Change finalize to return the hash directly

Resolves #259

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 - Change `const PARTIAL_ROUNDS` to 60 (was 59) [#260]
 - Increase the number of constants to 340 (was 335) [#260]
+- Change `finalize` to return the hash directly (not wrapped in a `Result`) [#259]
 
 ## [0.37.0] - 2024-03-27
 
@@ -499,6 +500,7 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 <!-- ISSUES -->
 [#260]: https://github.com/dusk-network/poseidon252/issues/260
+[#259]: https://github.com/dusk-network/poseidon252/issues/259
 [#251]: https://github.com/dusk-network/poseidon252/issues/251
 [#248]: https://github.com/dusk-network/poseidon252/issues/248
 [#246]: https://github.com/dusk-network/poseidon252/issues/246

benches/hash.rs

@@ -39,8 +39,7 @@ impl Circuit for SpongeCircuit {
             });
 
         let output_witness =
-            HashGadget::digest(Domain::Merkle4, composer, &w_message)
-                .expect("creating the hash should not fail");
+            HashGadget::digest(Domain::Merkle4, composer, &w_message);
         composer.assert_equal_constant(output_witness[0], 0, Some(self.output));
 
         Ok(())
@@ -62,8 +61,7 @@ fn bench_sponge(c: &mut Criterion) {
         BlsScalar::random(&mut rng),
         BlsScalar::random(&mut rng),
     ];
-    let public_inputs = Hash::digest(Domain::Merkle4, &message)
-        .expect("creating the hash should not fail");
+    let public_inputs = Hash::digest(Domain::Merkle4, &message);
     let circuit = SpongeCircuit::new(message, public_inputs[0]);
 
     // Benchmark sponge native

src/hash.rs

@@ -19,9 +19,15 @@ pub(crate) mod gadget;
 /// The Domain Separation for Poseidon
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq)]
 pub enum Domain {
-    /// Domain to specify hashing of 4-arity merkle tree
+    /// Domain to specify hashing of 4-arity merkle tree.
+    /// Note that selecting this domain-separator means that the total hash
+    /// input must be exactly 4 `BlsScalar` long, and any empty slots of the
+    /// merkle tree level need to be filled with the zero element.
     Merkle4,
     /// Domain to specify hashing of 2-arity merkle tree
+    /// Note that selecting this domain-separator means that the total hash
+    /// input must be exactly 2 `BlsScalar` long, and any empty slots of the
+    /// merkle tree level need to be filled with the zero element.
     Merkle2,
     /// Domain to specify hash used for encryption
     Encryption,
@@ -49,6 +55,10 @@ impl From<Domain> for u64 {
     }
 }
 
+// This function, which is called during the finalization step of the hash, will
+// always produce a valid io-pattern based on the input.
+// The function will return an error if a merkle domain is selected but the
+// given input elements don't add up to the specified arity.
 fn io_pattern<T>(
     domain: Domain,
     input: &[&[T]],
@@ -95,9 +105,13 @@ impl<'a> Hash<'a> {
         }
     }
 
-    /// Override the length of the hash output (default value is 1).
+    /// Override the length of the hash output (default value is 1) when using
+    /// the hash for anything other than hashing a merkle tree or
+    /// encryption.
     pub fn output_len(&mut self, output_len: usize) {
-        self.output_len = output_len;
+        if self.domain == Domain::Other && output_len > 0 {
+            self.output_len = output_len;
+        }
     }
 
     /// Update the hash input.
@@ -106,28 +120,48 @@ impl<'a> Hash<'a> {
     }
 
     /// Finalize the hash.
-    pub fn finalize(&self) -> Result<Vec<BlsScalar>, Error> {
+    ///
+    /// # Panics
+    /// This function panics when the io-pattern can not be created with the
+    /// given domain and input, e.g. using [`Domain::Merkle4`] with an input
+    /// anything other than 4 Scalar.
+    pub fn finalize(&self) -> Vec<BlsScalar> {
         // Generate the hash using the sponge framework:
         // initialize the sponge
         let mut sponge = Sponge::start(
             ScalarPermutation::new(),
-            io_pattern(self.domain, &self.input, self.output_len)?,
+            io_pattern(self.domain, &self.input, self.output_len)
+                .expect("io-pattern should be valid"),
             self.domain.into(),
-        )?;
+        )
+        .expect("at this point the io-pattern is valid");
+
         // absorb the input
         for input in self.input.iter() {
-            sponge.absorb(input.len(), input)?;
+            sponge
+                .absorb(input.len(), input)
+                .expect("at this point the io-pattern is valid");
         }
+
         // squeeze output_len elements
-        sponge.squeeze(self.output_len)?;
+        sponge
+            .squeeze(self.output_len)
+            .expect("at this point the io-pattern is valid");
 
