Truffle console error "Error: Returned error: VM Exception while processing transaction: revert"

Question

I compiled and migrated my solidity codes of erc20 token to development networks on truffle, and use it on truffle console.

truffle(development)> let instance = await XToken.deployed()
truffle(development)> let accountsArray = await web3.eth.getAccounts()
truffle(development)> instance.sendTxAndMessage(accountsArray[1], accountsArray[2], 60, "Hi!")

Then, I got error below:

Error: Returned error: VM Exception while processing transaction: revert
at XMLHttpRequest._onHttpResponseEnd (/Users/user/.nodebrew/node/v10.9.0/lib/node_modules/truffle/build/webpack:/~/xhr2-cookies/dist/xml-http-request.js:318:1)
at XMLHttpRequest._setReadyState (/Users/user/.nodebrew/node/v10.9.0/lib/node_modules/truffle/build/webpack:/~/xhr2-cookies/dist/xml-http-request.js:208:1)
at XMLHttpRequestEventTarget.dispatchEvent (/Users/user/.nodebrew/node/v10.9.0/lib/node_modules/truffle/build/webpack:/~/xhr2-cookies/dist/xml-http-request-event-target.js:34:1)
at XMLHttpRequest.request.onreadystatechange (/Users/user/.nodebrew/node/v10.9.0/lib/node_modules/truffle/build/webpack:/~/web3/~/web3-providers-http/src/index.js:96:1)
at /Users/user/.nodebrew/node/v10.9.0/lib/node_modules/truffle/build/webpack:/packages/truffle-provider/wrapper.js:112:1
at /Users/user/.nodebrew/node/v10.9.0/lib/node_modules/truffle/build/webpack:/~/web3-eth/~/web3-core-requestmanager/src/index.js:140:1
at Object.ErrorResponse (/Users/user/.nodebrew/node/v10.9.0/lib/node_modules/truffle/build/webpack:/~/web3-eth/~/web3-core-helpers/src/errors.js:29:1)

So, does someone know how to handle this error?

Here is my solidiy code and truffle-config.js

XToken.sol

pragma solidity ^0.5.0;
import "openzeppelin-solidity/contracts/token/ERC20/ERC20.sol";
import "openzeppelin-solidity/contracts/math/SafeMath.sol";
import "openzeppelin-solidity/contracts/ownership/Ownable.sol;

contract XToken is ERC20, Ownable {
    using SafeMath for uint8;
    using SafeMath for uint256;

    string public constant name = "XToken";
    string public constant symbol = "XTN";
    uint256 public constant decimals = 8;
    uint256 public _totalSupply = 5000000;

    mapping(address => uint) balances;
    mapping(address => string) public  receivedMessage;
    mapping(address => string) public  sentMessage;

    constructor (uint256 _initialSupply) public {
        balances[msg.sender] = _initialSupply;
    }

    function airdrop(address _to, uint256 _value) public onlyOwner returns (bool) {
        transfer(_to, _value);
        return true;
    }

    function sendTxAndMessage(address _from, address _to, uint256 _value, string memory _calldata) public returns (bool) {
        transferFrom(_from, _to, _value);
        sentMessage[_from] = _calldata;
        receivedMessage[_to] = _calldata;
        return true;
    }

    function fetchReceivedMessage(address _to) public view returns (string memory) {
        return receivedMessage[_to];
    }

    function fetchSentMessage(address _from) public view returns (string memory) {
        return sentMessage[_from];  
    }

}

truffle-config.js

const HDWalletProvider = require('truffle-hdwallet-provider');

module.exports = {
  networks: {
    development: {
      host: "127.0.0.1",     // Localhost (default: none)
      port: 7545,            // Standard Ethereum port (default: none)
      network_id: "*",       // Any network (default: none)
    },
  },
}

And also, my environment is: Truffle v5.0.5 (core: 5.0.5) Solidity v0.5.0 (solc-js) Node v10.9.0

Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

The problem is with transferFrom, it is declared as external in ERC20.

When you execute sendTxAndMessage

     transferFrom(_from, _to, _value);

It is equivalent to an external call

     ERC20(address(this)).transferFrom(_from, _to, _value);

Then inside trasnferFrom you will have that msg.sender is the token address. So the call will fail if _from have not authorized it.