Hiro Docs

Function Signature

(bit-or i1 i2...)

Input: Two or more integers (int or uint)
Output: An integer of the same type as the inputs (int or uint)

Why it matters

The bit-or function is crucial for:

Performing bitwise OR operations in smart contracts.
Combining flags or bitmasks efficiently.
Implementing certain logical operations and algorithms.
Manipulating binary data at the bit level.

When to use it

Use the bit-or function when you need to:

Combine multiple flags or bitmasks into a single value.
Set specific bits in an integer without affecting others.
Implement certain bitwise algorithms or data structures.
Perform low-level data manipulations involving binary operations.

Best Practices

Ensure all input values are of the same type (either all int or all uint).
Remember that bit-or with 0 has no effect, which can be useful for conditional operations.
Use bit-or in combination with other bitwise operations for complex bit manipulations.
Consider readability when using bitwise operations extensively; add comments to explain the purpose.

Practical Example: Permission System

Let's implement a simple permission system using bit-or and other bitwise operations:

(define-constant PERMISSION_READ u1)    ;; 0001
(define-constant PERMISSION_WRITE u2)   ;; 0010
(define-constant PERMISSION_EXECUTE u4) ;; 0100
(define-constant PERMISSION_ADMIN u8)   ;; 1000

(define-map user-permissions principal uint)

(define-public (grant-permission (user principal) (permission uint))
  (let ((current-permissions (default-to u0 (map-get? user-permissions user))))
    (ok (map-set user-permissions user (bit-or current-permissions permission)))))

(define-public (revoke-permission (user principal) (permission uint))
  (let ((current-permissions (default-to u0 (map-get? user-permissions user))))
    (ok (map-set user-permissions user (bit-and current-permissions (bit-not permission))))))

(define-read-only (has-permission (user principal) (permission uint))
  (let ((user-permission (default-to u0 (map-get? user-permissions user))))
    (is-eq permission (bit-and user-permission permission))))

;; Usage
(grant-permission tx-sender (bit-or PERMISSION_READ PERMISSION_WRITE))
(has-permission tx-sender PERMISSION_READ) ;; Returns true
(has-permission tx-sender PERMISSION_EXECUTE) ;; Returns false

This example demonstrates:

Using bit-or to combine multiple permissions into a single value.
Implementing a permission system using bitwise operations for efficient storage and checks.
Combining bit-or with other bitwise operations like bit-and and bit-not for complex permission management.

Common Pitfalls

Mixing signed (int) and unsigned (uint) integers in a single bit-or operation.
Forgetting that bit-or with all bits set (-1 for int, maximum value for uint) always results in all bits set.
Not considering the full range of bits when using bit-or with smaller integer values.

bit-and: Used for bitwise AND operations.
bit-xor: Used for bitwise XOR operations.
bit-not: Used for bitwise NOT operations.
bit-shift-left: Used for left-shifting bits.
bit-shift-right: Used for right-shifting bits.

The bit-or function is a powerful tool for bitwise operations in Clarity smart contracts. When used in combination with other bitwise functions, it enables efficient implementation of flags, permissions, and other bit-level data manipulations. Developers should be mindful of the types of integers used and the effects of the operation on the full range of bits to avoid unexpected results.

bit-or