> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://luminouslabs-cc5545c6-swen-add-code-runner.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Overview & Program Template

> Compressed PDAs provide full functionality of accounts at PDAs, without rent-exemption per account.

| Creation     | Regular PDA Account  | Compressed PDA  |
| :----------- | :------------------- | :-------------- |
| 100-byte PDA | \~1,600,000 lamports | 15,000 lamports |

Compressed PDAs are derived using a specific program address and seed, like regular PDAs. Custom programs invoke the <Tooltip tip="The program enforces compressed account layout with ownership and sum checks. It is invoked to create and interact with compressed accounts and tokens.">Light System program</Tooltip> to create and update accounts, instead of the System program.

#### Compressed PDAs at a Glance

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Rent free PDAs">
    Create accounts at program-derived addresses without upfront rent exempt balance.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Full PDA Functionality">
    Persistent unique identification and program ownership.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Composable">
    CPI support between compressed and regular PDAs.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

# Start Building

Developing with compressed PDAs works similar to regular PDAs and involves minimal setup:

<Steps>
  <Step>
    ### Prerequisites

    <Info>
      Required versions:

      * **Rust**: 1.86.0 or later
      * **Solana CLI**: 2.2.15
      * **Anchor CLI**: 0.31.1
      * **Zk compression CLI**: 0.27.0 or later
      * **Node.js**: 23.5.0 or later
    </Info>

    **Install Solana CLI:**

    ```bash theme={null}
    sh -c "$(curl -sSfL https://release.solana.com/v2.2.15/install)"
    ```

    **Install Anchor CLI:**

    ```bash theme={null}
    cargo install --git https://github.com/coral-xyz/anchor avm --force
    avm install latest
    avm use latest
    ```

    **Install the Light CLI:**

    <Tabs>
      <Tab title="npm">
        ```bash theme={null}
        npm install -g @lightprotocol/zk-compression-cli@alpha
        ```
      </Tab>

      <Tab title="yarn">
        ```bash theme={null}
        yarn global add @lightprotocol/zk-compression-cli@alpha
        ```
      </Tab>

      <Tab title="pnpm">
        ```bash theme={null}
        pnpm add -g @lightprotocol/zk-compression-cli@alpha
        ```
      </Tab>
    </Tabs>

    **Verify installation:**

    ```bash theme={null}
    light --version
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step>
    ### Initialize your Program

    Instantiate a template Solana program with compressed accounts with all required dependencies.

    ```bash theme={null}
    light init testprogram
    ```

    <Info>
      The `light init` command creates only Anchor-based projects . For Pinocchio programs, manually configure dependencies using `light-sdk-pinocchio`.
    </Info>

    <Accordion title="Dependencies">
      **Rust Crates**

      * `light-sdk` - Core SDK for compressed accounts in native and anchor programs
      * `light-sdk-pinocchio` Core SDK for compressed accounts in pinocchio programs
      * `light-client` - RPC client and indexer for interacting with compressed accounts
      * `light-program-test` - Testing utilities for compressed programs.

      **TypeScript/JavaScript Packages**

      * `@lightprotocol/stateless.js` - Client library for interacting with compressed accounts
      * `@lightprotocol/zk-compression-cli` - Command-line tools for ZK compression development
    </Accordion>
  </Step>

  <Step>
    ### Build and Test

    Now `cd testprogram` and run:

    ```bash theme={null}
    anchor build
    # Success: Finished `release` profile [optimized] target(s), after compiling.
    # Note: Stack offset warnings are expected and don't prevent compilation
    ```

    ```bash theme={null}
    cargo test-sbf

    # Success: test result: ok. 1 passed; 0 failed; 0 ignored
    ```
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Common Errors

