What are the common Hardhat plugins and their uses?

Hardhat's plugin system greatly extends its functionality. Here are common plugins and their uses:

Core Plugins:

1. @nomicfoundation/hardhat-toolbox

   • Integrates multiple commonly used plugins
   • Includes Ethers.js, Chai, Waffle, Etherscan, Hardhat Ignition, etc.
   • Suitable for quickly starting projects

2. hardhat-gas-reporter

   • Generates gas usage reports
   • Helps optimize contract gas consumption
   • Supports displaying gas costs in multiple currencies

3. @nomiclabs/hardhat-etherscan

   • Automatically verifies contracts on Etherscan
   • Supports multi-network verification
   • Simplifies contract verification process

4. hardhat-abi-exporter

   • Exports contract ABIs to JSON files
   • Facilitates frontend integration
   • Supports custom export formats

Development Helper Plugins:

1. hardhat-contract-sizer

   • Analyzes contract size
   • Detects if exceeding 24KB limit
   • Helps optimize contract code

2. hardhat-deploy

   • Provides advanced deployment features
   • Supports contract upgrades
   • Saves deployment history

3. hardhat-ethers

   • Provides Ethers.js integration
   • Enhanced contract interaction
   • Type-safe contract calls

Security Plugins:

1. hardhat-ethcan

   • Security vulnerability detection
   • Common attack pattern recognition
   • Code quality checking

2. hardhat-spdx-license-checker

   • Checks SPDX license identifiers
   • Ensures compliance
   • Automatically adds licenses

Installation and Usage:

javascript
// Install plugin
npm install --save-dev hardhat-gas-reporter

// Import in hardhat.config.js
require("hardhat-gas-reporter");

// Configure plugin
gasReporter: {
  enabled: true,
  currency: "USD"
}

Plugin Development: Hardhat supports custom plugin development, which can extend tasks, environments, configurations, and other features to meet specific project needs.