CARO: Cardano Dev Studio - Desktop GUI for Cardano CLI

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Tolga Yaycı

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

Individual

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

6

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

No

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

Caro streamlines Cardano development by providing a graphical interface and comprehensive toolkit, empowering developers to efficiently interact with Cardano and making it easy to use for everyone.

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

No

[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?

Yes

[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.

[METADATA] Horizons

Developer Tools

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution

Cardano Studio (CARO), is a cross-platform React based desktop application designed to improve the interactions of Cardano by utilizing cardano-cli.

There is a technical difficulty of using the Cardano CLI, which limits broader participation in the Cardano ecosystem. Leveraging the power of the cardano-cli, CARO provides an intuitive graphical interface and a rich set of tools that abstract the complexities of Cardano development and interaction, making it more accessible and efficient for developers of all skill levels.

Key Features of Caro:

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

• Address Management:
• Visual interface for creating, managing, and converting addresses (payment and stake)
• Easy generation of payment and stake key pairs
• Simplified address building process

• Stake and Pool Operations:
• Interface for stake address registration and delegation
• Tools for stake pool registration and management
• Visual representation of stake pool metadata

• Transaction Management:
• Intuitive transaction builder interface
• Visual tool for calculating transaction fees
• A streamlined process for building, signing, and submitting transactions
• Support for multi-asset transactions

• Node Operations:
• Interface for basic node operations (as supported by Cardano CLI)

• Query Interface:
• Easy-to-use forms for querying blockchain data (UTxO, tip, stake distribution, etc.)
• Visual display of query results

• Key Management:
• Visual tools for key generation and management
• Support for various key types (payment, stake, genesis, etc.)

• Governance Operations:
• Interface for creating and submitting governance actions (votes, proposals)
• Tools for generating update proposals

• Genesis Block Operations:
• Visual interface for genesis-related commands

• Project Management:
• Visual representation of Cardano project structure
• Easy navigation between multiple Cardano projects
• Simplified interface for common Cardano CLI commands

• Network Management:
• Easy switching between Cardano networks (mainnet, testnet, preview)
• Interface for managing custom network configurations

• Command History and Logs:
• Detailed history of executed CLI commands
• Log viewer for command outputs

• About Section:
• Display of version of cardano-cli with other references such as Caro docs etc.

• CARO AI Assistant:
• Integrated AI assistant providing instant support for Cardano CLI commands
• Offers command usage explanations, code snippets, and troubleshooting help
• Trained on Cardano documentation and best practices
• Provides context-aware responses within the CARO interface

Caro targets both current Cardano users who find the CLI cumbersome and potential users intimidated by the command line's complexity from beginners to experts.

The success of the Caro will be measured through download counts from Github Releases, active user counts (with analytics implemented), and community feedback.

By providing this visual interface to Cardano CLI, we aim to lower the barrier to entry for Cardano development, reduce errors in Cardano interactions, and ultimately contribute to the growth and adoption of the dev-tools ecosystem.

[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. Here's how I envision the impact,

1. Unified Development Environment: Integrates various Cardano CLI functionalities into a single graphical interface, reducing context switching and streamlining the development workflow for increased productivity.
2. Increased Developer Adoption: By simplifying the interface to Cardano CLI, we expect to see more developers, especially those new to blockchain, start building on Cardano.
3. Visual Representation: Transforms complex Cardano blockchain interactions into interactive interfaces, making development more accessible and understandable, especially for newcomers to the ecosystem.
4. Faster Development Cycles: With a more intuitive interface, developers can focus on building their applications rather than struggling with CLI syntax, potentially accelerating project timelines.
5. Multi-Project Management: Allows effortless management and switching between multiple Cardano projects within one interface, benefiting developers working on multiple smart contracts or applications simultaneously.
6. Interactive Transaction Building: Provides an easy-to-use interface for constructing, signing, and submitting transactions without CLI commands, significantly speeding up testing and debugging processes.
7. Integrated Query System: Simplifies blockchain queries with a user-friendly interface, offering real-time data retrieval and visualization, which is more intuitive than CLI-based querying.
8. Network Management: Offers easy setup and switching between Cardano networks (mainnet, testnet, etc.), facilitating more flexible development and testing scenarios.
9. Visual Key and Address Management: Transforms text-based key and address operations into a more intuitive, graphical experience, making these critical tasks more accessible and less error-prone.
10. Ecosystem Growth: Lowers the barrier to entry for Cardano development, providing an easy-to-use environment that simplifies the transition for developers into Cardano, potentially accelerating ecosystem growth.
11. Extensibility: Designed to easily integrate future Cardano tools and features as the ecosystem evolves, ensuring Cardano CLI Studio remains a relevant and comprehensive solution.
12. Error Reduction: Eliminates direct command-line tool interactions with numerous commands that can be error-prone and cumbersome, reducing the likelihood of mistakes and improving overall development efficiency.

[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 built similar tools as grant projects for Stellar and Internet Computer (with request of Dfinity Foundation) and now I am looking to build it for Cardano. Below similar implementations may give you the core idea about Caro.

For Stellar protocol, I have built Sora which offers similar features as Caro. You can see its documentation and other resources to understand more about Caro.

