Getting set up for CorDapp development

There are four pieces of required software for CorDapp development:

• Java 8 JDK
• IntelliJ IDEA
• Git
• Gradle

Installing the Java 8 JDK

Install the Java 8 JDK. Corda requires at least version 8u171, but do not currently support Java 9 or higher for this version of Corda.

Corda has been tested against the following Java builds:

• Oracle JDK
• Amazon Corretto
• Red Hat’s OpenJDK
• Zulu’s OpenJDK

If you are using Windows, you must also add Java to the PATH environment variable by following the instructions in the Oracle documentation.

Installing the IntelliJ IDEA

IntelliJ is an IDE that offers strong support for Kotlin and Java development.

Install the IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition. Corda supports IntelliJ IDEA versions 2017.x, 2018.x, 2019.x, and 2020.x; and Kotlin plugin version 1.2.71.

To install IntelliJ IDEA in a Ubuntu environment, navigate to the Jetbrains IntelliJ snap package.

Installing Git

We use Git to host our sample CorDapp and provide version control.

To install Git, navigate to Git and install your preferred version, depending on your OS.

Installing Gradle

If you intend to proceed directly to run a sample CorDapp, as described in Running a sample CorDapp, the included gradlew script should install Gradle automatically when you open the sample CorDapp in IntelliJ.

If you’d prefer to install Gradle manually, navigate to Gradle then locate and install Gradle version 5.6.4. Corda requires a Gradle version between 5.1 and 5.6.4, and does not support Gradle 6.x.

Next steps

First, run the sample CorDapp.

Next, read through the Corda Key Concepts to understand how Corda works.

By then, you’ll be ready to start writing your own CorDapps. You may want to refer to the API documentation, the flow cookbook and the samples along the way.

If you encounter any issues, please ask on Stack Overflow or via our Slack channels.