<Accordion title="assert.h file not found - during compilation.">
  ```shellscript theme={null}
  Fix:
  In your terminal, run:
  1. export CC=$(xcrun -find clang)
  2. export SDKROOT=$(xcrun --show-sdk-path)
  3. cargo clean
  4. anchor build


  Example log:
  The following warnings were emitted during compilation:

  warning: blake3@1.5.1: In file included from c/blake3_neon.c:1:
  warning: blake3@1.5.1: c/blake3_impl.h:4:10: fatal error: 'assert.h' file not found
  warning: blake3@1.5.1:     4 | #include <assert.h>
  warning: blake3@1.5.1:       |          ^~~~~~~~~~
  warning: blake3@1.5.1: 1 error generated.

  error: failed to run custom build command for `blake3 v1.5.1`

  Caused by:
    process didn't exit successfully: `/Users/you/testprogram/target/release/build/blake3-ac41d29c2eabe052/build-script-build` (exit status: 1)
    --- stdout
    cargo:rerun-if-env-changed=CARGO_FEATURE_PURE
    cargo:rerun-if-env-changed=CARGO_FEATURE_NO_NEON
    cargo:rerun-if-env-changed=CARGO_FEATURE_NEON
    cargo:rerun-if-env-changed=CARGO_FEATURE_NEON
    cargo:rerun-if-env-changed=CARGO_FEATURE_NO_NEON
    cargo:rerun-if-env-changed=CARGO_FEATURE_PURE
    cargo:rustc-cfg=blake3_neon
    OUT_DIR = Some(/Users/you/testprogram/target/release/build/blake3-735a4c71d985df30/out)
    TARGET = Some(aarch64-apple-darwin)
    OPT_LEVEL = Some(3)
    HOST = Some(aarch64-apple-darwin)
    cargo:rerun-if-env-changed=CC_aarch64-apple-darwin
    CC_aarch64-apple-darwin = None
    cargo:rerun-if-env-changed=CC_aarch64_apple_darwin
    CC_aarch64_apple_darwin = None
    cargo:rerun-if-env-changed=HOST_CC
    HOST_CC = None
    cargo:rerun-if-env-changed=CC
    CC = Some(/Users/you/.local/share/solana/install/releases/1.18.22/solana-release/bin/sdk/sbf/dependencies/platform-tools/llvm/bin/clang)
    RUSTC_WRAPPER = None
    cargo:rerun-if-env-changed=CC_ENABLE_DEBUG_OUTPUT
    cargo:rerun-if-env-changed=CRATE_CC_NO_DEFAULTS
    CRATE_CC_NO_DEFAULTS = None
    DEBUG = Some(false)
    cargo:rerun-if-env-changed=MACOSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET
    MACOSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET = None
    cargo:rerun-if-env-changed=CFLAGS_aarch64-apple-darwin
    CFLAGS_aarch64-apple-darwin = None
    cargo:rerun-if-env-changed=CFLAGS_aarch64_apple_darwin
    CFLAGS_aarch64_apple_darwin = None
    cargo:rerun-if-env-changed=HOST_CFLAGS
    HOST_CFLAGS = None
    cargo:rerun-if-env-changed=CFLAGS
    CFLAGS = None
    cargo:warning=In file included from c/blake3_neon.c:1:
    cargo:warning=c/blake3_impl.h:4:10: fatal error: 'assert.h' file not found
    cargo:warning=    4 | #include <assert.h>
    cargo:warning=      |          ^~~~~~~~~~
    cargo:warning=1 error generated.

    --- stderr


    error occurred: Command env -u IPHONEOS_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET "/Users/you/.local/share/solana/install/releases/1.18.22/solana-release/bin/sdk/sbf/dependencies/platform-tools/llvm/bin/clang" "-O3" "-ffunction-sections" "-fdata-sections" "-fPIC" "--target=arm64-apple-darwin" "-mmacosx-version-min=14.4" "-Wall" "-Wextra" "-std=c11" "-o" "/Users/you/testprogram/target/release/build/blake3-735a4c71d985df30/out/db3b6bfb95261072-blake3_neon.o" "-c" "c/blake3_neon.c" with args clang did not execute successfully (status code exit status: 1).
  ```
</Accordion>

## Program Examples

| Example                                                                                                        | Description                                                                                                              |
| :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| [basic-operations/anchor](https://github.com/Lightprotocol/program-examples/tree/main/basic-operations/anchor) | Anchor programs to create, update, close, reinitialize and burn compressed accounts with Rust and TypeScript tests       |
| [basic-operations/native](https://github.com/Lightprotocol/program-examples/tree/main/basic-operations/native) | Native Solana program implementation to create, update, close, reinitialize and burn compressed accounts with Rust tests |
| [Counter (Anchor)](https://github.com/Lightprotocol/program-examples/tree/main/counter/anchor)                 | Full compressed account lifecycle (create, increment, decrement, reset, close) using Anchor framework                    |
| [Counter (Native)](https://github.com/Lightprotocol/program-examples/tree/main/counter/native)                 | Native Solana program implementation with Rust tests                                                                     |
| [Counter (Pinocchio)](https://github.com/Lightprotocol/program-examples/tree/main/counter/pinocchio)           | Pinocchio implementation using light-sdk-pinocchio with Rust tests                                                       |
| [Create-and-Update](https://github.com/Lightprotocol/program-examples/tree/main/create-and-update)             | Create new compressed accounts and update existing ones within a single instruction and one validity proof               |
| [Read-Only](https://github.com/Lightprotocol/program-examples/tree/main/read-only)                             | Create compressed accounts and read them on-chain                                                                        |
| [Account Comparison](https://github.com/Lightprotocol/program-examples/tree/main/account-comparison)           | Compare compressed accounts with standard Solana accounts                                                                |
| [ZK-ID](https://github.com/Lightprotocol/program-examples/tree/main/zk-id)                                     | Program that uses zero-knowledge proofs for identity verification with compressed accounts                               |

# Next Steps

<Card title="Build a client for your program." icon="chevron-right" color="#0066ff" href="/client-library/client-guide" horizontal />