## Navigating Your "Develop ZK Circuits with Noir" Course Materials Welcome! Before you dive into the exciting world of developing Zero-Knowledge circuits with Noir, it's essential to understand how to navigate the course materials. This lesson will guide you through our main GitHub repository, which serves as the central hub for all information, resources, code, and support for this course. Our primary course repository is located at: `github.com/Cyfrin/develop-zk-circuits-with-noir-cu`. Please note that, as shown in the introductory video, this repository might be marked as "Private." Its core purpose is to house all essential information, resource links, code links, and discussion avenues for the "Develop ZK Circuits with Noir" course. **The README.md: Your Primary Navigation Tool** The most crucial file within this repository is `README.md`. Think of it as your comprehensive course syllabus and navigational guide. It is meticulously structured to help you find everything you need. Let's break down its key sections: 1. **General Course Information** At the very beginning, the README provides an overview of the course. You'll find links to related Cyfrin Updraft courses and a YouTube link for this specific course. 2. **Disclaimer** This is a vital section that you **must read** carefully. It contains important legal and ethical considerations. The highlighted text from this section is: *"The following content is provided strictly for educational purposes. This course demonstrates how privacy-preserving smart contracts like mixers work under the hood using zero-knowledge proofs. It is not intended to promote or encourage the use of privacy tools for illicit activity. We do not condone the violation of any laws or regulations. Please ensure you comply with your local laws when building or deploying smart contracts."* Furthermore, it clarifies that any code provided is for demonstration purposes only, has not been audited, and should be used at your own risk. 3. **Resources For This Course** This section lists general tools and platforms that can be helpful throughout your learning journey: * **AI Frens:** Suggestions like ChatGPT, Phind, Bard, and other AI extensions. * **Community/Q&A:** * GitHub Discussions (within the main course repository, for course-specific questions). * Stack Exchange Ethereum. * Peeranha (a decentralized Stack Exchange alternative). * **Cookbook:** A smart contract registry and co-pilot. 4. **Course Structure and Lesson Breakdown** The README provides a detailed outline of the course content, broken down into logical sections. Each section, in turn, lists its individual lessons. * **Lesson-Specific Resources:** Crucially, under each lesson title, you will find direct links to any relevant resources, documentation, or references mentioned during that particular lesson. For instance, if a lesson on "Nargo and Barretenberg Installation" is listed, you might find a sub-link directly beneath it pointing to the "Barretenberg Repo and Docs." * **Code for Sections:** For each major section of the course, there will be a direct link to its associated code repository. This means that while this main repository is for navigation and general information, the actual project code for different parts of the course might reside in separate, dedicated repositories. For example, under "Section 2: ZK ECRecover," you might see a link like "Code: `https://github.com/Cyfrin/zk-ecrecover-cu`". 5. **Overall Course References** Located towards the end of the README, this "References" section is an invaluable compilation of all resources consulted during the creation of the entire course. If you wish to delve deeper into specific topics or find the original source material, this is the place to look. Resources listed here include: * Noir Documentation * Porter's live stream on Tornado Cash * Rare skills article * Artem Chystiakov's article * Smart Contract Programmer's video * `https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Example-of-the-Tornado-Cash-1-ETH-pool-addresses-A-through-F-deposit-to-and-withdraw_fig1_357925531` * Krishang's Tornado Cash Rebuilt Repo * The Tornado Cash codebase * Cat Mcgee's Private Peace Hackathon Project 6. **Disclosures Section** Another important section to review, this part likely contains information regarding affiliations or potential conflicts of interest related to the course content or creators. 7. **Sponsors Section** Here, you'll find information about the sponsors who have supported the development of this course. 8. **Thank You Section** This section acknowledges and expresses gratitude to everyone who contributed to the resources that made this course possible. **Key Navigational Tips:** * **Central Hub:** Always remember that the `README.md` file in the main course repository (`github.com/Cyfrin/develop-zk-circuits-with-noir-cu`) is your primary point of reference. * **Confused? Check the README:** If you're ever unsure about a resource mentioned in a video lesson, navigate to that lesson's entry in the README; the link should be right there. * **Accessing Code:** Code specific to different course sections is not directly in this main repository but is linked from within the description of those sections in the README, often pointing to other GitHub repositories. * **Deeper Exploration:** For comprehensive further reading and to understand the foundational materials used in course development, the "Overall Course References" section is your go-to. **Asking Questions** If you have any questions about the course content, lessons, or resources, you are encouraged to use the **"Discussions" tab** on the main GitHub repository: `github.com/Cyfrin/develop-zk-circuits-with-noir-cu`. This is the designated place for course-related Q&A. Please note that this particular lesson focuses solely on *how to find information* and navigate the course structure. We do not delve into any specific code, smart contracts, or ZK circuit examples here. Instead, we've shown you *where* to locate links to code repositories for different course sections. By familiarizing yourself with the main GitHub repository and its `README.md` file, you'll be well-equipped to access all lessons, resources, code, and support efficiently throughout your learning journey.