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IOTA Move Framework

The IOTA Move Framework is a comprehensive library of Move modules that provides the foundational building blocks for developing smart contracts on the IOTA blockchain. It includes essential functionality for asset management, object ownership, cryptography, and common data structures.

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What is Move?

Move is a safe and secure programming language designed for blockchain applications. It provides:
  • Resource safety: Assets are represented as resources that cannot be copied or implicitly discarded
  • Type safety: Strong static typing prevents many common programming errors
  • Formal verification: The language is designed to be formally verified for correctness
  • Module system: Code is organized into reusable modules

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Framework Architecture

The IOTA Move Framework is organized into several key areas:

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Core Object System

The object system provides the fundamental types and operations for working with on-chain assets:
  • object - Object identifiers and UID management
  • transfer - Ownership transfer operations
  • tx_context - Transaction context and metadata

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Asset Management

Modules for creating and managing fungible and non-fungible assets:
  • coin - Fungible token implementation
  • balance - Low-level balance operations
  • token - Advanced token functionality
  • kiosk - Decentralized trading platform

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Data Structures

Common collection types built on IOTA’s object system:
  • table - Key-value storage
  • bag - Heterogeneous collections
  • vec_map - Vector-based maps
  • vec_set - Vector-based sets
  • dynamic_field - Dynamic object fields

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System Functions

  • clock - Access to blockchain time
  • event - Event emission
  • package - Package management and upgrades
  • display - Object display metadata

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Key Concepts

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Objects and UIDs

Every IOTA object must have a unique identifier (UID). Objects are structs with the key ability: 
public struct MyObject has key {
    id: UID,
    value: u64,
}

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Ownership Models

IOTA supports multiple ownership models:
  • Owned objects: Owned by a specific address
  • Shared objects: Can be accessed by anyone
  • Immutable objects: Frozen and cannot be modified

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Abilities

Move types can have abilities that determine what operations are allowed:
  • copy - Can be copied
  • drop - Can be discarded
  • store - Can be stored inside other structs
  • key - Can be used as a key for global storage

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Getting Started

To use the IOTA Move Framework in your project:
  1. Import modules in your Move.toml:
[dependencies]
Iota = { git = "https://github.com/iotaledger/iota.git", subdir = "crates/iota-framework/packages/iota-framework", rev = "framework/mainnet" }
  1. Use framework modules in your code:
module my_package::my_module {
    use iota::object::{Self, UID};
    use iota::transfer;
    use iota::tx_context::TxContext;

    public struct MyObject has key {
        id: UID,
        value: u64,
    }

    public fun create(value: u64, ctx: &mut TxContext) {
        let obj = MyObject {
            id: object::new(ctx),
            value,
        };
        transfer::transfer(obj, ctx.sender());
    }
}

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Framework Location

The framework source code is located at: 
crates/iota-framework/packages/iota-framework/sources/

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Next Steps

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