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getting-started.md

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Getting Started with Relaycode

Welcome to Relaycode! This tutorial will guide you through building and submitting your first extrinsic on Polkadot.

What is Relaycode?

Relaycode is an extrinsic builder for the Polkadot ecosystem. It provides a user-friendly interface for:

  • Building extrinsics - Construct any pallet call using human-readable forms
  • Encoding/Decoding - Convert between form values and SCALE-encoded hex
  • Wallet integration - Connect your wallet to sign and submit transactions
  • Bi-directional editing - Edit via form or raw hex, with real-time sync

Prerequisites

  • A Polkadot-compatible wallet (Polkadot.js extension, Talisman, SubWallet, etc.)
  • Some DOT or testnet tokens for transaction fees

Selecting a Chain

Before connecting, choose which chain to interact with using the Chain Selector dropdown in the navbar:

  • Polkadot - Mainnet (real DOT)
  • Kusama - Canary network (real KSM)
  • Westend - Testnet (free test tokens, marked with "testnet" badge)

For your first time, we recommend selecting Westend so you can experiment without spending real tokens.

Connecting Your Wallet

  1. Open Relaycode and navigate to the Builder page
  2. Select your chain from the chain selector dropdown
  3. Click "Connect" in the top navigation
  4. Select your wallet from the available options (Polkadot.js, Talisman, or SubWallet)
  5. Approve the connection in your wallet extension
  6. Your connected accounts will appear in the Account selector

Once connected, you'll see your account balance and be able to select accounts for transactions.

Understanding the Interface

Relaycode uses a dual-pane interface:

┌─────────────────────────────────┬─────────────────────────────────┐
│                                 │                                 │
│         FORM PANE               │         HEX PANE                │
│                                 │                                 │
│  Human-readable inputs          │  SCALE-encoded call data        │
│  - Pallet selector              │  - Live hex preview             │
│  - Method selector              │  - Editable hex input           │
│  - Parameter inputs             │  - Auto-decode on edit          │
│                                 │                                 │
└─────────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────────┘

Left Pane (Form): Select pallets, methods, and fill in parameters using friendly input components.

Right Pane (Hex): See the resulting encoded call data in real-time. You can also paste hex to decode and edit.

Building Your First Extrinsic

Let's create a simple balance transfer:

Step 1: Select Pallet and Method

  1. In the Pallet dropdown, search for and select "Balances"
  2. In the Method dropdown, select "transferKeepAlive"

The form will update to show the required parameters.

Step 2: Fill in Parameters

The transfer requires two parameters:

dest (Destination)

  • Click the destination field
  • Select an account from your connected accounts, or
  • Paste an SS58 address, or
  • Select from recent addresses

value (Amount)

  • Enter the amount to transfer
  • Use the denomination selector (DOT, mDOT, planck)
  • Your available balance is shown below the input
  • Click "Max" to fill your maximum transferable amount

Step 3: Review the Encoded Call

As you fill in the form, the right pane updates with the encoded call data:

0x0503d43593c715fdd31c61141abd04a99fd6822c8558854ccde39a5684e7a56da27d0700e8764817

This hex represents your complete extrinsic call:

  • 05 - Balances pallet index
  • 03 - transferKeepAlive method index
  • Remaining bytes - Encoded destination and amount

Step 4: Submit the Transaction

  1. Review your transaction details
  2. Click "Submit"
  3. Your wallet will prompt you to sign
  4. Approve the transaction in your wallet
  5. Wait for confirmation

You'll see a success message with the transaction hash once it's included in a block.

Input Types Explained

Relaycode provides specialized inputs for different Substrate types:

Account Input

For addresses and account IDs:

  • Dropdown with connected accounts
  • Recent address history
  • Paste any valid SS58 address
  • Automatic format validation

Balance Input

For token amounts:

  • Human-readable input (e.g., "1.5")
  • Denomination selector (DOT/mDOT/planck)
  • Automatic conversion to planck
  • Available balance display
  • Existential deposit warning

Amount Input

For plain integers (u32, u64, u128):

  • Simple numeric input
  • Supports large numbers (BigInt)

Boolean Input

For true/false values:

  • Toggle switch

Hash Input

For block hashes, extrinsic hashes:

  • H160 (20-byte), H256 (32-byte), H512 (64-byte)
  • Format and length validation

Vector Input

For arrays (Vec):

  • Add/remove items
  • Dynamic length

Fixed Array Input

For fixed-length arrays ([T; N]):

  • Fixed number of elements — no add/remove
  • Each element uses the appropriate typed input

BTreeMap Input

For key-value maps (BTreeMap<K, V>):

  • Add/remove key-value pairs
  • Typed inputs for keys and values

Option Input

For optional values (Option):

  • Toggle to enable/disable
  • Inner input when enabled

Common Extrinsics

Here are some common extrinsics you can build:

Balance Transfer

Pallet: Balances Method: transferKeepAlive Parameters:

  • dest: Destination address
  • value: Amount in planck

Remark

Pallet: System Method: remark Parameters:

  • remark: Bytes data (hex)

Set Identity

Pallet: Identity Method: setIdentity Parameters:

  • info: Identity info struct

Batch Calls

Pallet: Utility Method: batch Parameters:

  • calls: Array of nested calls

Troubleshooting

"Invalid address" error

  • Ensure the address uses valid Base58 characters
  • Check the address length (typically 47-48 characters)
  • Verify it's a valid SS58 address for the target chain

"Insufficient balance" error

  • Account needs funds for transfer + fees
  • Remember the existential deposit (1 DOT on Polkadot)

Transaction not submitting

  • Check wallet is connected
  • Ensure you have enough balance for fees
  • Check network connectivity

Form not updating from hex

  • Ensure hex is valid (starts with 0x)
  • Hex must match the selected pallet/method
  • Check for encoding errors in the hex

Next Steps

Now that you've completed your first transaction, explore: