NEAR Query API allows developers to store indexer code on-chain and receive an auto-provisioned database with GraphQL API and indexed historical data, continuously updated through an indexer service that closely tracks the blockchain. The GraphQL API supports paginated and aggregate queries such as count, avg, min, etc. It also enables subscriptions through web sockets, allowing you to create user interfaces that update data without page refresh.

With QueryAPI, you can quickly get GraphQL endpoints and use them directly in your dApps to enrich the user experience and improve user interface performance.

In the latest release, Pagoda moved to a more scalable and stable infrastructure and open-sourced the code to make it easy to run it yourself and contribute to future development.

Sample Indexers

Additionally, Pagoda introduced several sample indexers:

• A social feed indexer for posts, likes, and comments with a corresponding component. This API currently powers the activity feed on near.org.
• A B.O.S component indexer with a widget feed that updates automatically with every commit using WebSockets.

User Interface

The NEAR Query API’s user-friendly interface, built using B.O.S components, provides easy access to all indexers and key features of the platform that streamline the process of building indexers:

• Access to all indexers built on the platform. Developers can learn from practical examples as indexers’ code and schemas are stored on-chain.
• Edit code online with autocomplete for easy access to block data and SQL tables for efficient development.
• Debug indexers on any block using the browser console for a familiar debugging experience.
• Build GraphQL queries using the GraphiQL playground.
• Auto-generate JSX code for swift B.O.S component development.
• Monitor indexer status and access logs written from JavaScript code.
• Start historical indexing from any block.

Documentation

Pagoda created documentation for QueryAPI to help you get started. Take a look at how it works, read about indexer functions, the context object, and check out the tutorials. To provide more insight into the capabilities of the NEAR Query API, the product team has prepared a walkthrough video that you can watch here.

Invitation to Beta Testing

Pagoda invites developers to register their interest in closed Beta testing of NEAR Query API. If you are interested in indexing smart contracts on Mainnet with moderate transactions per day, the team is eager to engage with you and help you get started. Please use this link to register your interest.

Build full-stack JavaScript dApps on NEAR

On NEAR, JavaScript developers can build smart contracts with low gas fees, fast and decentralized user interfaces on the B.O.S and powered by QueryAPI, and all without needing to worry about cloud infrastructure.

Pagoda will be working with B.O.S developers on improving the developer experience of building, debugging, using and maintaining indexers, as well as performance and scalability to prepare for general availability later this year.

Join in this exciting new chapter of full-stack JavaScript dApps with NEAR B.O.S. and NEAR Query API!

The post NEAR Query API Beta Is Now Open for Apps Building on B.O.S appeared first on NEAR Protocol.

Apps and components built on the NEAR B.O.S have always benefited from in-site notifications to keep their users informed about relevant updates. Until now, these notifications were only shown within near.org (and other compatible gateways), meaning that users had to visit the website to see them. Now, users can opt-in to receive push notifications directly on their computers and phones about important events in their favorite apps. This way, users can be notified in real time, even if they are not actively navigating near.org.

Why are push notifications useful?

Thanks to push notifications, users can receive timely updates and information about their account’s activities in real time and through multiple channels. The increase in awareness also benefits application developers by encouraging users to return to the app, thus significantly improving user engagement. This way, push notifications help to tackle one of the biggest problems for founders in Web3: re-engaging and retaining users. Nowadays, user retention rates in Web3 fall short of the industry standard for web apps, which stands at a 35% retention rate after 30 days. Thanks to web push notifications, developers on BOS now benefit from a powerful new tool to re-engage their user base.

What will the notification experience look like on near.org?

On near.org, users will be asked to opt-in to the new push notification system on their desktop and iOS/Android mobile browsers. (To enable browser push notifications on iOS, users need to update their device at least to iOS 16.4 and will also need to add the near.org website as an app icon to their home screen – see link.) If the user accepts, they will automatically start to receive notifications for baseline social activities on their account. Users will be able to view all notifications in the notification center, and set their notification preferences via the designated settings menu.

For developers implementing components and apps, the new notification system is completely transparent. Apps that already leverage the in-site notification system will automatically benefit from web push notifications, meaning their users will also be notified on their desktop and mobile in real time.

For gateway developers, Pagoda is releasing a comprehensive guide on how to add web push notifications using a simple web service.

What are some examples of notifications I could add to my application?

Notifications can apply to any event that developers want to inform users about. Some examples of how  developers have used these are:

• Notify updates on the status of a bid placed on an NFT marketplace.
• Tell users that they gained a new follower.  
• Inform of a reply to a comment on a discussion.
• Any other on-chain action that is sent to the current notification system.