         // return the result
-        Ok(sponge.finish()?)
+        sponge
+            .finish()
+            .expect("at this point the io-pattern is valid")
     }
 
     /// Finalize the hash and output the result as a `JubJubScalar` by
     /// truncating the `BlsScalar` output to 250 bits.
-    pub fn finalize_truncated(&self) -> Result<Vec<JubJubScalar>, Error> {
+    ///
+    /// # Panics
+    /// This function panics when the io-pattern can not be created with the
+    /// given domain and input, e.g. using [`Domain::Merkle4`] with an input
+    /// anything other than 4 Scalar.
+    pub fn finalize_truncated(&self) -> Vec<JubJubScalar> {
         // bit-mask to 'cast' a bls-scalar result to a jubjub-scalar by
         // truncating the 6 highest bits
         const TRUNCATION_MASK: BlsScalar = BlsScalar::from_raw([
@@ -138,31 +172,38 @@ impl<'a> Hash<'a> {
         ]);
 
         // finalize the hash as bls-scalar
-        let bls_output = self.finalize()?;
+        let bls_output = self.finalize();
 
-        Ok(bls_output
+        bls_output
             .iter()
             .map(|bls| {
                 JubJubScalar::from_raw((bls & &TRUNCATION_MASK).reduce().0)
             })
-            .collect())
+            .collect()
     }
 
     /// Digest an input and calculate the hash immediately
-    pub fn digest(
-        domain: Domain,
-        input: &'a [BlsScalar],
-    ) -> Result<Vec<BlsScalar>, Error> {
+    ///
+    /// # Panics
+    /// This function panics when the io-pattern can not be created with the
+    /// given domain and input, e.g. using [`Domain::Merkle4`] with an input
+    /// anything other than 4 Scalar.
+    pub fn digest(domain: Domain, input: &'a [BlsScalar]) -> Vec<BlsScalar> {
         let mut hash = Self::new(domain);
         hash.update(input);
         hash.finalize()
     }
 
     /// Digest an input and calculate the hash as jubjub-scalar immediately
+    ///
+    /// # Panics
+    /// This function panics when the io-pattern can not be created with the
+    /// given domain and input, e.g. using [`Domain::Merkle4`] with an input
+    /// anything other than 4 Scalar.
     pub fn digest_truncated(
         domain: Domain,
         input: &'a [BlsScalar],
-    ) -> Result<Vec<JubJubScalar>, Error> {
+    ) -> Vec<JubJubScalar> {
         let mut hash = Self::new(domain);
         hash.update(input);
         hash.finalize_truncated()

src/hash/gadget.rs

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ use dusk_plonk::prelude::{Composer, Witness};
 use dusk_safe::Sponge;
 
 use crate::hades::GadgetPermutation;
-use crate::{Domain, Error};
+use crate::Domain;
 
 use super::io_pattern;
 
@@ -31,9 +31,13 @@ impl<'a> HashGadget<'a> {
         }
     }
 
-    /// Override the length of the hash output (default value is 1).
+    /// Override the length of the hash output (default value is 1) when using
+    /// the hash for anything other than hashing a merkle tree or
+    /// encryption.
     pub fn output_len(&mut self, output_len: usize) {
-        self.output_len = output_len;
+        if self.domain == Domain::Other && output_len > 0 {
+            self.output_len = output_len;
+        }
     }
 
     /// Update the hash input.
@@ -42,60 +46,84 @@ impl<'a> HashGadget<'a> {
     }
 
     /// Finalize the hash.
-    pub fn finalize(
-        &self,
-        composer: &mut Composer,
-    ) -> Result<Vec<Witness>, Error> {
+    ///
+    /// # Panics
+    /// This function panics when the io-pattern can not be created with the
+    /// given domain and input, e.g. using [`Domain::Merkle4`] with an input
+    /// anything other than 4 Scalar.
+    pub fn finalize(&self, composer: &mut Composer) -> Vec<Witness> {
         // Generate the hash using the sponge framework:
         // initialize the sponge
         let mut sponge = Sponge::start(
             GadgetPermutation::new(composer),
-            io_pattern(self.domain, &self.input, self.output_len)?,
+            io_pattern(self.domain, &self.input, self.output_len)
+                .expect("io-pattern should be valid"),
             self.domain.into(),
-        )?;
+        )
+        .expect("at this point the io-pattern is valid");
+
         // absorb the input
         for input in self.input.iter() {
-            sponge.absorb(input.len(), input)?;
+            sponge
+                .absorb(input.len(), input)
+                .expect("at this point the io-pattern is valid");
         }
+
         // squeeze output_len elements
-        sponge.squeeze(self.output_len)?;
+        sponge
+            .squeeze(self.output_len)
+            .expect("at this point the io-pattern is valid");
 
