Environment and Tools Setup

Before starting the development of the NFT Minting Program, ensure your environment is setup with the necessary tools:

1. Install Rust: Follow the instructions at the official Rust install page
2. Install Solana CLI: Instructions for installing the Solana CLI can be found at the Solana documentation.
3. Code Editor: Install Visual Studio Code or any code editor of your choice. For Visual Studio Code, download from Visual Studio Code website.
4. Solana Tool Suite: Ensure the Solana tools are installed by following the guide on the Solana CLI documentation.

Project Directory Structure

Set up your project directory in VSCode or your preferred editor with the following structure:

• Cargo.toml — The Rust project configuration file.
• src/lib.rs — The entry point for the Solana program.
• src/processor.rs — Contains the transaction processing logic.
• src/instruction.rs — Defines the program instructions and parameters.
• src/error.rs — Defines program-specific errors.
• src/state.rs — Defines the program state and data structures.

Compiling the Program

Compile the program using the following command in your terminal:

cargo build-bpf --manifest-path=Cargo.toml --bpf-out-dir=dist/program

Deploying the Contract

Deploy your program to the Solana testnet or mainnet using the Solana CLI with the following command:

solana program deploy dist/program/nft_minting_program.so

Ensure that your Solana CLI is configured to the desired network (testnet or mainnet) before deploying the program. For more detailed steps on deploying, refer to the Solana deployment documentation.