Anchor Basics

What Anchor is, how the program module and Accounts structs work together, the local-to-mainnet workflow, project layout, build and deploy, and when native still wins.

Learn Anchor framework basics with 10 examples for Solana development. Set up your environment, scaffold a workspace, declare program IDs, and define account structures.

Learn the standard Anchor workspace structure including programs/, tests/, Anchor.toml, and how each component functions for efficient development.

Learn how Anchor's #[program] attribute macro generates Solana entrypoints, instruction dispatch, and discriminator checks for your on-chain programs.

Learn how Anchor's Accounts struct declaratively validates Solana accounts. Define ownership, mutability, and relationships with attributes and constraints.

Learn to compile Anchor programs to SBF, regenerate the IDL, and upload .so files to a cluster, updating program ID mappings.

Learn the Anchor workflow for Solana development, from initial idea to deployed instruction, covering local builds, testing, and devnet promotion.

Compare Anchor and native Solana program development. Learn how Anchor automates dispatch, validation, and IDL generation, simplifying development.

Learn best practices for structuring Anchor 0.32.1 workspaces, including program layout, security defaults, and deployment readiness.

A single-page roundup of every highlight bullet from the 9 pages in the Anchor Basics section, grouped by source page so you can scan all 53 takeaways without opening each article individually.