---
layout: page

title: Get started
description: "Explore drivers, tools & documentation to get started with BigchainDB"
tagline: "Explore drivers, tools & documentation"

image: share-image-getstarted.png
js: page-getstarted.min.js

redirect_from:
    - /community/
    - /start/
---

{% assign content =  site.data.getstarted %}

<section class="section section--firsttransaction">

    <div class="row row--wide">
        <h1 class="section-title">{{ content.firsttransaction.title }}</h1>

        <div class="grid grid--full grid-small--half grid--gutters">
            <div class="grid__col">

                <form id="form-transaction" class="form form--transaction js-parsley">
                    <fieldset class="form--transaction__content">

                        <p class="form-group">
                            <input id="message" class="form-control" type="text" name="message" required>
                            <label class="form-label" for="message">{{ content.firsttransaction.message.label }}</label>
                        </p>

                        <p class="message alert alert--info">{{ content.firsttransaction.message.request }}</p>

                        <button class="btn btn-primary" id="post" disabled>{{ content.firsttransaction.message.button }}</button>
                    </fieldset>

                </form>

            </div>
            <div class="grid__col">
                <div class="waiting">
                    <pre>
<code class="waiting">Beep, boop, waiting for your input...</code>
                    </pre>
                </div>

                <div class="response highlight hide">
                    <pre>
<code class="output language-json">{
  "asset": {
    "data": {
      "msg": "Blockchain all the things!"
    }
  },
  "id": "04c00267af82c161b4bf2ad4a47d1ddbfeb47eef1a14b8d51",
  ...</code>
</pre>
                </div>

                <div class="message message--success alert alert--success hide">
                    <p>{{ content.firsttransaction.message.response }}</p>
                    <p><a class="transaction-link" href="{{ site.bigchaindb_api_url }}/api/v1/transactions/">Check out your transaction on BigchainDB Testnet</a></p>
                </div>
                <p class="message message--fail alert alert--warning hide">Shenanigans! Something's off. Would you mind trying again?</p>
            </div>
        </div>
    </div>

    <div class="row row--wide">
        <aside class="code-example">
            <ul class="nav nav-tabs">
                <li class="nav-item">
                    <a class="nav-link active" href="#python" data-toggle="tab" role="tab">Python</a>
                </li>
                <li class="nav-item">
                    <a class="nav-link" href="#nodejs" data-toggle="tab" role="tab">Node.js</a>
                </li>
            </ul>

            <div class="tab-content">

                <div class="tab-pane active" id="python" role="tabpanel">
{% capture python %}
```python
from bigchaindb_driver import BigchainDB
from bigchaindb_driver.crypto import generate_keypair

bdb = BigchainDB(
    '{{ site.bigchaindb_api_url }}',
    headers={'app_id': 'Get credentials from testnet.bigchaindb.com',
             'app_key': 'by signing up and going to your Applications screen'})
alice = generate_keypair()
tx = bdb.transactions.prepare(
    operation='CREATE',
    signers=alice.public_key,
    asset={'data': {'message': 'Blockchain all the things!'}})
signed_tx = bdb.transactions.fulfill(
    tx,
    private_keys=alice.private_key)
bdb.transactions.send(signed_tx)
```
{% endcapture %}{{ python | markdownify }}
                </div>

                <div class="tab-pane highlight" id="nodejs" role="tabpanel">
{% capture nodejs %}
```js
const driver = require('bigchaindb-driver')

const alice = new driver.Ed25519Keypair()
const conn = new driver.Connection(
    '{{ site.bigchaindb_api_url }}/api/v1/',
    { app_id: 'Get credentials from testnet.bigchaindb.com',
      app_key: 'by signing up and going to your Applications screen' })
const tx = driver.Transaction.makeCreateTransaction(
    { message: 'Blockchain all the things!' },
    null,
    [ driver.Transaction.makeOutput(
        driver.Transaction.makeEd25519Condition(alice.publicKey))],
    alice.publicKey)
const txSigned = driver.Transaction.signTransaction(tx, alice.privateKey)
conn.postTransaction(txSigned)
```
{% endcapture %}{{ nodejs | markdownify }}
                </div>

