| name | suggest-tooling |
| description | Recommends Cardano developer tools and SDKs for a specific project. Triggers: "which SDK", "recommend tools", "best library for", "Cardano SDK", "Mesh vs Evolution SDK", "Aiken vs Plutus", "what tools should I use", "Cardano ecosystem". |
| allowed-tools | Read Grep Glob |
Suggest Cardano Tooling
Help the developer choose the right tools, SDKs, and libraries for their Cardano project based on their requirements and preferred programming language.
When to use
- Developer is starting a new Cardano project and needs tool recommendations
- Comparing SDKs (Mesh vs Evolution SDK vs PyCardano vs others)
- Choosing a smart contract language (Aiken vs Plutus vs others)
- Selecting infrastructure components (indexers, APIs, testing tools)
- Evaluating wallet integration options
- Understanding which CIPs are relevant to their project
When NOT to use
- Already chosen tools and needs help using them (use specific tool skills)
- Setting up a devnet (use
setup-devnet skill)
- Querying chain data with a specific provider (use
query-chain skill)
- Detailed wallet integration steps (use
connect-wallet skill)
Key principles
- Start from the project requirements, not the tools. Understand what they are building before recommending.
- Language preference matters. A Python developer should know about PyCardano; a TypeScript developer about Mesh and Evolution SDK.
- Recommend production-ready tools first. Flag experimental tools clearly.
- Fewer tools is better. Do not recommend 10 options when 2 will do.
- Consider the full stack. Smart contracts, off-chain code, infrastructure, testing, and deployment are all part of the picture.
Workflow
Step 1: Understand the project
Ask the developer (if not already clear):
- What are you building? (dApp, DeFi protocol, NFT platform, governance tool, data analytics, wallet, library)
- What programming language(s) do you prefer?
- Do you need smart contracts? If yes, how complex?
- What is your deployment target? (mainnet, testnet, local devnet)
- What is your experience level with Cardano? (new, intermediate, advanced)
- Any existing infrastructure? (running a node, using hosted APIs)
Step 2: Search Bundled Documentation
Search the bundled documentation for relevant content:
${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../docs/sources/mesh-sdk/ - Mesh SDK docs${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../docs/sources/evolution-sdk/ - Evolution SDK docs${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../docs/sources/aiken/ - Aiken language docs${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../docs/sources/ogmios/ - Ogmios WebSocket bridge docs${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../docs/sources/blockfrost-openapi/ - Blockfrost API docs
Step 3: Search the ecosystem map
Reference the ecosystem map for the full landscape:
File: skills/suggest-tooling/references/ecosystem-map.md
Step 4: Recommend by category
Smart Contract Languages
| Language | Best for | Language base | Status |
|---|
| Aiken | Most new projects, performance-critical validators | Own syntax (Rust-like) | Production |
| Plinth (formerly Plutus Tx) | Haskell teams, complex on-chain logic | Haskell | Production |
| OpShin | Python developers writing validators | Python | Production |
| Pebble | TypeScript developers wanting on-chain code in TS (@harmoniclabs/pebble, successor of Plu-ts) | TypeScript | Production |
| Scalus | Scala/JVM teams | Scala | Production |
| Helios | Simple validators, quick prototyping | Own syntax (JS-like) | Production |
Default recommendation: Aiken. Best tooling, fastest compilation, growing community, excellent documentation. Unless the team has a strong reason to use another language.
