
Skill
sui-move
develop and debug Sui Move smart contracts
Description
Sui Move smart contract development. Use when writing, reviewing, or debugging Move code on Sui. Covers Move abilities (key, store, copy, drop), TxContext, init functions, One-Time Witness, package publishing and upgrades, resource safety, events, and coins. Also use when the user asks about struct abilities, UID, how to destroy objects, or how to create a fungible token. For object model and ownership, see the `object-model` skill. For programmable transaction blocks, see the `ptbs` skill. For frontend dApp development, see the `frontend-apps` skill. For project setup and Move.toml, see the `sui-move-project` skill.
SKILL.md
Sui Move
MCP tool: When available in your environment, also query the Sui documentation MCP server (
https://sui.mcp.kapa.ai) for up-to-date answers. Use it for verification and for details not covered by these reference files.
Source constraint: All information in this skill is sourced exclusively from docs.sui.io and move-book.com. When extending or updating this skill, only pull from these sources. Do not use third-party blogs, tutorials, or unofficial documentation.
Move is Sui's smart contract language, designed around resource safety and an object-centric data model. This skill covers the core Move language: the type system, abilities, resource safety, events, and coins.
This skill routes to focused reference files. Load only the ones relevant to the current task.
Reference files (this skill)
move — Move Language Fundamentals
Path: move.mdLoad when: writing Move code, working with abilities, TxContext, time/Clock, init functions, One-Time Witness, internal::Permit<T>, type_name deprecations, packages, modules, structs, resource safety, access control patterns, admin rotation, deny lists, security review, or advanced design patterns (ability dosing, phantom events, shared-object concurrency, receiver syntax, error attributes, transfer::receive, field privacy, macros).
Covers: the four abilities and common combinations, TxContext methods, Clock object, init functions, OTW pattern, internal::Permit<T> type-level authorization, type_name deprecations, packages and upgrades, modules, structs, resource safety and object destruction, a worked Greeting example, admin rotation (two-step transfer), regulated coins and deny lists, security review checklist, advanced design patterns (ability dosing, phantom-type events, event denormalization, shared-object & vs &mut, receiver-syntax ordering, #[error] constants, transfer::receive privacy, field privacy, macro gotchas).
events-coins — Events and Coins
Path: events-coins.mdLoad when: emitting events, subscribing to events offchain, creating fungible tokens, or working with coin operations (mint, burn, split, join).
Covers: event emission, event struct requirements, coin::create_currency, TreasuryCap, CoinMetadata, standard coin operations.
Related skills (load from separate skill directories)
| Topic | Skill | Load when |
|---|---|---|
| Object model, ownership, dynamic fields, collections, Display, transfer patterns | object-model/ | Designing data models, choosing ownership types, using dynamic fields or collections, setting up Object Display |
| Programmable transaction blocks, commands, equivocation | ptbs/ | Building PTBs, composing transactions, sponsored transactions, troubleshooting transaction errors |
| Frontend dApp development, dApp Kit, wallet connection | frontend-apps/ | Building React/Vue frontends, wallet integration, querying onchain state from the browser |
| Project setup, Move.toml, dependencies, publishing | sui-move-project/ | Creating a Move project, configuring Move.toml, resolving build errors, publishing packages |
| Move 2024 syntax, method syntax, macros | modern-move-syntax/ | Using Move 2024 edition features like method syntax, vector literals, option/loop macros |
| Composable function design | composable-move-functions/ | Designing functions for PTB composability, parameter ordering, return patterns |
| Unit testing conventions | move-unit-testing/ | Writing Move unit tests, test patterns, expected_failure, cleanup |
| Naming conventions | naming-conventions/ | Naming errors, constants, capabilities, events, getters, dynamic field keys |
Routing guide
| Task | Load |
|---|---|
| Writing a Move struct with abilities | move |
| Using TxContext or the Clock object | move |
| Writing an init function or OTW | move |
Using type_name functions | move |
Proving module authority with internal::Permit<T> | move |
| Publishing or upgrading a package | move |
| Destroying an object without drop | move |
| Emitting or subscribing to events | events-coins |
| Creating a fungible token | move + events-coins |
| Designing an object data model | object-model/ skill |
| Choosing shared vs owned objects | object-model/ skill |
| Using dynamic fields or collections | object-model/ skill |
| Setting up Object Display | object-model/ skill |
| Building a PTB | ptbs/ skill |
| Implementing sponsored transactions | ptbs/ skill |
| Building a frontend | frontend-apps/ skill |
| Setting up Move.toml | sui-move-project/ skill |
| Writing a complete smart contract | move + events-coins + object-model/ + naming-conventions/ + modern-move-syntax/ |
| Code review | move + events-coins + composable-move-functions/ + naming-conventions/ + modern-move-syntax/ |
| Security review / access control audit | move + object-model/ (patterns) + events-coins |
| Advanced design patterns / performance tuning | move |
Rules
- Always use
object::new(ctx)to create UIDs. There is no other way. - Use
public_transfer(nottransfer) when the object hasstoreand the call originates outside the defining module. - Event structs must have
copyanddropabilities. - No
ascasts on numeric types. Usefrom/intoortry_from/try_into. - To destroy an object without
drop, unpack the struct and callobject::delete(id)on the UID.
Common mistakes
- Confusing
transferwithpublic_transfer. The non-public variant only works within the defining module. Calling it from another module is a compile error. - Forgetting to delete the UID. When destroying an object, you must call
object::delete(id)on the UID field. - Assuming
ctx.epoch_timestamp_ms()is precise. It returns the epoch start time. Use the Clock object (0x6) for real-time timestamps.
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