连接以太坊(Web3.js/Ethers.js)
学习使用 Web3.js 或 Ethers.js 等 JavaScript 库,在 Web 前端与以太坊网络之间建立连接。
连接以太坊(Web3.js/Ethers.js) 是 CoddyKit 上的免费 Web3 & DApp Development Fundamentals 课时。 这是第 2 节课,共 3 节。 你可以在下方免费阅读本课时的完整内容 — 然后在浏览器中使用内置代码编辑器和全天候 AI 导师进行实践。 这是 Web3 & DApp Development Fundamentals 学习路径的一部分,你的进度在网页和 CoddyKit 应用中同步。 Web3 & DApp Development Fundamentals 课程共包含 3 节课。
本课时的部分内容尚未翻译,以英文显示。
DApps & Ethereum Connection
Welcome to connecting your DApp's front-end to the Ethereum network! Just like traditional apps need to talk to a server, decentralized applications (DApps) need a way to communicate with the blockchain.
This communication allows your DApp to read data from the blockchain, like account balances, and send transactions, like transferring tokens or calling smart contract functions.
Web3.js & Ethers.js Libraries
To bridge the gap between your web front-end (written in JavaScript) and the Ethereum blockchain, we use specialized libraries.
- Web3.js: The original JavaScript library for interacting with Ethereum. It's widely used and robust.
- Ethers.js: A more modern, lightweight, and often preferred alternative, especially for front-end development, known for its clear API.
Both libraries serve the same core purpose: to make it easy to send and receive data from Ethereum.
Understanding Ethereum Providers
Before your DApp can talk to the blockchain, it needs a provider. A provider is an abstraction that connects your DApp to an Ethereum node.
- Browser Wallets (e.g., MetaMask): These inject a provider object (
window.ethereum) directly into your browser's JavaScript environment. - Node Providers (e.g., Infura, Alchemy): These are services that run Ethereum nodes and provide an API endpoint (URL) for your DApp to connect to, usually for read-only access or when a user doesn't have a browser wallet.
The provider handles the low-level network communication.
Setting Up with npm
To use Web3.js or Ethers.js in your project, you'll typically install them using a package manager like npm (Node Package Manager).
First, make sure you have Node.js and npm installed. Then, in your project directory, open your terminal and run one of these commands:
- For Web3.js:
npm install web3 - For Ethers.js:
npm install ethers
Once installed, you can import them into your JavaScript files.
Connecting via MetaMask (Web3.js)
When a user has MetaMask installed, it injects window.ethereum. You can use this object to create a Web3.js instance and request user permission to connect their wallet.
Here's how you'd typically initialize Web3.js:
async function connectWeb3() {
if (window.ethereum) {
const web3 = new Web3(window.ethereum);
try {
// Request account access if needed
await window.ethereum.request({ method: 'eth_requestAccounts' });
console.log('Web3.js connected!');
return web3;
} catch (error) {
console.error('User denied account access or error:', error);
}
} else {
console.log('MetaMask not detected! Install it or use a different provider.');
}
return null;
}
// To run this in a browser, you'd call connectWeb3()
// For this runnable example, we'll simulate the connection.
async function main() {
console.log('Simulating Web3.js connection...');
const web3Instance = await connectWeb3(); // This would be called in a browser
if (!web3Instance) {
console.log('Failed to connect Web3.js (simulated).');
} else {
console.log('Web3.js connection successful (simulated)!');
}
}
main();Connecting via MetaMask (Ethers.js)
Ethers.js also uses window.ethereum to connect to browser wallets. It uses the concept of a Web3Provider to wrap the injected provider.
This approach offers a clean way to interact with the user's wallet and the network.
const { ethers } = require('ethers'); // In browser, ethers is global
async function connectEthers() {
if (window.ethereum) {
const provider = new ethers.providers.Web3Provider(window.ethereum);
try {
// Request account access
await provider.send('eth_requestAccounts', []);
console.log('Ethers.js connected!');
return provider;
} catch (error) {
console.error('User denied account access or error:', error);
}
} else {
console.log('MetaMask not detected! Install it or use a different provider.');
}
return null;
}
// To run this in a browser, you'd call connectEthers()
// For this runnable example, we'll simulate the connection.
async function main() {
console.log('Simulating Ethers.js connection...');
const ethersProvider = await connectEthers(); // This would be called in a browser
if (!ethersProvider) {
console.log('Failed to connect Ethers.js (simulated).');
} else {
console.log('Ethers.js connection successful (simulated)!');
}
}
main();Reading Data: Get Block Number
Once connected, you can easily read information from the blockchain. A common first step is to get the current block number. This is a read-only operation, meaning it doesn't require a transaction or gas.