         // return the result
-        Ok(sponge.finish()?)
+        sponge
+            .finish()
+            .expect("at this point the io-pattern is valid")
     }
 
     /// Finalize the hash and output JubJubScalar.
-    pub fn finalize_truncated(
-        &self,
-        composer: &mut Composer,
-    ) -> Result<Vec<Witness>, Error> {
+    ///
+    /// # Panics
+    /// This function panics when the io-pattern can not be created with the
+    /// given domain and input, e.g. using [`Domain::Merkle4`] with an input
+    /// anything other than 4 Scalar.
+    pub fn finalize_truncated(&self, composer: &mut Composer) -> Vec<Witness> {
         // finalize the hash as bls-scalar witnesses
-        let bls_output = self.finalize(composer)?;
+        let bls_output = self.finalize(composer);
 
         // truncate the bls witnesses to 250 bits
-        Ok(bls_output
+        bls_output
             .iter()
             .map(|bls| composer.append_logic_xor::<125>(*bls, Composer::ZERO))
-            .collect())
+            .collect()
     }
 
     /// Digest an input and calculate the hash immediately
+    ///
+    /// # Panics
+    /// This function panics when the io-pattern can not be created with the
+    /// given domain and input, e.g. using [`Domain::Merkle4`] with an input
+    /// anything other than 4 Scalar.
     pub fn digest(
         domain: Domain,
         composer: &mut Composer,
         input: &'a [Witness],
-    ) -> Result<Vec<Witness>, Error> {
+    ) -> Vec<Witness> {
         let mut hash = Self::new(domain);
         hash.update(input);
         hash.finalize(composer)
     }
 
     /// Digest an input and calculate the hash as jubjub-scalar immediately
+    ///
+    /// # Panics
+    /// This function panics when the io-pattern can not be created with the
+    /// given domain and input, e.g. using [`Domain::Merkle4`] with an input
+    /// anything other than 4 Scalar.
     pub fn digest_truncated(
         domain: Domain,
         composer: &mut Composer,
         input: &'a [Witness],
-    ) -> Result<Vec<Witness>, Error> {
+    ) -> Vec<Witness> {
         let mut hash = Self::new(domain);
         hash.update(input);
         hash.finalize_truncated(composer)

tests/hash.rs

@@ -67,8 +67,7 @@ impl<const L: usize> TestCircuit<L> {
             .for_each(|s| *s = BlsScalar::random(&mut *rng));
 
         // calculate expected hash output
-        let output = Hash::digest(Domain::Other, &input)
-            .expect("hash creation should not fail");
+        let output = Hash::digest(Domain::Other, &input);
 
         Self {
             input,
@@ -94,8 +93,7 @@ impl<const L: usize> Circuit for TestCircuit<L> {
 
         // check that the gadget result is as expected
         let gadget_output =
-            HashGadget::digest(Domain::Other, composer, &input_witnesses)
-                .expect("hash creation should not fail");
+            HashGadget::digest(Domain::Other, composer, &input_witnesses);
         composer.assert_equal_constant(gadget_output[0], 0, Some(self.output));
 
         Ok(())
@@ -147,8 +145,7 @@ impl<const L: usize> TestTruncatedCircuit<L> {
             .for_each(|s| *s = BlsScalar::random(&mut *rng));
 
         // calculate expected hash output
-        let output = Hash::digest_truncated(Domain::Other, &input)
-            .expect("hash creation should not fail");
+        let output = Hash::digest_truncated(Domain::Other, &input);
 
         Self {
             input,
@@ -179,8 +176,7 @@ impl<const L: usize> Circuit for TestTruncatedCircuit<L> {
             Domain::Other,
             composer,
             &input_witnesses,
-        )
-        .expect("hash creation should not fail");
+        );
         composer.assert_equal_constant(
             gadget_output[0],
             0,
@@ -239,7 +235,7 @@ impl<const I: usize, const O: usize> MultipleOutputCircuit<I, O> {
         let mut hash = Hash::new(Domain::Other);
         hash.update(&input);
         hash.output_len(O);
-        let output = hash.finalize().expect("Hash creation should pass");
+        let output = hash.finalize();
 
         assert_eq!(output.len(), O);
 
@@ -266,9 +262,7 @@ impl<const I: usize, const O: usize> Circuit for MultipleOutputCircuit<I, O> {
         let mut hash = HashGadget::new(Domain::Other);
         hash.output_len(O);
         hash.update(&input_witnesses);
-        let gadget_output = hash
-            .finalize(composer)
-            .expect("hash creation should not fail");
+        let gadget_output = hash.finalize(composer);
 
         assert_eq!(gadget_output.len(), self.output.len());