Repository and packaging standard for open-source smart-contract modules

Question

Is there a standard way to package the source code of a smart contract and publish it on a public repository? In such a way to enable structured reuse, with versioning and easy ways to update an component. Similar to what search.maven.org for Java, bower and npm for JavaScript or PyPI for Python offers.

There's a repository of sample contracts on https://github.com/ethereum/dapp-bin and various blog posts and sites containing sample code of smart contracts. However, this doesn't solve the problem of copy&paste code and versioning.

Answer 1

There is no single standard for smart contract code sharing, but Dapple is taking a swing at being Ethereum's npm. (Full disclosure: I get paid to work on Dapple.)

Answer 2

Package management via npm is available in Truffle beta: http://truffleframework.com/tutorials/package-management

A larger package standard beyond npm is in the works, which will hopefully be a collaboration between the major tool authors and the Ethereum Foundation. More details to come.

Answer 3

There is the DApp-Store. I'm currently at the Berlin Ethereum meetup and it's discussed to be included some day into the mist browser.

Try the live frontier demo. Or the morden testnet demo.

How to use:

• Download Mist 0.3.6 here: that's the only "browser" version.
• Sync the blockchain with your network of your choice.
• Create an account if you don't have one already, and transfer some Ether to it.
• Navigate to one of the above URLs within Mist, depending on what chain you're on.