How do I learn more and get started?

The best place to start is by checking the official documentation. You can also check examples of apps sending notifications such as the LikeButton and FollowButton. If you have any questions or need to reach out to the Pagoda product team, remember that we have weekly office hours, and an active Telegram channel where members of the community can help you. 

What’s coming next?

Stay tuned! Pagoda plans to release additional notification features later this year, including support for more granular notification settings and safeguards to manage notification volume for users on near.org. They will also be exploring support for near.org notifications via email.

The post Announcing Web Push Notifications on B.O.S appeared first on NEAR Protocol.

Onboarding new users is one of the biggest hurdles for Web3 dApps. Creating a Web3 wallet is still a painful process for most users who are new to crypto, because it usually involves downloading an app or browser extension, purchasing cryptocurrency on an exchange, and understanding and saving a seed phrase. For these reasons, conversion rates for new user sign-ups tend to be very low in Web3 as compared to Web2.

What is FastAuth?

FastAuth addresses this problem through a familiar, “Web2-like” onboarding flow: users can sign up with just an email, and they don’t need to save a seed phrase or password. Instead, their FastAuth account and keys are secured using “Passkeys,” a new technology that replaces passwords with biometrics such as fingerprints or FaceID linked to a device. 

Users can also recover access to their account at any time by using their email through the “MPC recovery” service. Developers can also choose to subsidize gas costs for a certain smart contract so that users can start interacting with their dApp immediately, without having to fund their own account. 

Who can apply for the FastAuth SDK Beta?

FastAuth is currently in a closed Beta. Any developer and/or founder building NEAR apps transacting on NEAR can apply for access to the SDK. The goal of this Beta is to collect feedback from founders and developers to help inform our roadmap and upcoming releases (see more on these below). 

Pagoda will request feedback from participants in the Beta, as they start building with FastAuth.

How do I learn more and get started?

You can try FastAuth for yourself by creating a new account on near.org. 

You can also apply to be part of the beta, and check out the SDK documentation. 

What’s coming next?

Pagoda is planning to release some additional key features later this year, including the ability to “white-label” the sign-up and sign-in flows, as well as multi-chain support. 

The post FastAuth SDK Beta Now Available appeared first on NEAR Protocol.

Hosted by popular Mantle dApp FusionX, the gateway, built in collaboration with the NEAR community, streamlines the discovery of Mantle applications and helps aggregate components of top dApps including the Mantle Bridge, Agni, Ammos, iZiSwap, FusionX, Gamma, Lendle, and soon Pendle, in one place. 

The gateway offers greater accessibility for developers and users, easier discoverability for the apps they build, and powerful composability. This was all made possible thanks to the B.O.S.

“Mantle has seen some great traction since their launch and we’re very excited to have a Mantle gateway built on B.O.S. Ethereum and DeFi users interested in discovering new projects can now find lots of Mantle apps in one place, with bridging already solved so they can get started right away,” says Illia Polosukhin, co-founder of NEAR Protocol. “The Mantle gateway demonstrates the value of B.O.S gateways for other L2s and EVM projects looking to increase discoverability.” 

Unlocking the Web3 ecosystem 

Mantle’s development on NEAR is a testament to the protocol’s commitment to creating the foundations for the open web. “We are delighted to ally with NEAR in bringing leading Mantle dApps to a wider community through the Mantle Ecosystem Gateway on B.O.S,” says Arjun Kalsy, head of ecosystem of Mantle. “Through this effort, we look to provide even more support to our dev community, and allow for more cross-pollination in our respective Web3 communities.” 

The Mantle gateway joins a growing list of projects that have partnered with the B.O.S to help unlock the full potential of Web3. A zkEVM B.O.S gateway for the Polygon ecosystem launched on NEAR to help increase accessibility and discoverability for developers, while also improving the user experience for end users exploring L2 ecosystems. 

While the B.O.S is built on NEAR, it offers many benefits  to founders and builders from EVM projects and across the whole Web3 ecosystem. The Blockchain Operating System speeds up the process of building multi-chain experiences, empowering builders from any ecosystem––including EVM projects such as Ethereum layer 2s––to focus on creating great products for users rather than on managing infrastructure. 

Developers can quickly build composable apps for the open web from thousands of flexible components, as well as seamlessly onboard users and increase discoverability across Web3 since every application utilising B.O.S is visible on a common interface. This collaboration brings new capabilities to developers and lets them build apps that can quickly reach more users.

The post Mantle Ecosystem Gateway Launches on the NEAR Blockchain Operating System (B.O.S) appeared first on NEAR Protocol.