An opinionated Rust framework for writing Solana programs built on top of solana-program, exposing macros, functions, and patterns for safe and expressive on-chain code. Steel provides granular access to Solana program primitives while maintaining readability. Unlike Anchor's all-or-none approach, developers can selectively use only the Steel components they need.
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An opinionated Rust framework for writing Solana programs built on top of solana-program, exposing macros, functions, and patterns for safe and expressive on-chain code. Steel provides granular access to Solana program primitives while maintaining readability. Unlike Anchor's all-or-none approach, developers can selectively use only the Steel components they need.
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Anchor, local validators, explorers, SDKs, and testing workflows.
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Steel (steel) Category: Developer Tools Definition: An opinionated Rust framework for writing Solana programs built on top of solana-program, exposing macros, functions, and patterns for safe and expressive on-chain code. Steel provides granular access to Solana program primitives while maintaining readability. Unlike Anchor's all-or-none approach, developers can selectively use only the Steel components they need. Related: Pinocchio, Anchor Framework, solana-program Crate
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A zero-dependency Rust framework for writing Solana programs that prioritizes performance and precise control over convenience. Pinocchio uses zero-copy patterns for accessing program inputs and has no standard library dependency, significantly reducing compute unit usage compared to solana-program or Anchor. It does not generate IDLs automatically, requiring tools like Shank or Codama for client generation.
The most popular framework for building Solana programs in Rust. Anchor provides macros (#[program], #[account], #[derive(Accounts)]) that auto-generate boilerplate for account validation, serialization, discriminators, and error handling. It includes a CLI (anchor init/build/test/deploy), IDL generation, and TypeScript client generation. Reduces program code by ~80% compared to native development.
The Rust crate (solana-program) providing the core types and syscalls for on-chain program development. It includes: entrypoint!, msg!, AccountInfo, Pubkey, ProgramResult, invoke/invoke_signed, and system instruction builders. This crate compiles to SBF and must be used instead of solana-sdk for on-chain code.
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A Rust macro-based tool for generating IDL files from native Solana programs that do not use Anchor. Shank provides attribute macros like #[derive(ShankAccount)] and #[derive(ShankInstruction)] that annotate program code to produce IDL output compatible with Codama/Kinobi for client generation. A key component of the Pinocchio + Shank + Codama workflow.
A local Solana development environment that serves as an alternative to solana-test-validator, featuring hot reload capability that automatically redeploys programs when source code changes. Surfpool provides faster iteration cycles by eliminating manual rebuild-redeploy steps and offers a streamlined developer experience for building and testing Solana programs locally.
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A zero-dependency Rust framework for writing Solana programs that prioritizes performance and precise control over convenience. Pinocchio uses zero-copy patterns for accessing program inputs and has no standard library dependency, significantly reducing compute unit usage compared to solana-program or Anchor. It does not generate IDLs automatically, requiring tools like Shank or Codama for client generation.
The most popular framework for building Solana programs in Rust. Anchor provides macros (#[program], #[account], #[derive(Accounts)]) that auto-generate boilerplate for account validation, serialization, discriminators, and error handling. It includes a CLI (anchor init/build/test/deploy), IDL generation, and TypeScript client generation. Reduces program code by ~80% compared to native development.
The Rust crate (solana-program) providing the core types and syscalls for on-chain program development. It includes: entrypoint!, msg!, AccountInfo, Pubkey, ProgramResult, invoke/invoke_signed, and system instruction builders. This crate compiles to SBF and must be used instead of solana-sdk for on-chain code.
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The most popular framework for building Solana programs in Rust. Anchor provides macros (#[program], #[account], #[derive(Accounts)]) that auto-generate boilerplate for account validation, serialization, discriminators, and error handling. It includes a CLI (anchor init/build/test/deploy), IDL generation, and TypeScript client generation. Reduces program code by ~80% compared to native development.
The Anchor macro applied to structs to define on-chain account data layouts. `#[account]` auto-derives Borsh serialization, adds an 8-byte discriminator prefix (SHA-256 of 'account:<Name>'), and implements space calculation. Optional attributes: `#[account(zero_copy)]` for zero-copy deserialization of large accounts.
The Anchor macro that defines the accounts struct for an instruction. Each field specifies an account with validation constraints. Account types include: `Account<'info, T>` (deserialized), `Signer<'info>` (must sign), `Program<'info, T>` (program reference), `SystemAccount<'info>`, and `UncheckedAccount<'info>` (no validation, use carefully).
Declarative validation rules on Anchor account fields. Key constraints: `#[account(mut)]` (writable), `#[account(init, payer=x, space=n)]` (create), `#[account(seeds=[...], bump)]` (PDA validation), `#[account(has_one=field)]` (field equality), `#[account(constraint = expr)]` (custom boolean), `#[account(close=target)]` (close and reclaim rent).