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Overview

Opcode: 0x17 Introduced: Frontier (EVM genesis) OR performs bitwise OR on two 256-bit unsigned integers. Each bit in the result is 1 if either (or both) corresponding bits in the operands are 1. This operation is fundamental for combining flags, setting specific bits, and data packing. Primary uses: enabling multiple flags, setting bits in bitmaps, combining packed data fields.

Specification

Stack Input:
a (top)
b
Stack Output:
a | b
Gas Cost: 3 (GasFastestStep) Truth Table (per bit):
a | b | a | b
--|---|------
0 | 0 |   0
0 | 1 |   1
1 | 0 |   1
1 | 1 |   1

Behavior

OR pops two values from the stack, performs bitwise OR on each corresponding bit pair, and pushes the result. The operation is:
  • Commutative: a | b = b | a
  • Associative: (a | b) | c = a | (b | c)
  • Identity element: a | 0 = a
  • Null element: a | MAX_UINT256 = MAX_UINT256

Examples

Set Multiple Flags

import { or } from '@tevm/voltaire/evm/bitwise';
import { createFrame } from '@tevm/voltaire/evm/Frame';

// Enable flags at bits 0 and 2
const existing = 0b0000n;
const flags = 0b0101n;  // Bits 0 and 2
const frame = createFrame({ stack: [existing, flags] });
const err = or(frame);

console.log(frame.stack[0].toString(2));  // '101' (0b0101)

Combine Two Bitmaps

// Merge two permission sets
const userPerms = 0b00001111n;   // Permissions 0-3
const groupPerms = 0b11110000n;  // Permissions 4-7
const frame = createFrame({ stack: [userPerms, groupPerms] });
or(frame);

console.log(frame.stack[0].toString(2));  // '11111111'

Pack Data Fields

// Pack address (160 bits) + flags (96 bits) into uint256
const address = 0xdeadbeefcafe1234567890abcdef1234567890ABn;
const flags = 0x123456789ABCn << 160n;  // Shift flags to upper bits
const frame = createFrame({ stack: [address, flags] });
or(frame);

// Result: lower 160 bits = address, upper 96 bits = flags
console.log(frame.stack[0].toString(16));

Set Specific Bit

// Set bit 5 in existing value
const value = 0b00001000n;  // Bit 3 is set
const setBit5 = 0b00100000n;  // Bit 5 mask
const frame = createFrame({ stack: [value, setBit5] });
or(frame);

console.log(frame.stack[0].toString(2));  // '101000' (bits 3 and 5)

Commutative Property

// a | b = b | a
const a = 0b1100n;
const b = 0b1010n;

const frame1 = createFrame({ stack: [a, b] });
or(frame1);

const frame2 = createFrame({ stack: [b, a] });
or(frame2);

console.log(frame1.stack[0] === frame2.stack[0]);  // true (both 0b1110)

Gas Cost

Cost: 3 gas (GasFastestStep) OR shares the lowest gas tier with:
  • AND (0x16), XOR (0x18), NOT (0x19)
  • BYTE (0x1a)
  • SHL (0x1b), SHR (0x1c), SAR (0x1d)
  • ADD (0x01), SUB (0x03)
  • Comparison operations

Edge Cases

Identity Element

// OR with zero
const value = 0x123456n;
const frame = createFrame({ stack: [value, 0n] });
or(frame);

console.log(frame.stack[0] === value);  // true (identity)

Null Element

// OR with all ones
const MAX = (1n << 256n) - 1n;
const value = 0x123456n;
const frame = createFrame({ stack: [value, MAX] });
or(frame);

console.log(frame.stack[0] === MAX);  // true

Self OR

// a | a = a (idempotent)
const value = 0x123456n;
const frame = createFrame({ stack: [value, value] });
or(frame);

console.log(frame.stack[0] === value);  // true

Alternating Bits

// Complementary patterns OR to all ones
const pattern1 = 0xAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAn;
const pattern2 = 0x5555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555n;
const frame = createFrame({ stack: [pattern1, pattern2] });
or(frame);

const MAX = (1n << 256n) - 1n;
console.log(frame.stack[0] === MAX);  // true (all bits set)

