Migrating from Buidler

Hardhat is the new and evolved version of Buidler.

This guide will teach you how to migrate your project from Buidler into Hardhat.

Installing the Hardhat packages

The first thing you need to do to migrate your project is to install the new npm packages.

The package @nomiclabs/buidler is now hardhat. The plugins, which used to have package names like @nomiclabs/buidler-<name>, are now @nomiclabs/hardhat-<name>.

For example, if you were using @nomiclabs/buidler and @nomiclabs/buidler-ethers, you need to run:

npm install --save-dev hardhat @nomiclabs/hardhat-ethers

If you were using a global installation of Buidler, you also need to install Hardhat locally. Global installations of Hardhat are not supported.

Adapting your config

You can use your Buidler config in Hardhat mostly unchanged. All you need to do is follow these steps.

Renaming your config file

First, you need to rename your config file from buidler.config.js to hardhat.config.js. Or, if you are using TypeScript, from buidler.config.ts to hardhat.config.ts.

Changing how your plugins are loaded

Then, you have to change how your plugins are loaded. Instead of using the usePlugin function, you just have to require/import their npm package. For example, if you had

usePlugin("@nomiclabs/buidler-ethers");

you need to replace it with

require("@nomiclabs/hardhat-ethers");

Or, if you are using TypeScript, with

import "@nomiclabs/hardhat-ethers";

If you were importing the usePlugin function explicitly, you also need to remove that import, as the function doesn't exist anymore.

Configuring Hardhat Network

Buidler EVM is now Hardhat Network, so if you are customizing it using the buidlerevm network config field, you need to rename it to hardhat. You can learn more about how to customize it, including enabling the Mainnet Forking functionality, here.

For example, if you had something like this in your config:

networks: {
  buidlerevm: {
    blockGasLimit: 12000000;
  }
}

you need to replace it with:

networks: {
  hardhat: {
    blockGasLimit: 12000000;
  }
}

Updating your Solidity config

Hardhat has native support for multiple versions of Solidity. This requires a few changes in how you customize your solc setup.

If you had something like this in your config:

solc: {
  version: "0.7.1",
  optimizer: {
    enabled: true
  }
}

You should change it to this:

solidity: {
  version: "0.7.1",
  settings: {
    optimizer: {
      enabled: true
    }
  }
}

This is a very simple config, but Hardhat supports arbitrarily complex compilation setups, down to the individual file level. Take a look at this guide to learn more about it.

TypeScript support changes

Hardhat enables its TypeScript support when your config is written in TypeScript and ends in .ts. If you were using TypeScript, but a JavaScript config, please take a look at this guide.

You don't need a tsconfig.json file with Hardhat. We recommend you delete it.

If you prefer to keep it, you should base it on the template presented here. Just make sure you removed all the type-extension.d.ts files, and keep your config file in your files field.

Finally, if your config has the BuidlerConfig type, you should change it to HardhatUserConfig.

Updating your console.sol imports

If you are using console.log in your contracts, you need to change the imports of @nomiclabs/buidler/console.sol to hardhat/console.sol.

If you had this:

import "@nomiclabs/buidler/console.sol";

you should change it to:

import "hardhat/console.sol";

Importing artifacts and ambiguous names

Hardhat supports multiple contracts with the same name.

If you have multiple contracts with the same name, you can't import their artifacts using just the name.

For example, if you have a contract named Ownable, and one of your dependencies has a contract with the same name, you won't be able to do artifacts.require("Ownable") nor ethers.getContractFactory("Ownable"). You need to use the contract's Fully Qualified Name instead (e.g. contracts/Ownable.sol:Ownable).

If you try to import a contract with a repeated name, Hardhat will fail and show an error message that includes the different options to fix it. All you need to do is copy & paste them.

For example, you may need to replace this:

const Ownable = await ethers.getContractFactory("Ownable");

with this:

const Ownable = await ethers.getContractFactory(
  "contracts/Ownable.sol:Ownable"
);

Mocha and VSCode setup changes

If you are running your tests directly with Mocha, or through a VSCode Mocha plugin, please take a look at this updated guide.

Community plugins

All of the official Buidler plugins have already been migrated to Hardhat.

Some community-built plugins haven't been migrated yet. If you are using one of those, you have to temporarily disable them.

You can find which plugins have been updated in the Plugins section (opens new window).

buidler-deploy

This plugin has already been ported, it's now called hardhat-deploy (opens new window).

Join the #hardhat-deploy channel on Discord (opens new window) if you need help migrating.

buidler-typechain

The TypeChain plugin has been migrated, it's now called hardhat-typechain (opens new window).

Join the #hardhat-typechain channel on Discord (opens new window) if you need help migrating.

buidler-gas-reporter

This plugin has been migrated, it's now called hardhat-gas-reporter (opens new window).

Join the #hardhat-gas-reporter channel on Discord (opens new window) if you need help migrating.

solidity-coverage

This plugin has been ported to Hardhat. Join our Discord Server (opens new window) to receive our announcement when it's released.