Step 4: Create a Blockchain App in VSCode

In this step, you'll create a blockchain application using the IBM Blockchain Extension you installed in Step 3.

The instruction for this step are included in the IBM Blockchain Extension itself. The instructions are included in the step "Local Smart Contract Development" which is listed as 20-30 minutes.

To access the lab, click the IBM Blockchain Platform Extension icon on the left side of your VSCode environment:

Once you've clicked this, you may have to click the IBM Blockchain Extension icon in the upper-right of your VSCode window:

Here are some common issues you may run into, and their resolutions:

Issues with Prerequisites

• Ensure you've installed the correct version of VSCode per Step 3. Under the "Code" menu select "About Visual Studio Code" to make sure you are using v1.39.x. This may also require you to turn off automatic updates for the duration of the lab.

Issues with npm's fabric-shim module

• You may be running into issues because you are using a newer version of Node. You can manually install version 10, which is what the lab is configured for. Instructions can be found at this link.

• You may need to manually download an older version of fabric-shim, as discussed in this GitHub issue. Execute the command npm i fabric-shim@2.0.0-snapshot.124