Stack Underflow

// Insufficient stack items
const frame = createFrame({ stack: [0x123n] });
const err = or(frame);

console.log(err);  // { type: "StackUnderflow" }

Out of Gas

// Insufficient gas
const frame = createFrame({ stack: [0x123n, 0x456n], gasRemaining: 2n });
const err = or(frame);

console.log(err);  // { type: "OutOfGas" }
console.log(frame.gasRemaining);  // 0n

Common Usage

Enable Multiple Permissions

// Grant READ and WRITE permissions
uint256 constant READ = 1 << 0;
uint256 constant WRITE = 1 << 1;
uint256 constant EXECUTE = 1 << 2;

function grantPermissions(uint256 current) pure returns (uint256) {
    return current | READ | WRITE;  // Enable both flags
}

Set Bits in Bitmap

// Mark slots as occupied in storage bitmap
mapping(uint256 => uint256) public bitmap;

function markOccupied(uint256 index) internal {
    uint256 bucket = index / 256;
    uint256 bit = index % 256;
    bitmap[bucket] |= (1 << bit);  // Set bit
}

Pack Multiple Values

// Pack timestamp (40 bits) + amount (216 bits)
function pack(uint40 timestamp, uint216 amount) pure returns (uint256) {
    return (uint256(timestamp) << 216) | uint256(amount);
}

Combine Selectors

// Create function selector mask for multiple functions
bytes4 constant FUNC_A = 0x12345678;
bytes4 constant FUNC_B = 0x9ABCDEF0;

function getSelectorMask() pure returns (uint256) {
    return (uint256(uint32(FUNC_A)) << 224) |
           (uint256(uint32(FUNC_B)) << 192);
}

Set Color Channels

// Combine RGB channels into packed uint24 (0xRRGGBB)
function packRGB(uint8 r, uint8 g, uint8 b) pure returns (uint24) {
    return uint24(r) << 16 | uint24(g) << 8 | uint24(b);
}

Implementation

/**
 * OR opcode (0x17) - Bitwise OR operation
 */
export function op_or(frame: FrameType): EvmError | null {
  // Consume gas (GasFastestStep = 3)
  frame.gasRemaining -= 3n;
  if (frame.gasRemaining < 0n) {
    frame.gasRemaining = 0n;
    return { type: "OutOfGas" };
  }

  // Pop operands
  if (frame.stack.length < 2) return { type: "StackUnderflow" };
  const a = frame.stack.pop();
  const b = frame.stack.pop();

  // Compute bitwise OR
  const result = a | b;

  // Push result
  if (frame.stack.length >= 1024) return { type: "StackOverflow" };
  frame.stack.push(result);

  // Increment PC
  frame.pc += 1;

  return null;
}

Testing

Test Coverage

import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest';
import { op_or } from './or.js';

describe('OR (0x17)', () => {
  it('performs basic OR', () => {
    const frame = createFrame({ stack: [0b1100n, 0b1010n] });
    expect(op_or(frame)).toBeNull();
    expect(frame.stack[0]).toBe(0b1110n);
  });

  it('combines flags', () => {
    const flag1 = 0b0001n;
    const flag2 = 0b0100n;
    const frame = createFrame({ stack: [flag1, flag2] });
    expect(op_or(frame)).toBeNull();
    expect(frame.stack[0]).toBe(0b0101n);
  });

  it('handles identity (OR with zero)', () => {
    const value = 0x123456n;
    const frame = createFrame({ stack: [value, 0n] });
    expect(op_or(frame)).toBeNull();
    expect(frame.stack[0]).toBe(value);
  });

  it('handles null element (OR with MAX)', () => {
    const MAX = (1n << 256n) - 1n;
    const value = 0x123456n;
    const frame = createFrame({ stack: [value, MAX] });
    expect(op_or(frame)).toBeNull();
    expect(frame.stack[0]).toBe(MAX);
  });

