Use Ethers.js to Interact With the Ethereum Virtual Machine in Remix

A beginner’s guide for ethers.js

Photo by Choong Deng Xiang on Unsplash

Ethers.js and web3.js are two JavaScript libraries that allow developers to interact with the Ethereum blockchain. Both of them are open-source libraries that can accomplish the tasks for Ethereum developers.

The following is a diagram of npm trends between ethers.js and web3.js:

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Web3.js is built by the Ethereum Foundation, with 281 contributors. The library has been extensively adopted by many projects. We have written an article on how to use web3.js in Remix.

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In this article, we take a close look at ethers.js, which was initially developed and maintained by Rick Moore, a Canadian developer. Currently, it has 14 contributors. The library has a smaller bundle size, is well tested, documented, and maintained.

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The Working Environment

We use Remix, a full-stack React framework, as a base to explore ethers.js. The following command creates a Remix project:

% npx create-remix my-remix-app
% cd my-remix-app

Set up ethers, along with react-json-pretty:

npm i ethers react-json-pretty

These packages become part of dependencies in package.json:

The Remix working environment is ready to explore ethers.js.

Provider, Signer, and Contract