Solana: Error “First argument must be of type string or buffer” during SolanaAgentKit conversion

Solana Agent Kit Token Swap Error: “First argument must be of type string or buffer”

As a Solana developer, you are probably well aware of the complexities of working with the Solana blockchain. A common issue that can arise during token swaps in your application is an error related to the first argument passed to the SolanaAgentKit.swap function. Specifically, the code snippet below illustrates this issue.

Error Details

The following error message may appear when attempting a token swap:

Swap failed: First argument must be of type string or an instance of solana-program-buffer

This indicates that the swap method expects a string or a Buffer (a mutable view of raw binary data) as its first argument. However, instead of a valid token symbol or bytes representing the public key of the token contract, you are providing a string or a Buffer.

Possible Causes and Solutions

To resolve this issue, it is possible that:

• Misconfigured solana-program package

  : Ensure that the solana-program package is installed correctly in your Solana environment. The Buffer type may not be available by default.

• Incorrect token or key symbol: Double-check that the token symbol provided matches the actual public key of the contract you are trying to exchange with. Ensure that it is correct and matches the expected format (e.g. “0x1234567890abcdef”).

• Buffer mismatch

  

  : If the solana-program package is installed correctly, ensure that the Buffer passed as the first argument has the same length and type as specified in the code snippet.

Troubleshooting Steps

To diagnose and resolve the issue:

• Inspect the code for possible typos or incorrect types.

• Check the version of the solana-program package to ensure it is compatible with Solana 1.6.x or later.

• Verify that the token symbol and key are correct and compare them to the expected format.

Sample solution

To help you solve this problem, I have provided a modified example of how to create a token contract and use SolanaAgentKit for exchange:

import { createAccount } from '@solana/web3.js';
import { Buffer } from 'solana-program';
const createTokenContract = async(accountId: string) => {
const [programId, symbol] = Buffer.from('0x1234567890abcdef', 16).slice(0, 4); // Token token example
const accountMeta = await createAccount(
programId,
token.toString(),
{ mintAddress: accountId },
{
publicKey: programId,
}
);
return programId;
};

Conclusion

If you are encountering errors related to the first argument in SolanaAgentKit for token exchanges, make sure your tokens and token keys are correct. Verify that your solana-program package is installed correctly and up to date. If necessary, inspect your code for possible typos or incorrect types.

With these troubleshooting steps and examples, you should be able to resolve this issue and continue working on your Solana application with confidence.