Ride introduction

Ride is a purpose-designed smart contract language for the Waves Platform, created to address shortcomings in other blockchain programming languages. It offers a straightforward, developer-friendly approach to building decentralized applications (dApps) with predictable execution costs and enhanced security.

Key Features

• Statically-typed & Functional — A lazy, expression-based language influenced by Scala and F#, ensuring code clarity and safety.
• Non-Turing Complete — No loops or recursion at the VM level, with iterations handled via FOLD macros for predictable execution.
• Predictable Execution Cost — All code executes as intended with no failed transactions recorded on-chain, eliminating a major pain point.
• Blockchain-Optimized — Designed specifically for blockchain environments, with no filesystem or console access, only blockchain data reading and action returns.
• Secure by Design — Immutable variables, no null values, and built-in limitations to prevent common vulnerabilities.
• Annotations for dApps — Supports @Callable and @Verifier annotations for defining invocable functions and transaction validation rules.
• Rich Standard Library — Includes predefined blockchain data structures like Address, DataEntry, and ScriptTransfer for seamless dApp development.

Philosophy

Ride prioritizes simplicity, security, and predictability, making smart contract development accessible while ensuring robust and reliable dApp execution on the Waves blockchain.