Smart contract in the requirements industry: management of ads with blockchain + smart contract example

In today's world, on-demand platforms have become one of the essential components of online business. These platforms allow users to easily register their ads and communicate with others. However, one of the big challenges of these platforms is maintaining security and transparency over time. In this context, Blockchain as a new technology can create a huge transformation. This technology transforms the ad management process into a new and secure way through smart contract. In this article, we will examine the role of blockchain and smart contracts in managing advertisements in the demand industry.

What is blockchain?

Blockchain is a distributed and decentralized ledger used to store information. Information in this system is stored in the form of blocks that are connected to each other, and any change or addition of information requires approval from different network nodes. These features make blockchain a very safe and transparent tool.

What is the requirements industry (Classified advertising)?

Classified advertising refers to a set of advertisements that people or businesses register in order to sell their goods or services. This type of advertisement is usually published in different categories such as real estate, automobile, digital devices, etc. and the audience can find the information they want by searching in these categories. This industry has expanded especially on online platforms and helps businesses and individuals to effectively market their products and services.

Smart contract and its application in demand platforms

Smart contract is a contract that is executed automatically and certain conditions are established in them. These contracts are stored in the blockchain and no third party can change or manipulate them. On demand platforms, smart contracts can be used to perform transactions and register ads.

Advantages of smart contract in requirements platform:

1. High security: Smart contracts are stored in the blockchain and since they are immutable and transparent, no one can access or change its information without authorization.
2. Reduction of costs and time: Due to the automatic execution of contracts, there is no need to involve people or intermediaries for review and approval. This reduces costs and time in business processes.
3. Permanent storage of ads: Ads that are registered through the smart contract are permanently stored in the blockchain. This feature ensures that ads will be accessible forever.

Comparison of blockchain with traditional databases

While traditional databases are designed to store information on central servers, blockchain as a distributed system distributes information among different network nodes. This difference makes blockchain more secure and reliable. In traditional systems, information is more likely to be hacked or lost, while in blockchain, information is stored permanently and securely.

Implementation of smart contracts in required platforms

To implement smart contracts on demand platforms, we must first create a smart contract to register ads. This contract can include details such as the title of the ad, description, registration date, and the address of the owner of the ad. Whenever an ad is registered, this information is sent to the blockchain and stored permanently.

Example of a smart contract for managing ads in a platform for posting requirements and ads

pragma solidity >=0.4.22 <0.9.0;

contract AdPlatform {
    struct Ad {
        uint id;
        string title;
        string description;
        address owner;
        uint timestamp;
    }

    mapping(uint => Ad) public ads;
    mapping(address => uint) public adCountByOwner;  // Count ads for each user
    public uint totalAdCount;  // Total number of ads

    event AdCreated(uint id, string title, string description, address owner, uint timestamp);
    event AdUpdated(uint id, string title, string description, uint timestamp);
    event AdDeleted(uint id, address owner, uint timestamp);

// Create ad function
    function createAd(string memory _title, string memory _description) public {
        totalAdCount++;
        adCountByOwner[msg.sender]++;
        uint adId = totalAdCount;
        ads[adId] = Ad(adId, _title, _description, msg.sender, block.timestamp);
        emit AdCreated(adId, _title, _description, msg.sender, block.timestamp);
    }

    // Function to receive ad
    function getAd(uint _id) public view returns (string memory, string memory, address, uint) {
        require(_id <= totalAdCount, "Invalid ad ID");
        Ad memory ad = ads[_id];
        return (ad.title, ad.description, ad.owner, ad.timestamp);
    }

// Ad editing function
    function updateAd(uint _id, string memory _newTitle, string memory _newDescription) public {
        require(_id <= totalAdCount, "Invalid ad ID");
        Ad storage ad = ads[_id];
        require(ad.owner == msg.sender, "Only the owner can update the ad");
        
        ad.title = _newTitle;
        ad.description = _newDescription;
        ad.timestamp = block.timestamp;
        
        emit AdUpdated(_id, _newTitle, _newDescription, block.timestamp);
    }

    // Function to delete ad
    function deleteAd(uint _id) public {
        require(_id <= totalAdCount, "Invalid ad ID");
        Ad storage ad = ads[_id];
        require(ad.owner == msg.sender, "Only the owner can delete the ad");
        
        delete ads[_id];
        adCountByOwner[msg.sender]--;
        
        emit AdDeleted(_id, msg.sender, block.timestamp);
    }

// Function to check the number of ads for each user
    function getAdCountByOwner(address _owner) public view returns (uint) {
        return adCountByOwner[_owner];
    }
}

Description of the code:

This smart contract allows the ad platform to manage ads using blockchain. The main features of this code are as follows:

Ad structure:

• Each ad includes ID, title, description, owner and creation time.

Ad count:

• A global counter totalAdCount is used for the total number of ads.
• There is a special counter for each user (adCountByOwner) to track the number of ads created by each user.

Create ad:

• The createAd function allows users to create a new ad with their title and description.
• Every time a new ad is created, the number of ads for that user increases and the AdCreated event is released.

Receive ad:

• The getAd function returns information about a specific ad based on the ad ID.

edit ad:

• The updateAd function allows users to edit their ads. Only the owner of the ad can edit it, and the edit time will also be updated.
• This function emits the AdUpdated event.

Remove ad:

• The deleteAd function allows users to delete their ads. Only the ad owner can remove it.
• By deleting the ad, the counter of that user's ads will decrease and the AdDeleted event will be released.

** Check the number of ads for each user **:

• The getAdCountByOwner function returns the number of ads created by a specific user.

Limiting the number of ads: Each user is not limited to a certain number of ads, but the number of ads for each user is used to track the number of ads.

Transparency and Security: All advertisement information is stored on the blockchain, which helps prevent unauthorized changes and maintain transparency in the system, and editing and deleting advertisements is done only by the owner of the advertisement, which prevents unauthorized changes.

ad management capability: adding the ability to edit and delete ads allows users to easily manage their ads.

This contract can be effectively used to manage ads in an online demand platform and especially take advantage of the transparency and security of the blockchain.

Note: Before performing any operation, it is recommended to check the codes carefully and ensure their use in your project. Also, these codes may require additional changes and adjustments to adapt to specific environments or project requirements.

Conclusion

Blockchain and Smart Contracts can dramatically improve the security, transparency, and durability of ads on in-demand platforms. By using these technologies, platforms can gain the trust of their users and provide a safer and more efficient experience. These changes can significantly reduce costs and increase productivity in the necessities industry.