--- eip: 145 title: Bitwise shifting instructions in EVM author: Alex Beregszaszi, Paweł Bylica type: Standards Track category: Core status: Final created: 2017-02-13 --- ## Simple Summary To provide native bitwise shifting with cost on par with other arithmetic operations. ## Abstract Native bitwise shifting instructions are introduced, which are more efficient processing wise on the host and are cheaper to use by a contract. ## Motivation EVM is lacking bitwise shifting operators, but supports other logical and arithmetic operators. Shift operations can be implemented via arithmetic operators, but that has a higher cost and requires more processing time from the host. Implementing `SHL` and `SHR` using arithmetics cost each 35 gas, while the proposed instructions take 3 gas. ## Specification The following instructions are introduced: ### `0x1b`: `SHL` (shift left) The `SHL` instruction (shift left) pops 2 values from the stack, first `arg1` and then `arg2`, and pushes on the stack `arg2` shifted to the left by `arg1` number of bits. The result is equal to ``` (arg2 * 2^arg1) mod 2^256 ``` Notes: - The value (`arg2`) is interpreted as an unsigned number. - The shift amount (`arg1`) is interpreted as an unsigned number. - If the shift amount (`arg1`) is greater or equal 256 the result is 0. - This is equivalent to `PUSH1 2 EXP MUL`. ### `0x1c`: `SHR` (logical shift right) The `SHR` instruction (logical shift right) pops 2 values from the stack, first `arg1` and then `arg2`, and pushes on the stack `arg2` shifted to the right by `arg1` number of bits with zero fill. The result is equal to ``` floor(arg2 / 2^arg1) ``` Notes: - The value (`arg2`) is interpreted as an unsigned number. - The shift amount (`arg1`) is interpreted as an unsigned number. - If the shift amount (`arg1`) is greater or equal 256 the result is 0. - This is equivalent to `PUSH1 2 EXP DIV`. ### `0x1d`: `SAR` (arithmetic shift right) The `SAR` instruction (arithmetic shift right) pops 2 values from the stack, first `arg1` and then `arg2`, and pushes on the stack `arg2` shifted to the right by `arg1` number of bits with sign extension. The result is equal to ``` floor(arg2 / 2^arg1) ``` Notes: - The value (`arg2`) is interpreted as a signed number. - The shift amount (`arg1`) is interpreted as an unsigned number. - If the shift amount (`arg1`) is greater or equal 256 the result is 0 if `arg2` is non-negative or -1 if `arg2` is negative. - This is **not** equivalent to `PUSH1 2 EXP SDIV`, since it rounds differently. See `SDIV(-1, 2) == 0`, while `SAR(-1, 1) == -1`. The cost of the shift instructions is set at `verylow` tier (3 gas). ## Rationale Instruction operands were chosen to fit the more natural use case of shifting a value already on the stack. This means the operand order is swapped compared to most arithmetic insturctions. ## Backwards Compatibility The newly introduced instructions have no effect on bytecode created in the past. ## Test Cases ### `SHL` (shift left) 1. ``` PUSH 0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001 PUSH 0x00 SHL --- 0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001 ``` 2. ``` PUSH 0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001 PUSH 0x01 SHL --- 0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000002 ``` 3. ``` PUSH 0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001 PUSH 0xff SHL --- 0x8000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 ``` 4. ``` PUSH 0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001 PUSH 0x0100 SHL --- 0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 ``` 5. ``` PUSH 0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001 PUSH 0x0101 SHL --- 0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 ``` 6. ``` PUSH 0xffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff PUSH 0x00 SHL --- 0xffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff ``` 7. ``` PUSH 0xffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff PUSH 0x01 SHL --- 0xfffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffe ``` 8. ``` PUSH 0xffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff PUSH 0xff SHL --- 0x8000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 ``` 9. ``` PUSH 0xffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff PUSH 0x0100 SHL --- 0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 ``` 10. ``` PUSH 0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 PUSH 0x01 SHL --- 0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 ``` 11. ``` PUSH 0x7fffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff PUSH 0x01 SHL --- 0xfffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffe ``` ### `SHR` (logical shift right) 1. ``` PUSH 0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001 PUSH 0x00 SHR --- 0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001 ``` 2. ``` PUSH 0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001 PUSH 0x01 SHR --- 0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 ``` 3. ``` PUSH 0x8000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 PUSH 0x01 SHR --- 0x4000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 ``` 4. ``` PUSH 0x8000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 PUSH 0xff SHR --- 0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001 ``` 5. ``` PUSH 0x8000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 PUSH 0x0100 SHR --- 0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 ``` 6. ``` PUSH 0x8000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 PUSH 0x0101 SHR --- 0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 ``` 7. ``` PUSH 0xffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff PUSH 0x00 SHR --- 0xffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff ``` 8. ``` PUSH 0xffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff PUSH 0x01 SHR --- 0x7fffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff ``` 9. ``` PUSH 0xffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff PUSH 0xff SHR --- 0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001 ``` 10. ``` PUSH 0xffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff PUSH 0x0100 SHR --- 0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 ``` 11. ``` PUSH 0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 PUSH 0x01 SHR --- 0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 ``` ### `SAR` (arithmetic shift right) 1. ``` PUSH 0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001 PUSH 0x00 SAR --- 0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001 ``` 2. ``` PUSH 0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001 PUSH 0x01 SAR --- 0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 ``` 3. ``` PUSH 0x8000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 PUSH 0x01 SAR --- 0xc000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 ``` 4. ``` PUSH 0x8000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 PUSH 0xff SAR --- 0xffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff ``` 5. ``` PUSH 0x8000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 PUSH 0x0100 SAR --- 0xffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff ``` 6. ``` PUSH 0x8000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 PUSH 0x0101 SAR --- 0xffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff ``` 7. ``` PUSH 0xffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff PUSH 0x00 SAR --- 0xffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff ``` 8. ``` PUSH 0xffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff PUSH 0x01 SAR --- 0xffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff ``` 9. ``` PUSH 0xffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff PUSH 0xff SAR --- 0xffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff ``` 10. ``` PUSH 0xffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff PUSH 0x0100 SAR --- 0xffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff ``` 11. ``` PUSH 0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 PUSH 0x01 SAR --- 0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 ``` 12. ``` PUSH 0x4000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 PUSH 0xfe SAR --- 0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001 ``` 13. ``` PUSH 0x7fffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff PUSH 0xf8 SAR --- 0x000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000007f ``` 14. ``` PUSH 0x7fffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff PUSH 0xfe SAR --- 0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001 ``` 15. ``` PUSH 0x7fffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff PUSH 0xff SAR --- 0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 ``` 16. ``` PUSH 0x7fffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff PUSH 0x100 SAR --- 0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 ``` ## Implementation Client support: - cpp-ethereum: https://github.com/ethereum/cpp-ethereum/pull/4054 Compiler support: - Solidity/LLL: https://github.com/ethereum/solidity/pull/2541 ## Copyright Copyright and related rights waived via [CC0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/).