determine the input stack format in the ministry: guide
Miniscript is a popular programming language used to build decentralized applications on the Polkadot Network. When creating or compiling the ministry scripts, one of the critical aspects to be understood is to determine the format of the input stack.
In this article, miniscript is immersed in the concept of input stack formats and explores the consequences of a variety of call conventions when compiling a policy.
What is the input stack format?
The input stack format applies to the structure used by the compiler to depict the arguments transmitted to the function call. In other words, this is how the feature takes its inputs from the environment and passes them as a result.
According to the Minister, the format of the input stack is determined by the call of the invited function. The Call Convention determines how the feature takes over its inputs and passes them.
Types of Call Conventions
There are two primary types of call conventions in the miniscript:
- C-style : this is the most common call convention where each argument is handed over as a separate value on the stack.
- Packed : In this Convention, Several argument can be packed in one opening on the stack.
determine the input stack format
When compiling the policy, the translator must carry out his or her validity check to make sure that the input stack format is the same as the expected call convention of each function. The translator uses this information to validate the inputs and outputs of the functions.
However, there is no single “Accurate” or “Universal” method to determine the format of the input stack. Instead, the translator has to consult with various sources, including the following:
- Function Documentation : Many Ministerial Features have a “documentation” field in the specification that can provide information on expected input and output formats.
- Translator Settings : Translation command and settings can also affect the input stack format.
Example use the case
Suppose we want to compile a policy that calls the “miniscript-minical” feature with two arguments:
`cpp
Main Function () {
Var Arg1 = "Hello";
Var Arg2 = 42;
}
If we run the following command in our editor, we will see a summary of the input stack format:
`
> Minicall’s Main
Miniscript Translator: V0.11.6
Input Stack Format:
Arg1 you
Arg2 uint8
Score
`
From this output, we can determine that the “minicall” feature expects two argument on the stack, “ARG1” is an integer, and “ARG2” is not below 256 bits.
Conclusion
Determination of the input stack format in the miniscript is a complex process that contains various factors, including function documentation, compiler settings, and user input values. Although there is no single “Universal” method to determine the format of the input stack, understanding this information sources can help you write a more robust and efficient code.
As a developer, we need to ensure that our policies can follow the expected call conventions of each feature to avoid possible problems with input, corruption or other problems.
