cardano-cli-plutus-scripts

• Learning Plutus script transaction patterns
• Understanding datums, redeemers, collateral
• Getting templates for script interactions

• Confirm network and script version (V2/V3)
• Never execute—only provide templates
• Always include collateral handling
• Use fresh protocol parameters

Script versions

• V1 (Alonzo): Legacy, limited features
• V2 (Babbage): Reference scripts, inline datums
• V3 (Conway): Governance, simplified interface

Datum handling

• Inline datum: Stored on-chain with UTxO
• Datum hash: Only hash on-chain, provide full datum when spending
• No datum: For some V3 scripts

Collateral

• Required for all Plutus script transactions
• Must be ADA-only UTxO
• Forfeit if script fails unexpectedly
• Typically 1-5 ADA sufficient

Lock funds at script address

```bash

# 1. Derive script address

cardano-cli conway address build \

--payment-script-file script.plutus \

--testnet-magic 1 \

--out-file script.addr

# 2. Create datum file

echo '{"constructor": 0, "fields": []}' > datum.json

# 3. Lock with inline datum

cardano-cli conway transaction build \

--testnet-magic 1 \

--tx-in # \

--tx-out "$(cat script.addr)+5000000" \

--tx-out-inline-datum-file datum.json \

--change-address \

--out-file tx.unsigned

# Sign and submit

```

Spend from script

```bash

# 1. Create redeemer

echo '{"constructor": 0, "fields": []}' > redeemer.json

# 2. Build script spend

cardano-cli conway transaction build \

--testnet-magic 1 \

--tx-in # \

--tx-in-script-file script.plutus \

--tx-in-inline-datum-present \

--tx-in-redeemer-file redeemer.json \

--tx-in-collateral # \

--tx-out + \

--change-address \

--out-file tx.unsigned

# Sign (with collateral key) and submit

```

With reference script

```bash

# Script already on-chain at reference UTxO

cardano-cli conway transaction build \

--testnet-magic 1 \

--tx-in # \

--spending-tx-in-reference # \

--spending-plutus-script-v2 \

--spending-reference-tx-in-inline-datum-present \

--spending-reference-tx-in-redeemer-file redeemer.json \

--tx-in-collateral # \

--tx-out + \

--change-address \

--out-file tx.unsigned

```

Example: Simple validator spend

User request: "Spend from my always-succeeds script"

Response:

```bash

# === Spend from Always-Succeeds Script ===

SCRIPT_ADDR=$(cat script.addr)

PAYMENT_ADDR=$(cat base.addr)

# 1. Query script UTxO

cardano-cli conway query utxo \

--address $SCRIPT_ADDR \

--testnet-magic 1

# Note the UTxO hash and index

# 2. Query payment UTxOs (for collateral)

cardano-cli conway query utxo \

--address $PAYMENT_ADDR \

--testnet-magic 1

# Select ADA-only UTxO for collateral

# 3. Create redeemer (for always-succeeds, can be unit)

echo '{"constructor": 0, "fields": []}' > redeemer.json

# 4. Build transaction

cardano-cli conway transaction build \

--testnet-magic 1 \

--tx-in #0 \

--tx-in-script-file always-succeeds.plutus \

--tx-in-inline-datum-present \

--tx-in-redeemer-file redeemer.json \

--tx-in-collateral #0 \

--tx-out "$PAYMENT_ADDR+4500000" \

--change-address $PAYMENT_ADDR \

--out-file tx.unsigned

# 5. Sign and submit (use operator skill)

```

Calculate execution costs

```bash

cardano-cli conway transaction build \

... \

--calculate-plutus-script-cost costs.json

cat costs.json | jq .

```

Common failures

• ExUnitsTooBig: Script exceeds execution budget
• CollateralNotFound: Missing or invalid collateral
• DatumMismatch: Provided datum doesn't match hash
• ScriptFailure: Validator returned False

• Test scripts on preprod/preview first
• Use minimal collateral
• Datum/redeemer are public—no secrets
• Verify script hash after rebuilds

• shared/PRINCIPLES.md
• cardano-cli-plutus-scripts-operator (for execution)
• aiken-smart-contracts (for writing validators)