Midnight Idea - Compact smart contracts in JetBrains IDEs

[Proposal setup] Proposal title

Please provide your proposal title

Midnight Idea - Compact smart contracts in JetBrains IDEs

[Proposal Summary] Time

Please specify how many months you expect your project to last

3

[Proposal Summary] Translation Information

Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated

No

Original Language

en

[Proposal Summary] Problem Statement

What is the problem you want to solve?

Many Midnight devs prefer JetBrains tools like WebStorm or PhpStorm over VS Code, but there is no Compact support, so they must switch editors or write Midnight DApps without proper IDE tooling.

[Proposal Summary] Project Dependencies

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

No

Describe any dependencies or write 'No dependencies'

This project depends on official Midnight tooling and JetBrains IDEs only: the Compact compiler, Midnight CLI, a Midnight testnet or local node, and JetBrains IDEs. No other organisations are required.

[Proposal Summary] Project Open Source

Will your project's outputs be fully open source?

Yes

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

Yes. The MidnightIdea plugin, Compact templates, reference DApp, tests and helper scripts will all be fully open source under a permissive license (MIT or Apache 2.0) in a public repository.

[Theme Selection] Theme

Please choose the most relevant theme and tag related to the outcomes of your proposal

Developer Tools

[Campaign Category] Category Questions

What is useful about your DApp within one of the specified industry or enterprise verticals?

• Vertical - Development and Tools.
• Many teams already use WebStorm or PhpStorm as their main IDE for web, backend and infra.
• Right now Compact and Midnight workflows are VS Code first, so JetBrains users lose their normal refactors, navigation and test tooling.
• MidnightIdea brings Compact editing, building, testing and proof server control into JetBrains, where those developers already spend their day.
• The small example DApp simply demonstrates how to wire Midnight from this IDE setup - it is a teaching tool, not the main value.

What exactly will you build? List the Compact contract(s) and key functions/proofs, the demo UI flow, Lace (Midnight) wallet integration, and your basic test plan.

• Core output - Midnight Idea plugin
  • Stabilise the existing PoC into a v1.0 plugin for WebStorm, PhpStorm and related IDEs.
  • Features:
    • Compact language support for .compact (highlighting, diagnostics, formatter, live templates).
    • Toolchain config for Compact compiler and Midnight CLI, plus network profiles.
    • Run configurations for build and test commands.
    • Midnight tool window for contracts, tests and proof server logs.
  • Goal: JetBrains users can open a Midnight project and do all contract work without leaving the IDE.
• Reference example - Compact contract and Lace demo
  • One small contract membership.compact that stores membership data and exposes a simple proof like "is member" using Compact.
  • Minimal Node or TypeScript demo that:
    • Lets a user connect Lace.
    • Calls the contract and shows Allowed or Denied.
  • This lives under examples/ and exists only to show how to hook Midnight flows into the plugin setup.
• Test plan
  • Contract level tests for membership.compact - add or update member, valid proof, invalid proof.
  • Integration: run builds and tests from MidnightIdea run configs on at least one IDE per OS.
  • Manual check that the example can be launched from the IDE, uses Lace, and reaches the expected result on testnet or local env.

How will other developers learn from and reuse your repo? Describe repo structure, README contents, docs/tutorials, test instructions, and extension points. Which developer personas benefit, and how will you gauge impact (forks, stars, issues, remixes)?

• Repo structure
  • plugin/ - Midnight Idea plugin source and build scripts.
  • _examples/role-gated-dapp/ _- the small Compact + Lace example.
• Docs
  • Root README - install plugin, supported IDEs, quick start with an existing Midnight project.
  • plugin/README - how to build the plugin, configure toolchain paths, create run configs.
  • examples/README - how to run the example, connect Lace, and where to tweak it.
• How others reuse it
  • Most teams will not copy the example contract. They will:
    • Install Midnight Idea from Marketplace or the repo.
    • Point it at their own Compact code and tests.
    • Reuse the same build and test run configurations and proof server workflow.
  • The example is there to show one concrete wiring pattern so they can quickly map it to their own DApp.
• Personas
  • JetBrains based web and backend devs building Midnight DApps.
  • Contract and infra engineers who want IDE level feedback instead of pure CLI.
• Impact signals
  • JetBrains Marketplace installs and reviews.
  • GitHub stars, forks, issues and pull requests.

Other Midnight repos with suggested "Midnight Idea compatible" label, or fork the example as a starting point.

[Your Project and Solution] Solution

Please describe your proposed solution and how it addresses the problem

Midnight Idea solves the problem by bringing Compact and Midnight workflows directly into JetBrains IDEs that many web developers already use.

• Core of the project - a production ready JetBrains plugin for WebStorm, PhpStorm and related IDEs.
  • Compact language support for .compact files - highlighting, diagnostics, formatter, live templates.
  • Toolchain settings for Compact compiler, Midnight CLI and network profiles.
  • Run configurations to build contracts and run tests from inside the IDE.
  • Midnight tool window for contracts, tests and proof server status.
• To make it concrete, the plugin ships with one small example project that shows a Compact contract plus a minimal Lace based demo.
• Developers that prefer JetBrains can stay in their usual environment and still get a full Compact workflow instead of switching editors or relying on bare CLI tools.

