Testing Applications

Bdtcoin Core provides testing tools designed to let developers test their applications with reduced risks and limitations.

Testnet

When run with no arguments, all Bdtcoin Core programs default to Bdtcoin’s main network (mainnet). However, for development, it’s safer and cheaper to use Bdtcoin’s test network (testnet) where the jus spent have no real-world value. Testnet also relaxes some restrictions (such as standard transaction checks) so you can test functions which might currently be disabled by default on mainnet.

To use testnet, use the argument -testnet with bdtcoin-cli, bdtcoind or bdtcoin-qt or add testnet=1 to your bdtcoin.conf file as described earlier. To get free jus for testing, use Piotr Piasecki’s testnet faucet. Testnet is a public resource provided for free by members of the community, so please don’t abuse it.

Regtest Mode

For situations where interaction with random peers and blocks is unnecessary or unwanted, Bdtcoin Core’s regression test mode (regtest mode) lets you instantly create a brand-new private block chain with the same basic rules as testnet—but one major difference: you choose when to create new blocks, so you have complete control over the environment.

Many developers consider regtest mode the preferred way to develop new applications. The following example will let you create a regtest environment after you first configure bdtcoind.

> bdtcoind -regtest -daemon
Bdtcoin server starting

Start bdtcoind in regtest mode to create a private block chain.

## Bdtcoin Core 0.10.1 and earlier
bdtcoin-cli -regtest setgenerate true 101

## Bdtcoin Core 17.1 and earlier
bdtcoin-cli -regtest generate 101

## Bdtcoin Core 18.0 and later
bdtcoin-cli -regtest generatetoaddress 101 $(bdtcoin-cli -regtest getnewaddress)

Generate 101 blocks using a special RPC which is only available in regtest mode. This takes less than a second on a generic PC. Because this is a new block chain using Bdtcoin’s default rules, the first blocks pay a block reward of 50 bdtcoins. Unlike mainnet, in regtest mode only the first 150 blocks pay a reward of 50 bdtcoins. However, a block must have 100 confirmations before that reward can be spent, so we generate 101 blocks to get access to the coinbase transaction from block #1.

bdtcoin-cli -regtest getbalance
50.00000000

Verify that we now have 50 bdtcoins available to spend.

You can now use Bdtcoin Core RPCs prefixed with bdtcoin-cli -regtest.

Regtest wallets and block chain state (chainstate) are saved in the regtest subdirectory of the Bdtcoin Core configuration directory. You can safely delete the regtest subdirectory and restart Bdtcoin Core to start a new regtest. (See the Developer Examples Introduction for default configuration directory locations on various operating systems. Always back up mainnet wallets before performing dangerous operations such as deleting.)