1

While poking around in the repositories I wondered how the sha2_256 algorithm was implemented in the PlutusTx module. I followed all the imports and got the following path

  1. The sha2_256 function in PlutusTx.Builtins is defined at (1). In this module it is imported from a internal module with import name BI.
{-# INLINABLE sha2_256 #-}
-- | The SHA2-256 hash of a 'ByteString'
sha2_256 :: BuiltinByteString -> BuiltinByteString
sha2_256 = BI.sha2_256
  1. This BI.sha2_256 function in the PlutusTx.Builtins.Internal is defined at (2). Here the function is wrapped in the BuiltinByteString type. A function is imported from the the Hash module.
{-# NOINLINE sha2_256 #-}
sha2_256 :: BuiltinByteString -> BuiltinByteString
sha2_256 (BuiltinByteString b) = BuiltinByteString $ Hash.sha2 b
  1. This Hash.sha2 function in the Data.ByteString.Hash is defined at (3). Here it gets a bit more complicated. A cryptographic hash function takes an arbitrary block of data and calculates a fixed-size bit string (the digest). Since there may be other hash function (like the SHA3_256 version in PlutusTx) the function is abstracted to a general hash function where the type inferred by the type application @SHA256). This data type and its instance of a hash algorithm is imported from Cardano.Crypto.Hash.SHA256.
-- | Hash a [[BSL.ByteString]] using the SHA-256 hash function.
sha2 :: BS.ByteString -> BS.ByteString
sha2 = digest (Proxy @SHA256)
  1. In this cardano-base package the module Cardano.Crypto.Hash.SHA256 defines the data type SHA256 and its instance of a hash algorithm at (4). The function sha256_libsodium is also defined there. This function uses another function called c_crypto_hash_sha256, this is where it gets interesting imported from the module Libsodium.C.

data SHA256

instance HashAlgorithm SHA256 where
  type SizeHash SHA256 = 32
  hashAlgorithmName _ = "sha256"
  digest _ = sha256_libsodium
  1. The function c_crypto_hash_sha256 in Cardano.Crypto.Libsodium.C (like many other cryothographic derivatives used in cardano) is defined in (5). Here this function is actually import from the package Libsodium which is a library for encryption, decryption, signatures, password hashing and more written in C.

Now my question is, how is this lower level C function get used in the lower level Fμω lambda calculus onchain? Does each node just invoke/inject the C function once the lambda calculus references it?

0

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct.

Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.