transpiler-solidity

1.1.2 verified Fri May 01 auth: no javascript

A Node.js-based transpiler that adds GCC-like macro and helper functions to Solidity assembly code, enabling cleaner pointer arithmetic, struct attribute access, byte offsets, and data packing/unpacking directly in inline assembly blocks. Current stable version is 1.1.2. Development appears low-activity, with no recent releases after v1.1.0. It differentiates by providing C-style macros (#define TRANSPILE) that expand to optimized Solidity assembly, reducing manual storage slot calculations. Requires gcc and Node.js. Not widely adopted, and likely only useful for advanced Ethereum developers working with low-level storage optimizations.

Common errors

error Error: Cannot find module 'transpiler-solidity' ↓

cause Package not installed globally or locally.

fix

Run npm install -g transpiler-solidity or npm install transpiler-solidity in your project.

error gcc: command not found ↓

cause gcc is not installed or not in PATH.

fix

Install gcc (e.g., apt install gcc on Debian/Ubuntu, xcode-select --install on macOS).

error SyntaxError: Unexpected token '#' ↓

cause The .sol file contains #define TRANSPILE but the transpiler hasn't been run; Solidity compiler doesn't accept #-preprocessor directives.

fix

Run transpiler-solidity input.sol > output.sol and compile output.sol instead.

Warnings

gotcha Missing #define TRANSPILE: If the source file does not contain #define TRANSPILE, the transpiler outputs the input unchanged without any macro expansion. ↓

fix Add #define TRANSPILE at the top of your .sol file before any contract definitions.

gotcha pragma solidity version must be 0.5.7 or compatible: The documentation and examples use version 0.5.7; newer Solidity versions may have incompatible assembly syntax. ↓

fix Use pragma solidity 0.5.7; or adjust the output to match your compiler version.

deprecated Package has low activity: Last release was v1.1.0 and there have been no recent updates. May not work with latest Node.js or Solidity versions. ↓

fix Consider whether this tool is still maintained; alternatives may involve hand-optimizing assembly or using other transpilers.

gotcha Requires gcc: The transpiler calls gcc for preprocessing; missing gcc will cause errors on certain macros. ↓

fix Install gcc (e.g., apt-get install gcc on Ubuntu, brew install gcc on macOS).

Install

npm install transpiler-solidity

yarn add transpiler-solidity

pnpm add transpiler-solidity

Imports

transpilerSolidity
wrong
```
const transpiler = require('transpiler-solidity')
```
correct
```
import transpilerSolidity from 'transpiler-solidity'
```
The package does not export a default module; it is a CLI tool. The import examples are illustrative for hypothetical programmatic use; actually, it's invoked via command line.
pointer
wrong
```
import { pointer } from 'transpiler-solidity'
```
correct
```
// Used in .sol files with #define TRANSPILE, not a JS import
```
pointer is a macro that expands in Solidity assembly. It is not a JavaScript export. The package is a CLI transpiler, not a library.
#define TRANSPILE
wrong
```
// forgetting to add #define TRANSPILE causes no expansion
```
correct
```
Place #define TRANSPILE at top of .sol file to enable macro processing
```
Requires the literal #define TRANSPILE marker in source code. Without it, the transpiler passes the file unchanged.

Quickstart

Shows installation, writing a source file with #define TRANSPILE and a pointer_attr macro, and running the transpiler to produce expanded Solidity assembly.

npm install -g transpiler-solidity
# Create a Solidity file with GCC-style macros
echo 'pragma solidity 0.5.7;
#define TRANSPILE
contract Ex {
  struct Item { uint64 a; uint64 b; }
  Item item;
  function foo() public {
    assembly {
      let b_ptr := pointer_attr(Item, item_slot, b)
      let b := sload(b_ptr)
      sstore(b_ptr, add(b, 1))
    }
  }
}' > example.sol
transpiler-solidity example.sol > output.sol
# output.sol contains expanded assembly