[Your Project and Solution] Impact

Please define the positive impact your project will have on Midnight ecosystem

How it brings value

• Unlocks Midnight development for JetBrains users - a large group of web and backend devs.
• Reduces setup friction for new teams - install plugin, open project, build and test.
• Encourages better testing and safer contracts because tests and diagnostics live in the IDE, not hidden behind scripts.

How I will measure impact

• Installs, ratings and feedback on JetBrains Marketplace.
• Stars, forks, issues and pull requests on the public GitHub repo.
• References from Midnight development teams or projects that list Midnight Idea as their main IDE tool.

How outputs will be shared

• Plugin published on JetBrains Marketplace and via GitHub releases.
• Source code, example project and docs all in a public repo under a permissive open source license.
• I will share releases and guides in Midnight and Cardano developer channels so other builders can adopt it quickly.

[Your Project and Solution] Capabilities & 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 over 18 years of web development experience and more than 6 years with modern stacks like PHP, TypeScript and Flutter, plus strong background in tooling and CI.
• I already have a working proof of concept of the Midnight Idea plugin built with the Gradle IntelliJ plugin - it loads in JetBrains IDEs and recognises Compact projects, so the approach is proven.
• I attended the Midnight Summit hackathon in London and have been working hands on with Compact and Midnight tooling, so I understand how the plugin needs to interact with the official toolchain.
• I am the primary developer.

Why this is feasible in 3 months

• Scope is focused: polish and package the existing plugin into v1.0, add one reference DApp project, write tests and documentation, and test across WebStorm, PhpStorm and at least one more IDE (most likely IntelliJ IDEA).
• Work is split into three milestones with clear outputs and evidence - plugin v1.0, reference DApp integration, and docs plus Marketplace packaging.
• All work happens in a public repository, with tagged releases and milestone reports, so reviewers and the community can see progress and verify that funds are used to deliver the promised code and documentation.

[Final Pitch] Budget & Costs

Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

Total requested budget: 10 000 USDM for a 3 month project. The cost represents my senior developer time to implement, test and document the plugin and example DApp.

Milestone 1 - Core plugin and toolchain setup: 2 000 USDM

Around 40 hours of senior development to stabilise the existing PoC, implement deep Compact editing (highlighting, live diagnostics, formatter, templates, autocomplete), improve basic linting and add robust toolchain configuration including WSL support on Windows. Includes time to set up the public repo, initial CI build and produce the first installable plugin build.

Milestone 2 - Workflow integration and reference DApp: 3 000 USDM

Around 60 hours of development to add run configurations, test runner integration, proof server control and quick refactors, plus polishing autocomplete and diagnostics. Also covers design and implementation of the small reference Compact project with tests and a Lace connected demo, wired to Midnight Idea run configurations.

Milestone 3 - Multi IDE testing, docs and Marketplace release: 5 000 USDM

Around 100 hours for cross IDE and cross OS testing, documenting a simple test matrix, writing detailed README, quick start and troubleshooting guides, recording a short walkthrough video and preparing the signed plugin package and listing for JetBrains Marketplace. This also includes time for iterations based on reviewer feedback during Marketplace and Catalyst close out.

.

All funds go toward my development and testing time. There are no agency fees, marketing spend or hardware purchases planned.

[Final Pitch] Value for Money

How does the cost of the project represent value for the Midnight ecosystem?

The cost covers turning an existing PoC into a stable, multi IDE plugin plus a reusable example project that any Midnight developer using WebStorm or PhpStorm can adopt immediately. Instead of switching editors or wiring Compact tools by hand with ad hoc scripts, developers get a native JetBrains workflow that just works.

For 10 000 USDM the ecosystem gets:

• first class Compact support in popular JetBrains IDEs
• a standard way to build, test and run proofs directly from the IDE
• a small but complete reference project that shows how to connect Midnight and Lace in practice and showcases the plugin features

Each developer that installs Midnight Idea saves time on setup, avoids mistakes around tool configuration and gains better testing and refactoring support. Because the plugin and example are fully open source under a permissive license, future improvements and bug fixes benefit the whole Midnight community while the funding is a one time cost.

[Self-Assessment] Self-Assessment Checklist

I confirm that the proposal clearly provides a basic prototype reference application for one of the areas of interest.

Yes

I confirm that the proposal clearly defines which part of the developer journey it improves and how it makes building on Midnight easier and more productive.

Yes

I confirm that the proposal explicitly states the chosen permissive open-source license (e.g., MIT, Apache 2.0) and commits to a public code repository.

Yes

I confirm that the team provides evidence of their technical ability and experience in creating developer tools or high-quality technical content (e.g., GitHub, portfolio).

Yes

I confirm that a plan for creating and maintaining clear, comprehensive documentation is a core part of the proposal's scope.

Yes

I confirm that the budget and timeline (3 months) are realistic for delivering the proposed tool or resource.

Yes

[Required Acknowledgements] Consent & Confirmation

I Agree

Yes