create-datadao

Launch a DataDAO on Vana in minutes. This CLI tool automates the entire DataDAO creation workflow—from smart contracts to data validation.

Quick Start

Setup Modes

Quick Setup (5 minutes):

create-datadao create my-datadao
# Choose "Quick Setup" when prompted

• Auto-generates wallet and uses smart defaults
• Minimal prompts with automated flow
• Perfect for development and testing
• Skips external service setup initially

Full Setup (30-45 minutes):

create-datadao create my-datadao
# Choose "Full Setup" when prompted

• Complete configuration with explanations
• Step-by-step guidance with confirmations
• Sets up all external services (Pinata, Google OAuth)
• Production-ready deployment

Both modes execute the same underlying deployment steps - the difference is in user interaction. Quick mode automates decisions while Normal mode explains and asks for confirmation at each step.

Basic Usage

npx create-datadao my-first-dao

Follow the prompts. You'll have a DataDAO deployed in ~15 minutes.

What This Tool Does

1. Deploys smart contracts - Token, liquidity pool, and vesting contracts on Vana testnet
2. Registers your DataDAO - Makes it discoverable on the network
3. Sets up data validation - Configures proof-of-contribution and data refinement
4. Creates a UI - Deploys a contribution interface for your users

Prerequisites

Required:

• Node.js 18+
• GitHub account (for proof/refiner repos)
• Pinata account for IPFS storage (https://pinata.cloud)
• Google OAuth credentials (https://console.cloud.google.com)
• GitHub CLI for automated repository setup (https://cli.github.com)

Installation

# Global installation
npm install -g create-datadao

# Or use npx (recommended)
npx create-datadao

Commands

Create a New DataDAO

create-datadao my-datadao

Options:

• --config <path> - Use a JSON configuration file
• --quick - Skip optional features for faster setup

Check Status

create-datadao status           # Lists all projects
create-datadao status my-dao    # Specific project status

Deploy Individual Components

create-datadao deploy:contracts [project-path]
create-datadao register [project-path]
create-datadao ui [project-path]

Configuration

Interactive Mode (Default)

The CLI guides you through setup:

? DataDAO name: Weather Data Collective
? Token name: Weather Token
? Token symbol: WEATHER
? Private key (or press enter to generate):

Config File Mode

Create a config file for automated deployment:

{
  "projectName": "weather-dao",
  "privateKey": "0x...",
  "dlpName": "Weather Data Collective",
  "dlpToken": "WEATHER",
  "tokenName": "Weather Token",
  "tokenSymbol": "WEATHER",
  "githubUsername": "your-username",
  "googleClientId": "your-client-id",
  "googleClientSecret": "your-secret",
  "pinataApiKey": "your-key",
  "pinataApiSecret": "your-secret"
}

Deploy with:

create-datadao --config weather-config.json

Project Structure

After creation, your project contains:

my-datadao/
├── contracts/       # Smart contract code
├── proof/          # Data validation logic
├── refiner/        # Data transformation pipeline
├── ui/             # Contribution interface
├── scripts/        # Deployment scripts
└── deployment.json # Deployment state

Deployment Flow

1. Contract Deployment (~3 minutes)

   • Deploys token contract
   • Deploys DataLiquidityPool proxy
   • Sets up vesting wallet

2. DataDAO Registration (~1 minute)

   • Registers with Vana network
   • Requires 1 VANA fee
   • Returns unique dlpId

3. Proof & Refiner Setup (~5 minutes)

   • Creates GitHub repositories
   • Configures validation rules
   • Sets up data pipeline

4. UI Deployment (~5 minutes)

   • Deploys to Vercel
   • Configures authentication
   • Enables data contributions

Common Issues

Insufficient Funds

Error: Insufficient funds for transaction

Fix: Get testnet VANA from https://faucet.vana.org

Registration Failed

Error: Transaction reverted

Fix: Ensure contracts deployed successfully. Run create-datadao status to check.

GitHub Repository Exists

Warning: Repository already exists

Fix: The tool continues with existing repos. No action needed.

Recovery

If deployment fails midway:

create-datadao status my-dao    # Check current state
npm run deploy:contracts        # Resume from failure point

All progress is saved in deployment.json.

Advanced Usage

Custom Templates

Fork template repositories before creation:

• Proof: https://github.com/vana-com/dlp-proof-template
• Refiner: https://github.com/vana-com/vana-data-refinement-template

Manual Deployment

Each step can be run independently:

cd my-datadao
npm run deploy:contracts
npm run register:datadao
npm run deploy:proof
npm run deploy:refiner
npm run deploy:ui

State Management

View deployment state:

cat deployment.json | jq

Key fields:

• tokenAddress - Your DataDAO token
• proxyAddress - DataLiquidityPool address
• dlpId - Network registration ID
• state - Deployment progress

Environment Variables

Optional configuration via .env:

PRIVATE_KEY=0x...
GITHUB_USERNAME=your-username
PINATA_API_KEY=your-key
PINATA_API_SECRET=your-secret
GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID=your-client-id
GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET=your-secret

Network Information

Vana Moksha Testnet

• Chain ID: 14800
• RPC: https://rpc.moksha.vana.org
• Explorer: https://moksha.vanascan.io
• Faucet: https://faucet.vana.org

Key Contracts

• DataRegistry: 0xd0fD0cFA96a01bEc1F3c26d9D0Eb0F20fc2BB30C

Support

• Issues: https://github.com/vana-com/create-datadao/issues
• Docs: https://docs.vana.org
• Discord: https://discord.gg/vanabuilders

Contributing

We welcome contributions! Whether you're fixing bugs, adding features, or improving documentation, your help makes this project better.

