## An Introduction to Our Uniswap v4 Course Welcome to the comprehensive developer course on Uniswap v4. In this introductory lesson, we will provide a complete overview of the course, outlining the key topics you will master, the intended audience, and the essential prerequisites needed to succeed. By the end of this lesson, you will have a clear understanding of the journey ahead and whether this course is the right fit for your development goals. ### What You Will Learn in This Course This course is meticulously structured to guide you through the most critical components of the Uniswap v4 protocol, from its core architecture to its most innovative new features. **Uniswap v4 Core Contracts** We will begin with a deep dive into the smart contracts that form the bedrock of the protocol. A thorough understanding of these is essential for any developer looking to build on or integrate with V4. - **`PoolManager`**: You will learn about the `PoolManager`, the central singleton contract that orchestrates the entire protocol. It is responsible for managing all pools, their states, and interactions between them. - **`PositionManager`**: We will explore the `PositionManager` contract, which handles the creation and management of liquidity positions within the protocol. **Auxiliary and User-Facing Contracts** To understand how end-users and external applications interact with the protocol, we will cover the primary interface contract. - **`UniversalRouter`**: You will learn how to leverage the `UniversalRouter` to execute complex trades, manage liquidity, and perform other actions efficiently and securely. **Uniswap v4 Hooks** A significant portion of this course is dedicated to what is arguably the most transformative feature of Uniswap v4: hooks. - **Hooks Explained**: We will explain exactly what hooks are—external contracts that execute custom logic at specific points in a pool's execution cycle. You will learn how they function, their potential, and their limitations. - **Building Custom Hooks**: The course will provide practical, hands-on examples, guiding you through the process of creating your own custom hooks to extend the functionality of Uniswap pools. ### Who This Course Is For This course is designed to empower two key groups of professionals within the Web3 ecosystem. **1. Smart Contract Developers** Our primary goal is to equip you with the knowledge to build sophisticated smart contracts that either integrate with or are built directly on top of Uniswap v4. By the end of this course, you will be able to tackle projects such as: - **Custom Swap Routers**: Develop your own optimized routing logic for executing trades across multiple pools. - **Automated Liquidity Management**: Build contracts that automatically manage and rebalance liquidity positions based on market conditions. - **Limit Order Systems**: Implement a fully functional limit order book using Uniswap v4 as the core settlement layer. **2. Security Researchers and Auditors** For those focused on security, this course provides the foundational knowledge required to perform in-depth security audits and participate in bug bounties. A deep understanding of the protocol’s core mechanics is crucial for identifying potential vulnerabilities, not only in the Uniswap v4 contracts themselves but also in the many other protocols that will inevitably integrate with them. ### Prerequisites: What You Need to Know To ensure you get the most out of this advanced material, we have a specific set of prerequisites. Please review them carefully before proceeding. **Solidity and Foundry** A strong, practical foundation in Solidity and the Foundry development framework is essential. You are expected to be comfortable with more than just the basics. - **Reading from Storage Slots**: This is a critical prerequisite. Uniswap v4 introduces a new public function called `extsload`, which allows any caller to read data directly from any storage slot of a contract. To use this feature effectively, you must have a firm grasp of how Solidity maps state variables to specific storage slots. - **User-Defined Value Types**: The Uniswap v4 codebase makes extensive use of this Solidity feature for type safety and clarity (e.g., `Currency`, `PoolId`). While we will briefly review the concept, prior familiarity is required. - **Foundry**: All exercises and examples in this course are written in Foundry. You must have a basic understanding of how to compile contracts and run tests using the framework. **Uniswap V3** Finally, a solid understanding of Uniswap V3 is non-negotiable. Uniswap v4 is an evolution, not a replacement, of V3's core concepts. - **Math and State Variables**: The fundamental mathematics and many key state variables from Uniswap V3 are carried over directly to V4. To understand V4's state management, you must first be familiar with V3 state variables such as `slot0`, `ticks`, and `feeGrowthGlobal`. - **Important Note on Math**: While you do not need to be an expert in the complex mathematics behind Uniswap V3 to follow this course, please be aware that V4 uses the same underlying principles. Therefore, any deep dive into V4's math inherently requires a prior understanding of V3's math. If you meet these prerequisites, you are ready to begin your journey into mastering Uniswap v4. Let's get started.