Interpreting Solidity-Yul Code Flow

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A Deep Dive into Solidity.

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In my attempt to understand Solidity at a deeper level, I wanted to understand how bytes are manipulated using Yul during read and write functions. Thanks to Degatchi’s blog, I was able to see normal setter and getter functions implemented in Yul. However, the blog does not show how the bytes are changing as the code gets executed, so I wanted to dry-run the assembly code and show it.

The given function is an external function that is used to update a variable value. Normally the code is pretty straightforward, but here, we are using Yul where we can have more control over memory and reduce gas efficiently.

I am going to go through each line and show what exactly happens to the slot in the process.

Storage:


0x01 : 00000000000000 047b37ef4d76c2366f795fb557e3c15e0607b7d8 000014 000a


//          unused bytes                     c                        b    a
// before: 00000000000000 047b37ef4d76c2366f795fb557e3c15e0607b7d8 000014 000a
//          unused bytes                     c                        b    a
// after:  00000000000000 047b37ef4d76c2366f795fb557e3c15e0607b7d8 0001F4 000a
function set_b(uint24 b) external {
    assembly {
        // Removing the `uint16` from the right.
        // before: 00000000000000 047b37ef4d76c2366f795fb557e3c15e0607b7d8 000014 000a
        //                                                                         ^
        // after:  0000 00000000000000 047b37ef4d76c2366f795fb557e3c15e0607b7d8 000014
        //          ^
        let new_v := shr(0x10, sload(0x01))

        // Create our mask.
        new_v := and(0xffffff, new_v)

        // Input our value into the mask.
        new_v := xor(b, new_v)

        // Add back the removed `a` value bits.
        new_v := shl(0x10, new_v)

        // Replace original 32 bytes `000014` with `0001F4`.
        new_v := xor(new_v, sload(0x01))

        // Store our new value.
        sstore(0x01, new_v)
    }
}

Breaking down each line of the code:

Get rid of 000a because out input will begin from the right hand side and it will be easier to modify the value directly instead of padding the input.


// Removing the `uint16` from the right.
let new_v = shr(0x10, sload(0x01))

/*
 * before: 00000000000000 047b37ef4d76c2366f795fb557e3c15e0607b7d8 000014 000a
 * 
 * new_v:  0000 00000000000000 047b37ef4d76c2366f795fb557e3c15e0607b7d8 000014
 */

Now we have to create our mask which will only keep our specific area and remove everything else.


// Create our mask
// This will only keep the 000014 
new_v := and(0xffffff, new_v)

/*
 * before:  0000 00000000000000 047b37ef4d76c2366f795fb557e3c15e0607b7d8 000014
 * mask:    0000 00000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 ffffff
 * 
 * new_v:   0000 00000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 000014
 */

XOR gate

0	0	0
0	1	1
1	0	1
1	1	0

Input our value into the mask. [TBA]


// Input our value into the mask.
new_v := xor(b, new_v)

/*
 * new_v:   0000 00000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 000014
 * b:       0000 00000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 0001F4
 * new_v:   0000 00000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 0001e0
 */

Add back the removed `a` value bits.


new_v := shl(0x10, new_v)

/*
 * new_v:   0000 00000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 0001e0
 *  
 * after:   00000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 0001e0 0000
 */

Replace original 32 bytes 000014 with 0001F4



// Replace original 32 bytes `000014` with `0001F4`.
new_v := xor(new_v, sload(0x01))

/*
 * before:   00000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 0001e0 0000
 * 0x01:     00000000000000 047b37ef4d76c2366f795fb557e3c15e0607b7d8 000014 000a
 * 
 * after:    00000000000000 047b37ef4d76c2366f795fb557e3c15e0607b7d8 0001f4 000a
 */

Then, sstore just updates the bytes in storage slot 1 to new_v


sstore(0x01, new_v)

// unused bytes c b a // before: 00000000000000 047b37ef4d76c2366f795fb557e3c15e0607b7d8 000014 000a // unused bytes c b a // after: 00000000000000 047b37ef4d76c2366f795fb557e3c15e0607b7d8 0001F4 000a function set_b(uint24 b) external { assembly { // Removing the `uint16` from the right. // before: 00000000000000 047b37ef4d76c2366f795fb557e3c15e0607b7d8 000014 000a // ^ // after: 0000 00000000000000 047b37ef4d76c2366f795fb557e3c15e0607b7d8 000014 // ^ let new_v := shr(0x10, sload(0x01)) // Create our mask. new_v := and(0xffffff, new_v) // Input our value into the mask. new_v := xor(b, new_v) // Add back the removed `a` value bits. new_v := shl(0x10, new_v) // Replace original 32 bytes `000014` with `0001F4`. new_v := xor(new_v, sload(0x01)) // Store our new value. sstore(0x01, new_v) } }

// Removing the `uint16` from the right. let new_v = shr(0x10, sload(0x01)) /* * before: 00000000000000 047b37ef4d76c2366f795fb557e3c15e0607b7d8 000014 000a * * new_v: 0000 00000000000000 047b37ef4d76c2366f795fb557e3c15e0607b7d8 000014 */

// Create our mask // This will only keep the 000014 new_v := and(0xffffff, new_v) /* * before: 0000 00000000000000 047b37ef4d76c2366f795fb557e3c15e0607b7d8 000014 * mask: 0000 00000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 ffffff * * new_v: 0000 00000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 000014 */

// Input our value into the mask. new_v := xor(b, new_v) /* * new_v: 0000 00000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 000014 * b: 0000 00000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 0001F4 * new_v: 0000 00000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 0001e0 */

// Replace original 32 bytes `000014` with `0001F4`. new_v := xor(new_v, sload(0x01)) /* * before: 00000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 0001e0 0000 * 0x01: 00000000000000 047b37ef4d76c2366f795fb557e3c15e0607b7d8 000014 000a * * after: 00000000000000 047b37ef4d76c2366f795fb557e3c15e0607b7d8 0001f4 000a */

Writing