TronBox vs Hardhat

This guide compares TronBox and Hardhat for developers familiar with Hardhat who want to understand the similarities and differences.

Command Mapping

From Hardhat to TronBox

Hardhat developers will need to adjust to TronBox's migration-based workflow:

Task	Hardhat	TronBox	Notes
Initialize	npx hardhat init	tronbox init	Different structure
Compile	npx hardhat compile	tronbox compile	Similar
Deploy	npx hardhat run scripts/deploy.js --network <name>	tronbox migrate --network <name>	Use migrations
Test	npx hardhat test --network <name>	tronbox test --network <name>	Different assertions

Key adaptation: Convert your deployment scripts to numbered migration files.

Configuration Comparison

From Hardhat Config to TronBox Config

Hardhat Configuration (hardhat.config.js):

JavaScript

require('@nomicfoundation/hardhat-toolbox');

module.exports = {
  networks: {
    localhost: {
      url: 'http://127.0.0.1:8545',
      accounts: [process.env.PRIVATE_KEY]
    },
    mainnet: {
      url: `https://mainnet.infura.io/v3/${process.env.INFURA_KEY}`,
      accounts: [process.env.PRIVATE_KEY],
      chainId: 1
    }
  },
  solidity: {
    version: '0.8.6'
  }
};

TronBox Configuration (tronbox-config.js):

JavaScript

module.exports = {
  networks: {
    development: {
      privateKey: process.env.PRIVATE_KEY, // ⚠️ Single key, not array
      feeLimit: 1e8, // ⚠️ Resource limit
      fullHost: 'http://127.0.0.1:9090', // ⚠️ Use `fullHost`, not `url`
      network_id: '9'
    },
    mainnet: {
      privateKey: process.env.PRIVATE_KEY,
      feeLimit: 1e8,
      fullHost: 'https://api.trongrid.io', // ⚠️ TRON mainnet
      network_id: '1'
    }
  },
  compilers: {
    solc: {
      version: '0.8.6' // ⚠️ TVM Solidity version
    }
  }
};

Key differences:

• 🔧 Compiler: Configure your TVM compiler under the compilers.solc object.
• 🔑 Authentication: Provide a single privateKey for the account.
• 🌐 Endpoint: Use fullHost to specify the network URL.
• ⚡ Resources: Set the feeLimit as the resource upper limit for a transaction.
• 🔌 Plugins: No external plugins needed; core features are built-in.

Blockchain Interaction Library

From Ethers.js (Hardhat) to TronWeb

Ethers.js pattern you know:

JavaScript

const { ethers } = require('hardhat');

// Deploy contract
const MyContract = await ethers.getContractFactory('MyContract');
const contract = await MyContract.deploy({ gasLimit: 3000000 });
await contract.waitForDeployment();

// Call function
const result = await contract.getValue();

// Send transaction
await contract.setValue(42);

TronWeb equivalent:

JavaScript

const { TronWeb } = require('tronweb');
const tronWeb = new TronWeb({
  fullHost: 'http://127.0.0.1:9090',
  privateKey: process.env.PRIVATE_KEY
});

// Deploy contract
const contract = await tronWeb.contract().new({
  abi: abi,
  bytecode: bytecode,
  feeLimit: 1e8,
  parameters: [arg1, arg2]
});

// Call function
const result = await contract.getValue();

// Send transaction
await contract.setValue(42);

Key differences:

• 🔑 Private key: set on the TronWeb instance.
• 🧭 Sender: Signer is configured in TronWeb instance.
• ⚡ Fees: use feeLimit (replaces gasLimit + gasPrice).
• 📮 Addresses: Base58 (T...) instead of 0x....

Testing Comparison

Hardhat to TronBox Testing

Main changes:

Aspect	Hardhat	TronBox
Structure	describe() + it()	contract() + it()
Assertions	expect(x).to.equal(y)	assert.equal(x, y)
Deployment	await Contract.deploy()	await Contract.new()
Accounts	await ethers.getSigners()	accounts parameter

Example conversion:

JavaScript

// Hardhat
const { expect } = require('chai');

describe('MyContract', function () {
  let contract;
  let owner;

  beforeEach(async function () {
    [owner] = await ethers.getSigners();
    const MyContract = await ethers.getContractFactory('MyContract');
    contract = await MyContract.deploy();
  });

  it('should work', async function () {
    expect(await contract.getValue()).to.equal(0);
  });
});

JavaScript

// TronBox
const MyContract = artifacts.require('MyContract');

contract('MyContract', accounts => {
  let instance;

  beforeEach(async () => {
    instance = await MyContract.new();
  });

  it('should pass test', async () => {
    // Test code here
    const result = await instance.getValue();
    assert.equal(result, expectedValue);
  });
});

Common Pitfalls & Solutions

For Hardhat Developers

Issue	Cause	Solution
"Invalid address"	Using 0x... format	Use TRON Base58 addresses (T...)
"Out of energy"	Insufficient feeLimit	Increase feeLimit to 1e8 or higher
"expect is not defined"	Using Hardhat assertions	Use assert instead of expect
Tests fail with ethers	ethers not compatible	Replace with tronWeb
Migration fails	Wrong network config	Check fullHost

Quick Reference: Code Snippets

Contract Deployment

JavaScript

// Hardhat
const MyContract = await ethers.getContractFactory('MyContract');
const contract = await MyContract.deploy(arg1, arg2);

// TronBox
const MyContract = artifacts.require('MyContract');
const instance = await MyContract.new(arg1, arg2);

Reading Contract State

JavaScript

// Hardhat
const value = await contract.getValue();

// TronBox
const value = await instance.getValue(); // ✅ Same!

Sending Transactions

JavaScript

// Hardhat
await contract.setValue(42);

// TronBox
await instance.setValue(42); // ✅ Same!

Summary

For Hardhat Developers

What's different:

• ⚠️ ether → tronWeb
• ⚠️ Address format (0x... → T...)
• ⚠️ Units (wei/ether → sun/TRX)
• ⚠️ Migration-based deployment (not custom scripts)
• ⚠️ Different test assertions (assert, not expect)
• ⚠️ Config file name and network params
• ⚠️ Global installation (not per-project)

What you'll appreciate:

• ✅ Built-in migration state tracking
• ✅ Simpler transaction sending (no gas estimation)
• ✅ Familiar Solidity compilation

Your advantage: More structured deployment process!

Next Steps

1. Install TronBox: npm install -g tronbox
2. Try a quick start: tronbox init
3. Get testnet TRX: Visit Nile faucet
4. Deploy your first contract: tronbox migrate --network nile
5. Explore TronWeb: Practice unit conversion and basic API usage
6. Migrate a real project: Follow the migration workflows in the next guide

Welcome to TRON development! 🚀