Learn Compact 🌙

The definitive guide to learning Compact, Midnight's zero-knowledge smart contract language

This project extends the Midnight Network with additional developer tooling.

📖 What is This?

Learn Compact is an interactive book and exercise collection for learning the Compact programming language. Compact is the smart contract language for Midnight, a blockchain with native support for zero-knowledge proofs.

This project is inspired by:

• The Rust Programming Language
• Rustlings

🎯 Who is This For?

Developers with programming experience who want to:

• Build privacy-preserving smart contracts
• Learn zero-knowledge proof concepts
• Develop on the Midnight blockchain

Prerequisites:

• Programming experience in any language
• TypeScript/JavaScript knowledge (helpful but not required)
• Basic blockchain concepts (we'll cover what you need)

🚀 Getting Started

1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/Olanetsoft/learn-compact.git
cd learn-compact

2. Run Setup Script

chmod +x scripts/setup.sh
./scripts/setup.sh

3. Read the Book

# Install mdBook if you haven't
cargo install mdbook

# Serve the book locally
cd book
mdbook serve

Open http://localhost:3000 in your browser.

4. Do the Exercises

cd exercises/01_basics/01_hello_compact
# Read README.md
# Edit exercise.compact
# Compile to check your solution
compact compile exercise.compact

📚 Structure

learn-compact/
├── book/               # mdBook source (the textbook)
│   └── src/
│       ├── ch00-introduction.md
│       ├── ch01-getting-started/
│       ├── ch02-basic-concepts/
│       └── ...
├── exercises/          # Hands-on exercises (rustlings-style)
│   ├── 01_basics/
│   ├── 02_types/
│   ├── 03_circuits/
│   └── solutions/
├── examples/           # Complete working contracts
│   ├── counter/
│   ├── bulletin-board/
│   └── voting/
└── scripts/            # Helper scripts

📝 Exercise Workflow

1. Read the corresponding chapter in the book
2. Open the exercise folder
3. Read the exercise README.md
4. Edit exercise.compact to complete the TODOs
5. Compile with compact compile exercise.compact
6. Fix any errors
7. Move to the next exercise

Check your progress:

./scripts/verify.sh

🎓 Learning Path

Part	Topics	Exercises
1. Foundations	Intro, Setup, Basics	01_basics
2. Type System	Primitives, Compounds, User-defined	02_types
3. Core Features	Circuits, Witnesses, Control Flow	03_circuits, 04_witnesses
4. State Management	Ledger, Counter, Map, Set	05_ledger
5. Advanced	Stdlib, Modules, TypeScript	06_patterns
6. Projects	Counter, Bulletin Board, Voting	examples/

⚠️ Common Mistakes

Wrong	Correct
ledger { field: Type }	export ledger field: Type;
circuit fn(): Void	circuit fn(): []
Choice::rock	Choice.rock
witness fn(): T { }	witness fn(): T;

See Chapter 19: Common Mistakes for the full list.

🔧 Version Compatibility

• Compact Language: v0.16+
• Compiler: compact v0.5.1 (compiler 0.30.0, runtime 0.15.0)
• Last Updated: April 2026

🤝 Contributing

Contributions welcome! Please:

1. Ensure all Compact code compiles
2. Each exercise tests ONE concept
3. Follow the progressive difficulty structure

📜 License

MIT License - See LICENSE for details.

🔗 Resources

• Midnight Official Docs
• Compact Language Reference
• Midnight Discord
• Local Development Network - Run your own local Midnight node (community tool by Brick Towers)

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Happy Learning! 🚀