Cardano CLI GUI

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

[GENERAL] Are you delivering this project as an individual or as an entity (whether formally incorporated or not)

[GENERAL] Please specify how many months you expect your project to last (from 2-12 months)

[GENERAL] Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated into English from another language

[GENERAL] Summarize your solution to the problem (200-character limit including spaces)

I will develop a cross-platform desktop application that provides a graphical interface to simplify interactions with the Cardano blockchain via cardano-cli, making it easy to use for everyone.

[GENERAL] Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?

[GENERAL] If YES, please describe what the dependency is and why you believe it is essential for your project’s delivery. If NO, please write “No dependencies.”

No dependencies.

[GENERAL] Will your project’s output/s be fully open source?

[GENERAL] Please provide here more information on the open source status of your project outputs

The project will be fully open-sourced under the MIT License, providing unrestricted access to the code for the community to use, modify, and distribute. Anyone can contribute by following contribution guideline.

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution

I perceive the problem as the technical difficulty of using the Cardano CLI, which limits broader participation in the Cardano ecosystem. I aim to simplify these operations, making them accessible to a wider audience, including those with minimal technical background. This project targets both current Cardano users who find the CLI cumbersome and potential users intimidated by the command line's complexity.

The app will have pages with below functionalities, users can run use all available commands on specific pages via visual interfaces.

1. Address Page - Create, validate, and convert payment addresses.
2. Stake Address Page - Register, deregister, and query stake addresses.
3. Transaction Page - Build, sign, and submit transactions; calculate fees.
4. Node Page - Manage node operations like start-up and shut-down.
5. Stake Pool Page - Register and update stake pools; monitor their performance.
6. Query Page - Pull data like blockchain status and queries from the local node.
7. Genesis Page - Manage genesis block configurations.
8. Text View Page - View, create, and decode text view files.
9. Governance Page - Manage voting and proposal submissions.

Each page will also feature a command history, real-time outputs, and the ability to create and execute commands with a click.

Success of this tool will be tracked through user engagement metrics like download counts and active users, and gather direct feedback from the community to iterate and improve the tool further. Codebase will be shared openly on GitHub for transparency and community contributions, and engage with the community through dev forum and Discord.

[IMPACT] Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community

This tool will help most developers using cardano-cli to perform their operations more easily with a simple interface. In this way, it will provide great convenience for users who stay away from CLI and are new to the cardano ecosystem, as well as for experienced users who have to perform complex transactions and repeat them constantly.

Users will have many benefits as listed in below,

• Quickly re-run the command with one click
• Edit the command and run it again
• View command history
• View command output
• Ability to use in full functionality as in cardano-cli

Success of this tool will be tracked through user engagement metrics like download counts and active users, and gather direct feedback from the community to iterate and improve the tool further. Codebase will be shared openly on GitHub for transparency and community contributions, and engage with the community through dev forum and Discord.

[CAPABILITY & FEASIBILITY] What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?

I have developed similar CLI applications for Stellar and Dfinity, and we are currently continuing to develop them by actively exchanging ideas with the teams. Also, I have developed more than 10 projects for 7+ protocols including Solana, Arbitrum, Lens, Aave, Filecoin, Compound, W3F etc so that I have necessary technical skills to develop this kind of application.

Some of my projects that I lastly developed;

• Sora (Soroban CLI GUI): https://github.com/tolgayayci/sora
• Dfinity DFX GUI: https://github.com/tolgayayci/dfinity-dfx-gui
• Stylus VS Code Extension (Stylus Suite): https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=tolgayayci.stylussuite

You can also contact with grant team of some protocols that I worked directly,

• @jewandidi - Arbitrum Questbook Dev Tooling Domain Allocator (Telegram)
• kyle.peacock@dfinity.org- Dfinity Foundation (Email)
• @Oxmigi - Aave (Telegram)
• @jacobcreech - Solana (Discord)

[PROJECT MILESTONES] What are the key milestones you need to achieve in order to complete your project successfully?