• Sora documentation: https://thesora.app/
• Sora Github: https://github.com/tolgayayci/sora
• Sora Demo Video (from old release): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CjCdlBRklgf6W-FWlM4U_OvovgQvc7nr/view

Stellar and Internet Computer communities love using these apps. You can see the traction of Sora:

• 26+ stars in Github: https://github.com/tolgayayci/sora
• Total of 800+ downloads and you can see the release download counts from this link: https://tooomm.github.io/github-release-stats/?username=tolgayayci&repository=sora

I have also built a similar tool for Internet Computer called Dfinity Dashboard as a RFP project:

• dfx Dashboard Github: https://github.com/tolgayayci/dfx-dashboard

I have also experience working with well-known protocols such as Arbitrum, Polkadot, Solana etc. showcasing my ability to handle multiple ecosystems and expertise. I have developed more than 10 projects for 7+ protocols which are well received by the communities and developers. All of these projects are open-source and available on GitHub.

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

Core Interface and Address Management

Milestone outputs

• Develop the main application framework
• Implement Address Page functionality
• Implement Stake Address Page functionality
• Implement Key Management features

Acceptance criteria

• The application launches and displays a functional GUI
• Users can create, validate, and convert payment addresses
• Users can register, deregister, and query stake addresses
• Key generation and management for various types (payment, stake, genesis) is operational

Evidence of milestone completion

• GitHub repository with completed code for the core interface and address management features
• Screenshot and video demonstration of the working interface
• Unit tests covering the implemented functionality

Transaction and Node Management

Milestone outputs

• Implement Transaction Page functionality
• Develop Node Page features
• Create Query Page for blockchain data retrieval
• Develop and integrate CAR.AI Assistant

Acceptance criteria

• Users can build, sign, and submit transactions through the interface
• Transaction fee calculation is accurate and displayed visually
• Node operations (start-up, shut-down) can be managed through the GUI
• Blockchain queries (UTxO, tip, stake distribution) are functional and results are displayed clearly
• CARO AI Assistant can provide accurate command usage explanations, code snippets, and basic troubleshooting help

Evidence of milestone completion

• Updated GitHub repository with new features
• Video demonstration of transaction creation and submission
• Documentation of node management features
• Test cases and results for blockchain queries
• Demonstration of CARO AI Assistant functionality with sample queries and responses

Stake Pool, Governance, and Advanced Features

Milestone outputs

• Implement Stake Pool Page functionality
• Develop Governance Page features
• Create Genesis Page for genesis block configurations
• Implement Text View Page for file operations
• Develop Network Management features

Acceptance criteria

• Users can register and update stake pools, and monitor their performance
• Governance actions (voting, proposal submissions) can be managed through the interface
• Genesis block configurations can be created and managed
• Text view files can be viewed, created, and decoded
• Switching between different Cardano networks (mainnet, testnet, preview) is possible

Evidence of milestone completion

• Final GitHub repository with all features implemented
• Comprehensive video walkthrough of all major features
• User manual documenting all functionalities
• Complete set of unit and integration tests

Project Close-out Report and Video

Milestone outputs

• Comprehensive project close-out report
• Final project demonstration video

Acceptance criteria

• The close-out report includes:
• Summary of all completed features
• Challenges faced and solutions implemented
• Future development roadmap
• Demonstration video showcases:
• All key features of Cardano CLI Studio

Evidence of milestone completion

• Detailed project close-out report document
• High-quality demonstration video (10-15 minutes) uploaded to a video-sharing platform
• The final version of the application available for download with all documentation

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

Tolga Yaycı - Software Developer

A full-stack developer with three years of experience, Tolga holds a degree in Computer Science. He has created several Web3 applications and developed complex React and Next.js projects, demonstrating his ability to build robust web and desktop applications. Tolga is currently a contractor for ApeWorX.

Have 10+ grantee projects for more than 7 protocols such as Arbitrum, Internet Computer, and Stellar.

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tolgayayci/
• GitHub: https://github.com/tolgayayci

Notable grantee projects include:

• Sora (Soroban CLI GUI) - https://github.com/tolgayayci/sora
• Arbitrum Stylus VS Code Extension - https://github.com/tolgayayci/stylus-vscode-extension
• dfx GUI for dfx-cli - https://github.com/tolgayayci/dfx-dashboard

[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 Caro.

• Amount: 60,000 ADA for Core Application Development
• Details: This covers full-time development work at a rate of 10,000 ADA per month for 6 months.

Maintenance and Support: Ongoing maintenance and user support for the Caro app for 12 months following the development period.

• Amount: 15,000 ADA
• Details: This will cover activities such as updating the application to keep it compatible with new versions of cardano-cli, 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 the project is structured to ensure efficient use of funds while delivering specialized project. The total budget of 75,000 ADA (approximately $25,280 USD) is allocated over a 6-month development period. This equates to 12,500 ADA per month, or roughly $4,213 USD per month, which is competitive for advanced software development, particularly given the expertise required in the Cardano ecosystem, React, and desktop application development. By simplifying and streamlining Cardano development with Caro, this project offers excellent value for money, potentially accelerating developer adoption and improving overall ecosystem engagement.

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.