Simulating calls

Sometimes you want to simulate a call to a contract without changing the state of the blockchain. This can be achieved by calling .simulate instead of .call and passing in the desired execution context:

  • .simulate(Execution::Realistic) simulates the transaction in a manner that closely resembles a real call. You need a wallet with base assets to cover the transaction cost, even though no funds will be consumed. This is useful for validating that a real call would succeed if made at that moment. It allows you to debug issues with your contract without spending gas.
        // you would mint 100 coins if the transaction wasn't simulated
        let counter = contract_methods
            .mint_coins(100)
            .simulate(Execution::Realistic)
            .await?;
  • .simulate(Execution::StateReadOnly) disables many validations, adds fake gas, extra variable outputs, blank witnesses, etc., enabling you to read state even with an account that has no funds.
            // you don't need any funds to read state
            let balance = contract_methods
                .get_balance(contract_id, AssetId::zeroed())
                .simulate(Execution::StateReadOnly)
                .await?
                .value;