fix: Mutability in the comptime interpreter

compiler/noirc_frontend/src/hir/comptime/interpreter.rs

@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@
             }
         } else {
             let name = self.interner.function_name(&function);
             unreachable!("Non-builtin, lowlevel or oracle builtin fn '{name}'")
         }
     }
 
@@ -241,6 +241,8 @@
                 Ok(())
             }
             HirPattern::Mutable(pattern, _) => {
+                // Create a mutable reference to store to
+                let argument = Value::Pointer(Shared::new(argument), true);
                 self.define_pattern(pattern, typ, argument, location)
             }
             HirPattern::Tuple(pattern_fields, _) => match (argument, typ) {
@@ -334,8 +336,19 @@
         }
     }
 
-    /// Evaluate an expression and return the result
+    /// Evaluate an expression and return the result.
+    /// This will automatically dereference a mutable variable if used.
     pub fn evaluate(&mut self, id: ExprId) -> IResult<Value> {
+        match self.evaluate_no_dereference(id)? {
+            Value::Pointer(elem, true) => Ok(elem.borrow().clone()),
+            other => Ok(other),
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Evaluating a mutable variable will dereference it automatically.
+    /// This function should be used when that is not desired - e.g. when
+    /// compiling a `&mut var` expression to grab the original reference.
+    fn evaluate_no_dereference(&mut self, id: ExprId) -> IResult<Value> {
         match self.interner.expression(&id) {
             HirExpression::Ident(ident, _) => self.evaluate_ident(ident, id),
             HirExpression::Literal(literal) => self.evaluate_literal(literal, id),
@@ -592,7 +605,10 @@
     }
 
     fn evaluate_prefix(&mut self, prefix: HirPrefixExpression, id: ExprId) -> IResult<Value> {
-        let rhs = self.evaluate(prefix.rhs)?;
+        let rhs = match prefix.operator {
+            UnaryOp::MutableReference => self.evaluate_no_dereference(prefix.rhs)?,
+            _ => self.evaluate(prefix.rhs)?,
+        };
         self.evaluate_prefix_with_value(rhs, prefix.operator, id)
     }
 
@@ -634,9 +650,17 @@
                     Err(InterpreterError::InvalidValueForUnary { value, location, operator: "not" })
                 }
             },
-            UnaryOp::MutableReference => Ok(Value::Pointer(Shared::new(rhs))),
+            UnaryOp::MutableReference => {
+                // If this is a mutable variable (auto_deref = true), turn this into an explicit
+                // mutable reference just by switching the value of `auto_deref`. Otherwise, wrap
+                // the value in a fresh reference.
+                match rhs {
+                    Value::Pointer(elem, true) => Ok(Value::Pointer(elem, false)),
+                    other => Ok(Value::Pointer(Shared::new(other), false)),
+                }
+            }
             UnaryOp::Dereference { implicitly_added: _ } => match rhs {
-                Value::Pointer(element) => Ok(element.borrow().clone()),
+                Value::Pointer(element, _) => Ok(element.borrow().clone()),
                 value => {
                     let location = self.interner.expr_location(&id);
                     Err(InterpreterError::NonPointerDereferenced { value, location })
@@ -1303,7 +1327,7 @@
             HirLValue::Ident(ident, typ) => self.mutate(ident.id, rhs, ident.location),
             HirLValue::Dereference { lvalue, element_type: _, location } => {
                 match self.evaluate_lvalue(&lvalue)? {
-                    Value::Pointer(value) => {
+                    Value::Pointer(value, _) => {
                         *value.borrow_mut() = rhs;
                         Ok(())
                     }
@@ -1353,10 +1377,13 @@
 
     fn evaluate_lvalue(&mut self, lvalue: &HirLValue) -> IResult<Value> {
         match lvalue {
-            HirLValue::Ident(ident, _) => self.lookup(ident),
+            HirLValue::Ident(ident, _) => match self.lookup(ident)? {
+                Value::Pointer(elem, true) => Ok(elem.borrow().clone()),
+                other => Ok(other),
+            },
             HirLValue::Dereference { lvalue, element_type: _, location } => {
                 match self.evaluate_lvalue(lvalue)? {
-                    Value::Pointer(value) => Ok(value.borrow().clone()),
+                    Value::Pointer(value, _) => Ok(value.borrow().clone()),
                     value => {
                         Err(InterpreterError::NonPointerDereferenced { value, location: *location })
                     }

compiler/noirc_frontend/src/hir/comptime/tests.rs

@@ -77,6 +77,18 @@ fn mutating_mutable_references() {
     assert_eq!(result, Value::I64(4));
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn mutation_leaks() {
+    let program = "comptime fn main() -> pub i8 {
+        let mut x = 3;
+        let y = &mut x;
+        *y = 5;
+        x
+    }";
+    let result = interpret(program, vec!["main".into()]);
+    assert_eq!(result, Value::I8(5));
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn mutating_arrays() {
     let program = "comptime fn main() -> pub u8 {

compiler/noirc_frontend/src/hir/comptime/value.rs

@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ pub enum Value {
     Closure(HirLambda, Vec<Value>, Type),
     Tuple(Vec<Value>),
     Struct(HashMap<Rc<String>, Value>, Type),
-    Pointer(Shared<Value>),
+    Pointer(Shared<Value>, /* auto_deref */ bool),
     Array(Vector<Value>, Type),
     Slice(Vector<Value>, Type),
     Code(Rc<Tokens>),
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ impl Value {
             Value::Slice(_, typ) => return Cow::Borrowed(typ),
             Value::Code(_) => Type::Quoted(QuotedType::Quoted),
             Value::StructDefinition(_) => Type::Quoted(QuotedType::StructDefinition),
-            Value::Pointer(element) => {
+            Value::Pointer(element, _) => {
                 let element = element.borrow().get_type().into_owned();
                 Type::MutableReference(Box::new(element))
             }
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ impl Value {
                     }
                 };
             }
-            Value::Pointer(_)
+            Value::Pointer(..)
             | Value::StructDefinition(_)
             | Value::TraitDefinition(_)
             | Value::FunctionDefinition(_)
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ impl Value {
                 HirExpression::Literal(HirLiteral::Slice(HirArrayLiteral::Standard(elements)))
             }
             Value::Code(block) => HirExpression::Unquote(unwrap_rc(block)),
-            Value::Pointer(_)
+            Value::Pointer(..)
             | Value::StructDefinition(_)
             | Value::TraitDefinition(_)
             | Value::FunctionDefinition(_)
@@ -400,7 +400,7 @@ impl Display for Value {
                 let fields = vecmap(fields, |(name, value)| format!("{}: {}", name, value));
                 write!(f, "{typename} {{ {} }}", fields.join(", "))
             }
-            Value::Pointer(value) => write!(f, "&mut {}", value.borrow()),
+            Value::Pointer(value, _) => write!(f, "&mut {}", value.borrow()),
             Value::Array(values, _) => {
                 let values = vecmap(values, ToString::to_string);
                 write!(f, "[{}]", values.join(", "))