| name | sui-move |
| description | Sui Move smart contract development. Use when writing, reviewing, or debugging Move code on Sui. Covers Move abilities (key, store, copy, drop), TxContext, init functions, One-Time Witness, package publishing and upgrades, resource safety, events, and coins. Also use when the user asks about struct abilities, UID, how to destroy objects, or how to create a fungible token.
For object model and ownership, see the `object-model` skill. For programmable transaction blocks, see the `ptbs` skill. For frontend dApp development, see the `frontend-apps` skill. For project setup and Move.toml, see the `sui-move-project` skill.
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Sui Move
MCP tool: When available in your environment, also query the Sui documentation MCP server (https://sui.mcp.kapa.ai) for up-to-date answers. Use it for verification and for details not covered by these reference files.
Source constraint: All information in this skill is sourced exclusively from docs.sui.io and move-book.com. When extending or updating this skill, only pull from these sources. Do not use third-party blogs, tutorials, or unofficial documentation.
Move is Sui's smart contract language, designed around resource safety and an object-centric data model. This skill covers the core Move language: the type system, abilities, resource safety, events, and coins.
This skill routes to focused reference files. Load only the ones relevant to the current task.
Reference files (this skill)
move — Move Language Fundamentals
Path: move.md
Load when: writing Move code, working with abilities, TxContext, time/Clock, init functions, One-Time Witness, internal::Permit<T>, type_name deprecations, packages, modules, structs, resource safety, access control patterns, admin rotation, deny lists, security review, or advanced design patterns (ability dosing, phantom events, shared-object concurrency, receiver syntax, error attributes, transfer::receive, field privacy, macros).
Covers: the four abilities and common combinations, TxContext methods, Clock object, init functions, OTW pattern, internal::Permit<T> type-level authorization, type_name deprecations, packages and upgrades, modules, structs, resource safety and object destruction, a worked Greeting example, admin rotation (two-step transfer), regulated coins and deny lists, security review checklist, advanced design patterns (ability dosing, phantom-type events, event denormalization, shared-object & vs &mut, receiver-syntax ordering, #[error] constants, transfer::receive privacy, field privacy, macro gotchas).
events-coins — Events and Coins
Path: events-coins.md
Load when: emitting events, subscribing to events offchain, creating fungible tokens, or working with coin operations (mint, burn, split, join).
Covers: event emission, event struct requirements, coin::create_currency, TreasuryCap, CoinMetadata, standard coin operations.
Related skills (load from separate skill directories)
| Topic | Skill | Load when |
|---|
| Object model, ownership, dynamic fields, collections, Display, transfer patterns | object-model/ | Designing data models, choosing ownership types, using dynamic fields or collections, setting up Object Display |
| Programmable transaction blocks, commands, equivocation | ptbs/ | Building PTBs, composing transactions, sponsored transactions, troubleshooting transaction errors |
| Frontend dApp development, dApp Kit, wallet connection | frontend-apps/ | Building React/Vue frontends, wallet integration, querying onchain state from the browser |
| Project setup, Move.toml, dependencies, publishing | sui-move-project/ | Creating a Move project, configuring Move.toml, resolving build errors, publishing packages |
| Move 2024 syntax, method syntax, macros | modern-move-syntax/ | Using Move 2024 edition features like method syntax, vector literals, option/loop macros |
| Composable function design | composable-move-functions/ | Designing functions for PTB composability, parameter ordering, return patterns |
| Unit testing conventions | move-unit-testing/ | Writing Move unit tests, test patterns, expected_failure, cleanup |
| Naming conventions | naming-conventions/ | Naming errors, constants, capabilities, events, getters, dynamic field keys |
Routing guide
| Task | Load |
|---|
| Writing a Move struct with abilities | move |
| Using TxContext or the Clock object | move |
| Writing an init function or OTW | move |
Using type_name functions | move |
Proving module authority with internal::Permit<T> | move |
| Publishing or upgrading a package | move |
| Destroying an object without drop | move |
| Emitting or subscribing to events | events-coins |
| Creating a fungible token | move + events-coins |
| Designing an object data model | object-model/ skill |
| Choosing shared vs owned objects | object-model/ skill |
| Using dynamic fields or collections | object-model/ skill |
| Setting up Object Display | object-model/ skill |
| Building a PTB | ptbs/ skill |
| Implementing sponsored transactions | ptbs/ skill |
| Building a frontend | frontend-apps/ skill |
| Setting up Move.toml | sui-move-project/ skill |
| Writing a complete smart contract | move + events-coins + object-model/ + naming-conventions/ + modern-move-syntax/ |
| Code review | move + events-coins + composable-move-functions/ + naming-conventions/ + modern-move-syntax/ |
| Security review / access control audit | move + object-model/ (patterns) + events-coins |
| Advanced design patterns / performance tuning | move |
Rules
- Always use
object::new(ctx) to create UIDs. There is no other way.
- Use
public_transfer (not transfer) when the object has store and the call originates outside the defining module.
- Event structs must have
copy and drop abilities.
- No
as casts on numeric types. Use from/into or try_from/try_into.
- To destroy an object without
drop, unpack the struct and call object::delete(id) on the UID.
Common mistakes
- Confusing
transfer with public_transfer. The non-public variant only works within the defining module. Calling it from another module is a compile error.
- Forgetting to delete the UID. When destroying an object, you must call
object::delete(id) on the UID field.
- Assuming
ctx.epoch_timestamp_ms() is precise. It returns the epoch start time. Use the Clock object (0x6) for real-time timestamps.