            </div>
        </aside>
    </div>
</section>

<nav class="menu--sub" data-gumshoe-header>
    <div class="row row--wide">
        <div class="menu-overflow" data-gumshoe>
            <a class="menu__link" href="#server" data-scroll><span class="number">1</span> {{ content.server.title }}</a>
            <a class="menu__link" href="#drivers" data-scroll><span class="number">2</span> {{ content.drivers.title }}</a>
            <a class="menu__link" href="#docs" data-scroll><span class="number">3</span> {{ content.docs.title }}</a>
            <a class="menu__link" href="#community" data-scroll><span class="number">4</span> {{ content.community.title }}</a>
        </div>
    </div>
</nav>

<section class="section section--server background--darker" id="server">
    <div class="row row--wide">
        <header class="section-header text-left">
            <h1 class="section-title section-title--numbered"><span class="number">1</span> {{ content.server.title }}</h1>
            <p class="section-description">{{ content.server.description }}</p>
        </header>
    </div>

    <aside class="starbase starbase--server">
        <div class="row row--wide">
            <figure class="starbase__image">
                <img class="img--responsive" src="/assets/img/nosprite/starbase-server.svg" alt="Starbase" width="1111" height="343">
            </figure>
        </div>
    </aside>

    <section class="choice">
        <div class="row row--wide">
            <div class="grid grid--full grid-small--half grid--gutters">
                <div class="grid__col">
                    <span class="pretitle">{{ content.server.network.pretitle }}</span>
                    <h2 class="choice__title">{{ content.server.network.title }}</h2>
                    <p>{{ content.server.network.description }}</p>
                    <a class="btn btn-primary" href="{{ content.server.network.link }}">{{ content.server.network.button }}</a>
                </div>
                <div class="grid__col">
                    <span class="pretitle">{{ content.server.bdb.pretitle }}</span>
                    <h2 class="choice__title">{{ content.server.bdb.title }}</h2>
                    <p>{{ content.server.bdb.description }}</p>
                    <a class="btn btn-secondary" href="{{ content.server.bdb.link }}">{{ content.server.bdb.button }}</a>
                </div>
            </div>
        </div>
    </section>

</section>

<section class="section section--drivers background--darker" id="drivers">
    <div class="row row--wide">
        <header class="section-header text-left">
            <h1 class="section-title section-title--numbered"><span>2</span> {{ content.drivers.title }}</h1>
            <p class="section-description">{{ content.drivers.description }}</p>
        </header>
    </div>

    <aside class="starbase starbase--drivers">
        <div class="row row--wide">
            <figure class="starbase__image">
                <img class="img--responsive" src="/assets/img/nosprite/starbase-drivers.svg" alt="Starbase" width="1060" height="166">
            </figure>
        </div>
    </aside>

    <section class="choice">
        <div class="row row--wide">

            <div class="grid grid--full grid-small--half grid--gutters">
                <div class="grid__col">

                    <h3 class="choice__title">{{ content.drivers.title_official }}</h3>

                    <div class="grid grid--full grid-small--half grid--gutters">

                        {% for driver in site.data.drivers.official %}

                        {% if driver.external %}
                            {% capture url %}https://github.com/{{ driver.external }}/{{ driver.repo }}{% endcapture %}
                        {% else %}
                            {% capture url %}https://github.com/bigchaindb/{{ driver.repo }}{% endcapture %}
                        {% endif %}

                        <div class="grid__col">
                            <a class="driver" href="{{ url }}">
                                <h2 class="driver__title">{{ driver.title }}</h2>
                                <svg class="driver__logo">
                                    <use xlink:href="/assets/img/sprite.svg#{{ driver.icon }}"></use>
                                </svg>

                                <p class="driver__meta">
                                    <span class="driver__repo">{{ driver.repo }}</span>
                                    <span class="driver__version">{{ driver.version }}</span>
                                </p>
                            </a>
                        </div>
                        {% endfor %}

                    </div>

                </div>
                <div class="grid__col">

                    <h3 class="choice__title">{{ content.drivers.title_tools }}</h3>
                    <div class="grid grid--full grid-small--half grid--gutters">

                        {% for driver in site.data.drivers.tools %}
                        <div class="grid__col">
                            <a class="driver" href="https://github.com/bigchaindb/{{ driver.repo }}">
                                <h2 class="driver__title">{{ driver.title }}</h2>

                                <p class="driver__meta">
                                    <span class="driver__repo">{{ driver.repo }}</span>
                                    <span class="driver__version">{{ driver.version }}</span>
                                </p>
                            </a>
                        </div>
                        {% endfor %}

