Canisters
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Explain what canisters are and how they work. Cover the Wasm execution model, message types (update calls, query calls, composite queries), the memory model (heap + stable memory), canister IDs and principals, and the lifecycle (create, install, upgrade, delete). Explain how canisters differ from smart contracts on other chains: they serve HTTP, hold GBs of state, and pay for their own execution.
- Portal: building-apps/essentials/canisters.mdx, message-execution.mdx
- Learn Hub: Canister Smart Contracts, What is a Principal?, Computational Model, Execution Layer
- concepts/app-architecture — canisters in context
- concepts/reverse-gas-model — how canisters pay
- guides/canister-management/lifecycle — practical lifecycle management
- reference/management-canister — canister management API