Getting Started

Prerequisites for Development

• Node.js 18+ and npm
• Git and GitHub account
• GitHub CLI (recommended): brew install gh or npm install -g @github/cli
• Basic familiarity with CLI tools and Node.js

Development Setup

1. Fork and Clone

   # Fork the repository on GitHub first, then:
   git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/create-datadao
   cd create-datadao

2. Install Dependencies

   npm install

3. Link for Local Testing

   npm link
   # Now you can test with: create-datadao create test-project

4. Verify Setup

   # Test the CLI works
   create-datadao --help
      
   # Run the test suite
   npm test

Project Structure

create-datadao/
├── bin/
│   └── create-datadao.js          # CLI entry point
├── lib/
│   └── templates/                 # Script templates for generated projects
│   ├── config.js                  # Configuration management
│   └── formatting.js              # String formatting helpers
│   ├── generator.js               # Project template generation
│   ├── index.js                   # Core generator logic
│   ├── wallet.js                  # Blockchain wallet utilities
│   ├── validation.js              # Input validation
├── __tests__/
│   ├── lib/                       # Unit tests
│   ├── integration/               # Integration tests
│   └── production/                # End-to-end tests
└── package.json

Testing

We use Jest for testing with multiple test suites:

# Run all tests
npm test

# Unit tests only (fast)
npm run test:unit

# Integration tests (medium speed)
npm run test:integration

# Production tests (slow, requires network)
npm run test:production

# Watch mode for development
npm run test:watch

# Coverage report
npm run test:coverage

Testing Your Changes

1. Unit Tests: Test individual functions in isolation

   npm run test:unit

2. Integration Tests: Test CLI commands end-to-end

   npm run test:integration

3. Manual Testing: Test the full user experience

   create-datadao create test-dao
   create-datadao status test-dao

Making Changes

Code Style

• Use consistent formatting (we recommend Prettier)
• Follow existing naming conventions
• Add JSDoc comments for public functions
• Keep functions focused and testable

Adding Features

1. Create a branch

   git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name

2. Write tests first (TDD approach recommended)

   # Add tests in __tests__/lib/ for new utilities
   # Add integration tests in __tests__/integration/

3. Implement the feature

   • Follow existing patterns in the codebase
   • Update CLI help text if adding commands
   • Update README if user-facing

4. Test thoroughly

   npm test
   npm run test:coverage  # Ensure good coverage

Bug Fixes

1. Reproduce the bug with a test case
2. Fix the issue while keeping tests passing
3. Add regression tests to prevent future occurrences

Submitting Changes

Pull Request Process

1. Ensure tests pass

   npm test

2. Update documentation if needed

   • README.md for user-facing changes
   • JSDoc comments for code changes
   • Add examples for new features

3. Create Pull Request

   • Use a clear, descriptive title
   • Reference any related issues
   • Describe what changed and why
   • Include testing instructions

4. PR Template

   ## What Changed
   Brief description of your changes
   
   ## Why
   Explanation of the problem this solves
   
   ## Testing
   - [ ] Unit tests pass
   - [ ] Integration tests pass
   - [ ] Manually tested with: `create-datadao create test-project`
   
   ## Checklist
   - [ ] Documentation updated
   - [ ] Tests added/updated
   - [ ] No breaking changes (or clearly marked)

Reporting Issues

Bug Reports

Include:

• Steps to reproduce
• Expected vs actual behavior
• Environment details (Node version, OS)
• CLI command and output
• Error logs if any

Feature Requests

Include:

• Use case description
• Proposed solution
• Alternative approaches considered
• Willingness to implement

Development Tips

Testing Changes Locally

# Link your development version
npm link

# Test create command
create-datadao create test-project

# Test status command
create-datadao status test-project

# Clean up test projects
rm -rf test-project

# Unlink when done
npm unlink -g create-datadao

Debugging

# Add debug logs to your code
console.log(chalk.gray('DEBUG:'), 'variable value:', variable);

# Run with verbose output
DEBUG=* create-datadao create test-project

Common Gotchas

• File paths: Use path.join() for cross-platform compatibility
• Async operations: Always handle Promise rejections
• User input: Validate and sanitize all inputs
• Error messages: Make them actionable and user-friendly

Release Process

We use semantic-release for automated releases:

• fix: Patch version (0.0.1)
• feat: Minor version (0.1.0)
• BREAKING CHANGE: Major version (1.0.0)

Use conventional commits:

git commit -m "feat: add support for custom templates"
git commit -m "fix: resolve Windows path issues"
git commit -m "docs: update installation instructions"

Need Help?

• Questions: Open a discussion on GitHub
• Chat: Join our Discord community
• Issues: Search existing issues before creating new ones

Thank you for contributing to create-datadao! 🚀

License

MIT