Off-Chain SDKs
| SDK | Language | Best for | Status |
|---|
| Mesh SDK | TypeScript/JS | Full-stack dApp development, beginners | Production |
| Evolution SDK | TypeScript/JS | IntersectMBO's canonical Lucid-lineage successor. Type-safe, Effect-based composable tx building (Client.make(...).withBlockfrost(...).newTx().payToAddress(...).build()) | Production |
| PyCardano | Python | Python backends, scripting, data science | Production |
| Cardano CLI | Shell | DevOps, scripting, node operators | Production |
| cardano-js-sdk | TypeScript | Lace wallet ecosystem, full node interaction | Production |
| Blaze | TypeScript | Lightweight, modular tx building | Production |
| Cardano Java Client Lib | Java/Kotlin | JVM backends, Android | Production |
| whisky | Rust | Transaction building for dApps (Mesh-like API; young project by SIDAN Lab) | Production |
| Pallas | Rust | Low-level building blocks: network protocols, ledger primitives, indexers (foundation of Dolos, Oura, Amaru) | Production |
Default recommendation by language:
- TypeScript/JavaScript: Mesh SDK (comprehensive, well-documented, great for beginners) or Evolution SDK (type-safe, Effect-based composable builder)
- Python: PyCardano
- Rust: Pallas
- Java/Kotlin: Cardano Java Client Lib
Infrastructure
| Tool | Purpose | Type |
|---|
| Blockfrost | Chain data API | Hosted |
| Koios | Chain data API | Hosted (community) |
| Ogmios | Node WebSocket bridge | Self-hosted |
| Kupo | UTxO indexer | Self-hosted |
| DB-Sync | Full chain PostgreSQL | Self-hosted |
| Oura | Event pipeline | Self-hosted |
| Yaci DevKit | Local devnet | Self-hosted |
Default recommendation: Blockfrost for getting started (easy, hosted). Ogmios + Kupo for production self-hosted.
Testing
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|
| Aiken built-in tests | Unit and property tests for Aiken validators |
| Yaci DevKit | Local devnet for integration tests |
| Preview testnet | Public testnet with frequent hard forks |
| Preprod testnet | Public testnet mirroring mainnet |
| tx-village | Transaction-level testing framework |
Wallet Integration
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|
| Mesh SDK | React hooks and components for wallet connection |
| CIP-30 direct | Vanilla JS wallet connection |
| CIP-95 | Governance extensions for wallets |
| WalletConnect | Mobile wallet connection |
Step 5: Recommend a stack
Based on the project requirements, recommend a concrete stack. Example stacks:
Beginner dApp (TypeScript)
- Smart contracts: Aiken
- Off-chain: Mesh SDK
- Infrastructure: Blockfrost
- Testing: Aiken tests + Yaci DevKit
- Wallet: Mesh wallet hooks
DeFi Protocol (TypeScript, advanced)
- Smart contracts: Aiken
- Off-chain: Evolution SDK or Blaze
- Infrastructure: Ogmios + Kupo (self-hosted)
- Testing: Aiken property tests + Preview testnet
- Wallet: CIP-30 direct integration
Python Backend
- Smart contracts: Aiken (or OpShin if team prefers Python on-chain too)
- Off-chain: PyCardano
- Infrastructure: Blockfrost or Koios
- Testing: Aiken tests + pytest with PyCardano
Data Analytics Platform
- Infrastructure: DB-Sync (SQL) + Oura (streaming)
- Language: Python or SQL
- No smart contracts needed
Governance Tool
- Off-chain: Mesh SDK (CIP-95 support)
- Infrastructure: Blockfrost or Koios (governance endpoints)
- Wallet: CIP-30 + CIP-95
- Reference: CIP-1694 for governance actions
Step 6: Mention relevant CIPs
Based on the project type, flag relevant CIPs:
| Project type | Relevant CIPs |
|---|
| Any dApp | CIP-30 (wallet bridge), CIP-57 (blueprints) |
| Token/NFT | CIP-25 (NFT metadata), CIP-68 (rich FTs/NFTs) |
| Governance | CIP-1694 (governance), CIP-95 (wallet governance) |
| Multi-sig | CIP-1854 (multi-sig wallets) |
| Metadata | CIP-20 (tx metadata), CIP-25 (NFT metadata) |
| DEX | CIP-35 (on-chain message signing) |
Step 7: Flag trade-offs
For each recommendation, briefly note:
- Maturity: How battle-tested is this tool?
- Community: Size and responsiveness of the community
- Documentation: Quality and completeness
- Maintenance: Is it actively maintained? Who maintains it?
- Lock-in: How easy is it to switch later?
References