  it('is idempotent (a | a = a)', () => {
    const value = 0x123456n;
    const frame = createFrame({ stack: [value, value] });
    expect(op_or(frame)).toBeNull();
    expect(frame.stack[0]).toBe(value);
  });

  it('is commutative', () => {
    const a = 0xAAAAn;
    const b = 0x5555n;
    const frame1 = createFrame({ stack: [a, b] });
    const frame2 = createFrame({ stack: [b, a] });
    op_or(frame1);
    op_or(frame2);
    expect(frame1.stack[0]).toBe(frame2.stack[0]);
  });

  it('returns StackUnderflow with insufficient stack', () => {
    const frame = createFrame({ stack: [0x123n] });
    expect(op_or(frame)).toEqual({ type: 'StackUnderflow' });
  });

  it('returns OutOfGas when insufficient gas', () => {
    const frame = createFrame({ stack: [0x123n, 0x456n], gasRemaining: 2n });
    expect(op_or(frame)).toEqual({ type: 'OutOfGas' });
  });
});

Edge Cases Tested

  • Basic OR operations (truth table)
  • Identity element (OR with 0)
  • Null element (OR with MAX_UINT256)
  • Flag combining
  • Idempotent property (a | a = a)
  • Commutative property
  • Complementary patterns (0xAAAA… | 0x5555… = MAX)
  • Stack underflow
  • Out of gas

Security

Flag Mismanagement

// WRONG: Using AND instead of OR to set flags
function addPermission(uint256 perms, uint256 flag) pure returns (uint256) {
    return perms & flag;  // Removes all other flags!
}

// CORRECT: Use OR to preserve existing flags
function addPermission(uint256 perms, uint256 flag) pure returns (uint256) {
    return perms | flag;
}

Overlapping Bit Positions

// DANGEROUS: Flag definitions overlap
uint256 constant FLAG_A = 1 << 0;  // Bit 0
uint256 constant FLAG_B = 1 << 0;  // Also bit 0! (collision)

// SAFE: Unique bit positions
uint256 constant FLAG_A = 1 << 0;  // Bit 0
uint256 constant FLAG_B = 1 << 1;  // Bit 1
uint256 constant FLAG_C = 1 << 2;  // Bit 2

Unintended Side Effects

// DANGEROUS: OR can never clear bits, only set them
function updateFlags(uint256 current, uint256 desired) pure returns (uint256) {
    return current | desired;  // Can't remove flags!
}

// BETTER: Explicit set/clear interface
function setFlags(uint256 current, uint256 flags) pure returns (uint256) {
    return current | flags;
}

function clearFlags(uint256 current, uint256 flags) pure returns (uint256) {
    return current & ~flags;
}

Packed Data Corruption

// VULNERABLE: OR can corrupt existing packed fields
struct Packed {
    uint160 addr;   // Bits 0-159
    uint96 value;   // Bits 160-255
}

// Wrong: OR overwrites existing address
function updateValue(uint256 packed, uint96 newValue) pure returns (uint256) {
    return packed | (uint256(newValue) << 160);  // Address corrupted if newValue has lower bits!
}

// Correct: Clear field first, then OR
function updateValue(uint256 packed, uint96 newValue) pure returns (uint256) {
    uint256 addrMask = (1 << 160) - 1;
    uint256 addr = packed & addrMask;  // Extract address
    return addr | (uint256(newValue) << 160);  // Recombine
}

Benchmarks

OR is one of the fastest EVM operations: Execution time (relative):
  • OR: 1.0x (baseline, fastest tier)
  • AND/XOR: 1.0x (same tier)
  • ADD: 1.0x (same tier)
  • MUL: 1.2x
  • DIV: 2.5x
Gas efficiency:
  • 3 gas per 256-bit OR operation
  • ~333,333 OR operations per million gas
  • Native hardware instruction on all platforms

References