Ethereum’s Status Releases Embark 3.2

September 27, 2018 2:00 PM

According to information shared with ETHNews, Status Projects, an arm of Status dedicated to Web3 advancement, has launched Embark 3.2. The latest version of the Dapp-building framework includes various features to further help developers “embark into the ether.”

The development of Embark makes the mobile Dapp browsing provider more than just a browser. Status’ efforts have attracted the attention of the crypto crowd, including individuals like Vitalik Buterin, who tweeted in August that he was “looking forward to Nimbus,” the team’s sharding client based on the Nim programming language.

The crew even offered a space for folks to hang out during Devcon4 if they were not able to secure tickets for the annual event (the tickets sold out fast!). Moves like this, coupled with the organization’s progress with Embark, demonstrate Status’ commitment to the growth of the Ethereum ecosystem.

Iuri Matias, creator of the Dapp-building framework, told ETHNews about his team’s enthusiasm for the launch:

“We are all really excited about Embark 3.2 as it is a really big step for us as a team and a product. We have included 20 major updates … [and] around 45 minor updates & bug fixes. These are the types of features that will make life easier for developers new to ethereum and some of the most experienced blockchain devs alike. We now have a very strong team in place to continue this type of progress and look forward to the features we have in the pipeline.”

One of the key accoutrements of 3.2 is support for Ethereum Name Service (ENS) domains – regardless of the chain a developer is building on. The framework contains a simple command for developers to make their Dapps compatible with .eth names.

ENS integration has been on the rise in the Ethereum community, with projects ranging from Melonport (crypto asset management) to MetaMask (Ethereum browser extension) supporting the domains. Nick Johnson, lead developer at ENS, also mentioned the service’s compatibility with certain Domain Name System addresses, including .xyz and .luxe (coming in October).

Embark 3.2 also features a rewritten build pipeline – the part of the overall development pipeline dedicated to coordinating and compiling the correct files to create a testable version of the code – that is customizable and allows for easier builds. Apparently, the build process has historically “been an issue for many blockchain developers.”

Moreover, the framework supports EIP 1102, which requires websites to opt in to Web3 access instead of having tools automatically inject Web3 instances into webpages. With this update, Embark-generated Dapps “should be fully compatible with both existing and future versions of” Ethereum-enabled browsers. MetaMask, for example, announced it would stop automatic Web3 injection starting November 2.

Another improvement that comes with 3.2 is compatibility with both Vyper, a Python-esque programming language for Ethereum, and Swarm, an Ethereum storage platform. The framework now supports the latest Vyper compiler, v0.1.0-beta.2, allowing developers to better see any compilation errors that may arise.

Regarding Swarm integration, 3.2 includes the SwarmAPI, which is a JavaScript library that enables Dapps to interact with the Swarm gateway. Although this library is available separately and by itself, it comes with the framework by default.

In earlier updates, such as Embark 3.1: Planet Express, the team added “lightweight wallet functionality,” a revamped testing framework, a loading screen, and a transaction logger, among other improvements. As seen with 3.2, the suite of developer tools has come a long way since its initial release.

Daniel Putney is a full-time writer for ETHNews. He received his bachelor’s degree in English writing from the University of Nevada, Reno, where he also studied journalism and queer theory. In his free time, he writes poetry, plays the piano, and fangirls over fictional characters. He lives with his partner, three dogs, and two cats in the middle of nowhere, Nevada.

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