update!

## https://scan.endless.link/object/E7oERdbBYeFMPzu2MFUVaCRfEwxX6ELFcuZo9H4TXvsm/resources?network=testnet
EGiHscDkCe9Giv7kwv8ha7bk61woSic4xpJ66UMc4XrA::CMS::Post
{
    "author": "3ABb3G1gyPJEqpVWPBNSyhQ5JyXsyxw5mCsGELqa4TVr",
    "content": "I have updated the content.",
    "created_at": "1751369126",
    "del_ref": {
        "self": "E7oERdbBYeFMPzu2MFUVaCRfEwxX6ELFcuZo9H4TXvsm"
    },
    "post_id": "1",
    "title": "An Edited Title",
    "updated_at": "1751369443"
}

Delete the Post:

cargo run -- delete-post --author author --address E7oERdbBYeFMPzu2MFUVaCRfEwxX6ELFcuZo9H4TXvsm

Finished `dev` profile [unoptimized + debuginfo] target(s) in 1.20s
Running `target\debug\endless-cms.exe delete-post --author author --address E7oERdbBYeFMPzu2MFUVaCRfEwxX6ELFcuZo9H4TXvsm`
Found matching event type: EGiHscDkCe9Giv7kwv8ha7bk61woSic4xpJ66UMc4XrA::CMS::PostDeletedEvent
Delet post : PostDeletedEvent { post_id: "1", author: "3ABb3G1gyPJEqpVWPBNSyhQ5JyXsyxw5mCsGELqa4TVr", post_address: "E7oERdbBYeFMPzu2MFUVaCRfEwxX6ELFcuZo9H4TXvsm" }

On https://scan.endless.link/ E7oERdbBYeFMPzu2MFUVaCRfEwxX6ELFcuZo9H4TXvsm is deleted.

## https://scan.endless.link/object/E7oERdbBYeFMPzu2MFUVaCRfEwxX6ELFcuZo9H4TXvsm/resources?network=testnet
Account not found: E7oERdbBYeFMPzu2MFUVaCRfEwxX6ELFcuZo9H4TXvsm. The account may still have tokens or objects associated.

Congratulations! You have successfully built, deployed, and interacted with a full-stack decentralized application on the Endless blockchain.

PreviousOrder Platform NextIP collaboration

Last updated 2 months ago