                    </div>
                </div>

            </div>
        </div>

        <div class="row row--wide">
            <h3 class="choice__title">{{ content.drivers.title_community }}</h3>
            <div class="grid grid--half grid-medium--fit grid--gutters">

                {% for driver in site.data.drivers.community %}
                <div class="grid__col">
                    <a class="driver driver--community" href="{{ driver.link }}">
                        <svg class="driver__logo">
                            <use xlink:href="/assets/img/sprite.svg#{{ driver.icon }}"></use>
                        </svg>
                        <h2 class="driver__title">{{ driver.title }}</h2>

                        <p class="driver__meta">
                            <span class="driver__repo">{{ driver.repo }}</span>
                        </p>
                    </a>
                </div>
                {% endfor %}

            </div>
        </div>
    </section>
</section>

<section class="section section--docs background--light" id="docs">
    <div class="row row--wide">
        <header class="section-header">
            <h1 class="section-title section-title--numbered"><span>3</span> {{ content.docs.title }}</h1>
            <p class="section-description">{{ content.docs.description }}</p>
        </header>
    </div>
    <div class="row row--wide">
        <div class="grid grid--full grid-small--fit grid--gutters">

                <div class="grid__col">
                    <h2 class="docs__title">Guides</h2>
                    <ul class="docs__list">
                        {% for guide in site.guides limit: 8 %}
                        <li><a href="{{ guide.url }}">{{ guide.title }}</a></li>
                        {% endfor %}
                    </ul>
                </div>

            {% for category in content.docs.categories %}

                <div class="grid__col">
                    <h2 class="docs__title">{{ category.title }}</h2>
                    <ul class="docs__list">
                        {% for item in category.items %}
                        <li><a href="{{ item.link }}">{{ item.title }}</a></li>
                        {% endfor %}
                    </ul>
                </div>

            {% endfor %}

        </div>
    </div>
    <div class="row row--wide text-center">
        <div class="docs__actions">
            <a class="btn btn-primary" href="/guides/">{{ content.docs.button_guides }}</a>
            <a class="btn btn-secondary" href="https://docs.bigchaindb.com">{{ content.docs.button_documentation }}</a>
        </div>
    </div>
</section>

<section class="section section--community" id="community">
    <div class="row">
        <header class="section-header">
            <h1 class="section-title section-title--numbered"><span>4</span> {{ content.community.title }}</h1>
            <p class="section-description">{{ content.community.description }}</p>
        </header>
    </div>

    <div class="row community__actions">
        <div class="grid grid--full grid-small--fit grid--gutters">
            <div class="grid__col">
                <svg class="icon icon--social icon--gitter">
                    <use xlink:href="/assets/img/sprite.svg#gitter"></use>
                </svg>
                <p>{{ content.community.gitter.text }}</p>
                <a href="{{ site.social.gitter.url }}" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">{{ content.community.gitter.button }}</a>
            </div>
            <div class="grid__col">
                <svg class="icon icon--social icon--github">
                    <use xlink:href="/assets/img/sprite.svg#github"></use>
                </svg>
                <p>{{ content.community.github.text }}</p>
                <a href="{{ site.social.github.url }}/{{ site.social.github.repo }}" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">{{ content.community.github.button }}</a>
            </div>
            <div class="grid__col">
                <svg class="icon icon--social icon--github">
                    <use xlink:href="/assets/img/sprite.svg#icon-book"></use>
                </svg>
                <p>{{ content.community.guidelines.text }}</p>
                <a href="{{ site.social.github.url }}/{{ site.social.github.repo }}/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.md" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">{{ content.community.guidelines.button }}</a>
            </div>
        </div>
    </div>

    <div class="row">
        <div class="grid grid--full grid-small--fit grid--gutters">
            <div class="grid__col">
                <h5>{{ content.community.follow.title }}</h5>
                <p>{{ content.community.follow.description }}</p>

                {% for link in site.social %}
                    {% unless link[1].title == 'Gitter' %}
                    <a class="social-link js-social-link" href="{{ link[1].url }}" title="{{ link[1].title }}">
                        <svg class="icon icon--social icon--{{ link[0] }}" aria-labelledby="title">
                            <title>{{ link.title }}</title>
                            <use xlink:href="/assets/img/sprite.svg#{{ link[0] }}"></use>
                        </svg>
                        <span class="social-link__title">{{ link[1].title }}</span>
                    </a>
                    {% endunless %}
                {% endfor %}

            </div>
        </div>
    </div>

</section>

{% include sections/section-newsletter.html %}