Development of Address, Stake Address and Transaction Pages

Milestone Outputs

• User Interface of Address Page which covers 4 address related subcommands and all possible options with arguments.
• User Interface of Stake Address Page which covers 6 stake-address related subcommands and all possible options and arguments.
• User Interface of Transaction Page which includes 12 subcommand and all possible options and arguments.

Acceptance Criteria

• Each page must allow complete execution of their respective commands, such as creating and validating addresses, registering stake addresses, and building transactions.
• Interface usability tested for ease of use and clarity.

Evidence of Milestone Completion

• Screenshots or video demonstrations of each page operating as intended.
• Code commits on GitHub documenting the development progress.

Development of Node, Stake Pool and Query Pages

Milestone Outputs

• User Interface of Node Page which covers 6 node related subcommands and all possible options and arguments.
• User Interface of Stake Pool Page which covers 4 stake-pool related subcommands and all possible options and arguments.
• User Interface of Query Page which covers 15 query related subcommands and all possible options and arguments.

Acceptance Criteria

• Functional testing confirms that users can manage node operations, stake pool registrations, and conduct blockchain queries effectively.
• Interface usability tested for ease of use and clarity.

Evidence of Milestone Completion

• Screenshots or video demonstrations of each page operating as intended.
• Code commits on GitHub documenting the development progress.

Development of Genesis, Text View and Governance Pages

Milestone Outputs

• User Interface of Genesis Page which covers 10 genesis related subcommands and all possible options and arguments.
• User Interface of Text View Page which covers 1 text-view related subcommands and all possible options and arguments.
• User Interface of Governance Page which covers 3 governance related subcommands and all possible options and arguments.

Acceptance Criteria

• Each page must successfully perform its specific functions, like managing genesis configurations, viewing and creating text files, and facilitating governance interactions.
• Final user acceptance testing to ensure all pages meet the project’s standards for functionality and ease of use.

Evidence of Milestone Completion

• Screenshots or video demonstrations of each page operating as intended.
• Code commits on GitHub documenting the development progress.

Project Close-out Report and Video

Milestone Outputs

• A comprehensive project close-out report detailing the development process, user engagement statistics, and overall impact.
• Production of a summary video showcasing the complete functionality of the application.

Acceptance Criteria

• The report must provide a detailed analysis of the project milestones, user engagement levels, and feedback.
• The video must effectively demonstrate how each part of the application operates and its benefits to users.

Evidence of Milestone Completion

• Published close-out report accessible to community.
• Publicly available video showcasing the application's comprehensive capabilities.

[RESOURCES] Who is in the project team and what are their roles?

Tolga Yaycı - Software Engineer

I will be the sole member of this project, responsible for all the aspects of the proposal’s work, from design to implementation. I completed my bachelor's degree in computer engineering and now working with blockchain protocols.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tolgayayci/

GitHub: https://github.com/tolgayayci/

[BUDGET & COSTS] Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

Developer Compensation

Compensation for the my time spent on designing, developing, testing, and launching the desktop application.

• Amount: 120,000 ADA
• Details: This covers full-time development work at a rate of 20,000 ADA per month for 6 months.

Maintenance and Support

Ongoing maintenance and user support for the extension for 12 months following the development period.

• Amount: 30,000 ADA
• Details: This will cover activities such as updating the application to keep it compatible with new versions of cardano-cli or electron, fixing any bugs that arise, and providing user support via forums and direct communications.

[VALUE FOR MONEY] How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

The cost of Cardano CLI GUI project is aligned with the typical costs associated with software development in the ecosystem, ensuring that the budget reflects the standard rates for skilled developers. I have worked at similar rates for some protocols. The budget also accounts for ongoing maintenance to ensure the tools remain robust and effective, providing long-term value without additional costs.

This project offers accessibility and efficiency to interact with Cardano blockchain in ease, thereby attracting more developers. It will also encourage more developers to engage with the Cardano, lowers entry barriers for newcomers, and improves the usage of development tools. Application will reduce development time and efforts for users, providing a strong return on investment through developer community growth, which justifies the project's cost as excellent value for money.