Both Web3.js and Ethers.js provide straightforward methods for this.
Get Block Number (Web3.js Example)
Here's how you'd fetch the latest block number using Web3.js after establishing a connection:
// This simulates interaction with a Web3 provider.
// In a real DApp, 'web3' would be an instance connected
// to MetaMask or another Ethereum node.
const web3 = {
eth: {
getBlockNumber: async () => {
// Simulate network call delay
await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 500));
return 12345678; // Example block number
}
}
};
async function main() {
console.log("Attempting to get block number with Web3.js...");
const blockNumber = await web3.eth.getBlockNumber();
console.log("Current Block Number (Web3.js):", blockNumber);
}
main();Get Block Number (Ethers.js Example)
And here's the equivalent operation using Ethers.js:
// This simulates interaction with an Ethers.js provider.
// In a real DApp, 'provider' would be connected to
// MetaMask or another Ethereum node.
const provider = {
getBlockNumber: async () => {
// Simulate network call delay
await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 500));
return 12345679; // Example block number
}
};
async function main() {
console.log("Attempting to get block number with Ethers.js...");
const blockNumber = await provider.getBlockNumber();
console.log("Current Block Number (Ethers.js):", blockNumber);
}
main();Quick Check: Provider Role
What is the primary role of an Ethereum provider (like MetaMask or Infura) in a DApp's architecture?
Recap: Connecting DApps
Great job! In this lesson, you learned how DApps connect to the Ethereum network.
- We explored Web3.js and Ethers.js as key JavaScript libraries for this interaction.
- We understood the concept of an Ethereum provider (e.g., MetaMask, Infura) as the essential link to the blockchain.
- You saw how to conceptually set up and initialize these libraries to read basic blockchain data like the current block number.
Next, we'll dive deeper into building a complete DApp!
常见问题解答
「连接以太坊(Web3.js/Ethers.js)」课时是免费的吗?
是的 — 「连接以太坊(Web3.js/Ethers.js)」的完整文本可在网页上免费阅读。要进行交互式练习(内置代码编辑器和全天候 AI 导师)并解锁 Web3 & DApp Development Fundamentals 课程的其余内容,请升级到 CoddyKit PRO。 Web3 & DApp Development Fundamentals 课程共包含 3 节课。
「连接以太坊(Web3.js/Ethers.js)」这节课中我会学到什么?
学习使用 Web3.js 或 Ethers.js 等 JavaScript 库,在 Web 前端与以太坊网络之间建立连接。 你通过在浏览器中直接运行的动手代码来练习 Web3 & DApp Development Fundamentals,全天候 AI 导师会在你学习这节课的过程中回答你的问题。
学习 Web3 & DApp Development Fundamentals 需要有经验吗?
无需任何先前经验。CoddyKit 上的 Web3 & DApp Development Fundamentals 课程适合初学者到高级学习者,你可以从这里开始或从头开始,按照自己的节奏学习。 这是第 2 节课,共 3 节。
「连接以太坊(Web3.js/Ethers.js)」课时需要多长时间?
大多数 CoddyKit 课程大约需要 5–10 分钟。每节课都很精短且互动,所以你能稳步进步,并在网页和应用中从离开的地方继续。
我能在这节 Web3 & DApp Development Fundamentals 课中编写并运行代码吗?
能。每节 Web3 & DApp Development Fundamentals 课都包含内置代码编辑器,你可以在浏览器中直接编写并运行真实代码,并获得即时 AI 反馈 — 无需本地设置。
此课程中的所有课时
- Web3 中的前端与后端
- 连接以太坊(Web3.js/Ethers.js)
- DApp 基础示例