Ask in ChatGPT 
🛠️ Build and Deploy your First iApp
Reading time 🕒 10 mins
Time to build!
Let's build an iApp that can process protected data in a secure environment using the iExec iApp generator tool. This tool helps you create, test and deploy iApps with just a few commands.
If you wanna explore and deep dive in the CLI. You can check the iapp-cli github repository. Follow the instructions carefully for a smooth development experience.
📋 Prerequisites
Before getting started, make sure you have:
Don't worry! All secrets used in this tutorial stay on your machine and aren’t shared with anyone. You’ll only need them to run the iapp run command.
🚀 Types of iApps you Can Build
iExec enables you to build various types of Privacy-preserving applications. Here are some popular use cases:
📧 Web3 Mail
Send privacy-preserving emails to registered Ethereum account holders without knowing or storing their email addresses. Github | Documentation
💬 Web3 Telegram
Send privacy-preserving Telegram messages without knowing or storing their Telegram handles. Github | Documentation
🌐 Content Delivery
Transfer, sell or rent protected content to authorized users. Github | Documentation
These are just a few examples, the possibilities are endless. Want to explore iApp Generator? Check out our documentation and see what you can build!
💾 Installation (Win / Mac / Linux)
First, you need to install the iapp package. Open your terminal and run:
npm i -g @iexec/iappyarn global add @iexec/iapppnpm add -g @iexec/iappbun add -g @iexec/iappYou can check if the installation was successful by running:
#checking the version
iapp --version
#checking the available commands
iapp --help🛠️ Bootstrap your iApp
To initialize the working directory for developing your iApp, use the iapp init command. This command sets up the necessary project structure and files.
mkdir iexec-test
cd iexec-test
iapp initYou will be prompted with the following message:
_ _
(_) / \ _ __ _ __
| | / _ \ | '_ \| '_ \
| |/ ___ \| |_) | |_) |
|_/_/ \_\ .__/| .__/
|_| |_| We recommend selecting "Hello World" to quickly discover how iApp works! use advanced only if you are familiar with iExec.
- An iApp project is setup with the selected language
- An ethereum wallet has been created (we use it to sign the iApp creation onchain)
- A new folder has been created, it contains a very simple application, with the main code being located in
src/app.jsorsrc/app.py
🧪 Test your iApp
To test your iApp, run the iapp test command. This will build a Docker image and run your application locally to simulate the TEE environment. You'll see the following steps:
The iapp test command uses your local Docker to build and execute the app, simulating how it will run in the iExec network's TEE environment.
Common Issues:
- If you get Error: Docker daemon is not accessible: Make sure Docker is installed and running.
- If you get Error: Failed to locate iApp project root: Ensure you are in your project folder before proceeding.
🧩 Using Arguments
You can pass arguments to your iApp using the --args option. This allows you to provide necessary inputs during runtime (you can use your name for example).
iapp test --args your-name🔒 Using Protected Data
You can pass a protectedData that you are authorized to process to your iApp using the --protectedData option.
Since nothing is actually deployed during testing, we use Protected Data mocks to test the app. Using --protectedData default will provide your app with the default protectedData mock.
iapp test --protectedData defaultYou can check how args and protectedData are processed in src/app.js or src/app.py
🚀 Deploy your iApp
Deploy your iApp on the iExec protocol.
Once you have your token, you can deploy your iApp.
____ _
| _ \ ___ _ __ | | ___ _ _
| | | |/ _ \ '_ \| |/ _ \| | | |
| |_| | __/ |_) | | (_) | |_| |
|____/ \___| .__/|_|\___/ \__, |
|_| |___/ 📝 Make sure to save your iApp address after deployment - you'll need it later!
You can find your iApp address in the iexec-app.json file in your project folder.
⚠️ If you encounter issues during deployment, make sure Docker's BuildKit feature is enabled and supports AMD64 architecture:
docker buildx inspect --bootstrap | grep -i platformsThe output should include linux/amd64 in the list of supported platforms. If not, update to the latest Docker Desktop version which includes these requirements.
⚠️ If you set the wrong Docker username, you can change it by editing the iapp.config.json file
🏃 Run your iApp
Now you can run your application:
iapp run <my-iapp-address>To sum up the process, we take the iApp and wrap it in the iExec framework, allowing it to run securely in a Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) for confidential computing. If you want to explore further, you can check the protocol documentation here.
🎉 Congratulations! You've successfully deployed and run your first iApp on iExec. This is a significant milestone - your application is now ready to securely process confidential data in a trusted environment.
🎯 Key Takeaways
- 🔒 iApps: Special applications that run in TEEs to process protected data
- 🛠️ iApp CLI: Command-line tool for building, testing, and deploying iApps
- 🔐 Protected Data: Can be integrated and processed securely in your iApp
- ⛓️ Deployment: Apps are deployed on iExec protocol to run in trusted environments
Next up: Alice will learn how to authorize the iApp and Bob to access and use her protected data! 🚀