feat: add a built-in console task

v-next/hardhat/src/internal/builtin-plugins/console/index.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+import type { HardhatPlugin } from "@ignored/hardhat-vnext-core/types/plugins";
+
+import { task } from "@ignored/hardhat-vnext-core/config";
+
+const hardhatPlugin: HardhatPlugin = {
+  id: "console",
+  tasks: [
+    task("console", "Opens a hardhat console")
+      .setAction(import.meta.resolve("./task-action.js"))
+      .addVariadicArgument({
+        name: "commands",
+        description: "Commands to run in the console",
+        defaultValue: [".help"],
+      })
+      .build(),
+  ],
+};
+
+export default hardhatPlugin;

v-next/hardhat/src/internal/builtin-plugins/console/task-action.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+import type { NewTaskActionFunction } from "@ignored/hardhat-vnext-core/types/tasks";
+import type { REPLServer } from "node:repl";
+
+import path from "node:path";
+import repl from "node:repl";
+
+import { getCacheDir } from "@ignored/hardhat-vnext-core/global-dir";
+import debug from "debug";
+
+const log = debug("hardhat:core:tasks:console");
+
+interface ConsoleActionArguments {
+  commands: string[];
+}
+
+const consoleAction: NewTaskActionFunction<ConsoleActionArguments> = async (
+  { commands },
+  _hre,
+) => {
+  const globalCacheDir = await getCacheDir();
+
+  return new Promise<REPLServer>((resolve) => {
+    // Start a new REPL server with the default options
+    const replServer = repl.start();
+
+    // Set up the REPL history file in the global cache directory
+    const historyPath = path.join(globalCacheDir, "console-history.txt");
+    replServer.setupHistory(historyPath, (err: Error | null) => {
+      if (err !== null) {
+        log(`Failed to setup REPL history: ${err.message}`);
+      }
+    });
+
+    // Execute each command in the REPL server
+    for (const command of commands) {
+      replServer.write(`${command}\n`);
+    }
+
+    // Resolve the task action promise when the REPL server exits
+    replServer.on("exit", () => {
+      resolve(replServer);
+    });
+  });
+};
+
+export default consoleAction;

v-next/hardhat/src/internal/builtin-plugins/index.ts

@@ -1,13 +1,20 @@
 import type { HardhatPlugin } from "@ignored/hardhat-vnext-core/types/plugins";
 
 import clean from "./clean/index.js";
+import console from "./console/index.js";
 import hardhatFoo from "./hardhat-foo/index.js";
 import run from "./run/index.js";
 
 // Note: When importing a plugin, you have to export its types, so that its
 // type extensions, if any, also get loaded.
 export type * from "./clean/index.js";
+export type * from "./console/index.js";
 export type * from "./hardhat-foo/index.js";
 export type * from "./run/index.js";
 
-export const builtinPlugins: HardhatPlugin[] = [clean, hardhatFoo, run];
+export const builtinPlugins: HardhatPlugin[] = [
+  clean,
+  console,
+  hardhatFoo,
+  run,
+];

v-next/hardhat/test/internal/builtin-plugins/console/task-action.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+import type { HardhatRuntimeEnvironment } from "@ignored/hardhat-vnext-core/types/hre";
+
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import { before, describe, it } from "node:test";
+
+import { ensureError } from "@ignored/hardhat-vnext-utils/error";
+
+import { createHardhatRuntimeEnvironment } from "../../../../src/hre.js";
+import consoleAction from "../../../../src/internal/builtin-plugins/console/task-action.js";
+import { useFixtureProject } from "../../../helpers/project.js";
+
+describe("console/task-action", function () {
+  let hre: HardhatRuntimeEnvironment;
+
+  before(async function () {
+    hre = await createHardhatRuntimeEnvironment({});
+  });
+
+  describe("javascript", function () {
+    useFixtureProject("run-js-script");
+
+    it("should throw inside the console if script does not exist", async function () {
+      const replServer = await consoleAction(
+        { commands: ['await import("./scripts/non-existent.js");', ".exit"] },
+        hre,
+      );
+      ensureError(replServer.lastError);
+    });
+
+    it("should run a script inside the console successfully", async function () {
+      const replServer = await consoleAction(
+        { commands: ['await import("./scripts/success.js");', ".exit"] },
+        hre,
+      );
+      assert.equal(replServer.lastError, undefined);
+    });
+
+    it("should throw inside the console if the script throws", async function () {
+      const replServer = await consoleAction(
+        { commands: ['await import("./scripts/throws.js");', ".exit"] },
+        hre,
+      );
+      ensureError(replServer.lastError);
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe("typescript", function () {
+    useFixtureProject("run-ts-script");
+
+    it("should throw inside the console if script does not exist", async function () {
+      const replServer = await consoleAction(
+        { commands: ['await import("./scripts/non-existent.ts");', ".exit"] },
+        hre,
+      );
+      ensureError(replServer.lastError);
+    });
+
+    it("should run a script inside the console successfully", async function () {
+      const replServer = await consoleAction(
+        { commands: ['await import("./scripts/success.ts");', ".exit"] },
+        hre,
+      );
+      assert.equal(replServer.lastError, undefined);
+    });
+
+    it("should throw inside the console if the script throws", async function () {
+      const replServer = await consoleAction(
+        { commands: ['await import("./scripts/throws.ts");', ".exit"] },
+        hre,
+      );
+      ensureError(replServer.lastError);
+    });
+  });
+});

v-next/hardhat/test/internal/cli/main.ts

@@ -223,6 +223,7 @@ Usage: hardhat [GLOBAL OPTIONS] <TASK> [SUBTASK] [TASK OPTIONS] [--] [TASK ARGUM
 AVAILABLE TASKS:
 
   clean                    Clears the cache and deletes all artifacts
+  console                  Opens a hardhat console
   example                  Example task
   run                      Runs a user-defined script after compiling the project
   task                     A task that uses arg1