Anything outside storage is always a pointer.

Changelog.md

@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ Compiler Features:
 
 Bugfixes:
  * Inline Assembly: Fix internal error when accessing incorrect constant variables.
+ * Inheritance: Allow public state variables to override functions with dynamic memory types in their return values.
+ * JSON AST: Always add pointer suffix for memory reference types.
 
 
 ### 0.6.4 (2020-03-10)

libsolidity/ast/Types.cpp

@@ -1487,11 +1487,19 @@ TypeResult ReferenceType::unaryOperatorResult(Token _operator) const
 	case DataLocation::Memory:
 		return TypeProvider::emptyTuple();
 	case DataLocation::Storage:
-		return m_isPointer ? nullptr : TypeProvider::emptyTuple();
+		return isPointer() ? nullptr : TypeProvider::emptyTuple();
 	}
 	return nullptr;
 }
 
+bool ReferenceType::isPointer() const
+{
+	if (m_location == DataLocation::Storage)
+		return m_isPointer;
+	else
+		return true;
+}
+
 TypePointer ReferenceType::copyForLocationIfReference(Type const* _type) const
 {
 	return TypeProvider::withLocationIfReference(m_location, _type);
@@ -1502,7 +1510,7 @@ string ReferenceType::stringForReferencePart() const
 	switch (m_location)
 	{
 	case DataLocation::Storage:
-		return string("storage ") + (m_isPointer ? "pointer" : "ref");
+		return string("storage ") + (isPointer() ? "pointer" : "ref");
 	case DataLocation::CallData:
 		return "calldata";
 	case DataLocation::Memory:
@@ -1868,7 +1876,8 @@ u256 ArrayType::memoryDataSize() const
 std::unique_ptr<ReferenceType> ArrayType::copyForLocation(DataLocation _location, bool _isPointer) const
 {
 	auto copy = make_unique<ArrayType>(_location);
-	copy->m_isPointer = _isPointer;
+	if (_location == DataLocation::Storage)
+		copy->m_isPointer = _isPointer;
 	copy->m_arrayKind = m_arrayKind;
 	copy->m_baseType = copy->copyForLocationIfReference(m_baseType);
 	copy->m_hasDynamicLength = m_hasDynamicLength;
@@ -2247,7 +2256,8 @@ TypeResult StructType::interfaceType(bool _inLibrary) const
 std::unique_ptr<ReferenceType> StructType::copyForLocation(DataLocation _location, bool _isPointer) const
 {
 	auto copy = make_unique<StructType>(m_struct, _location);
-	copy->m_isPointer = _isPointer;
+	if (_location == DataLocation::Storage)
+		copy->m_isPointer = _isPointer;
 	return copy;
 }
 

libsolidity/ast/Types.h

@@ -701,7 +701,9 @@ public:
 	/// pointer type, state variables are bound references. Assignments to pointers or deleting
 	/// them will not modify storage (that will only change the pointer). Assignment from
 	/// non-storage objects to a variable of storage pointer type is not possible.
-	bool isPointer() const { return m_isPointer; }
+	/// For anything other than storage, this always returns true because assignments
+	/// never change the contents of the original value.
+	bool isPointer() const;
 
 	bool operator==(ReferenceType const& _other) const
 	{

test/libsolidity/ASTJSON/short_type_name_ref.json

@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@
                     "storageLocation": "memory",
                     "typeDescriptions":
                     {
-                      "typeIdentifier": "t_array$_t_array$_t_uint256_$dyn_memory_$dyn_memory_ptr",
+                      "typeIdentifier": "t_array$_t_array$_t_uint256_$dyn_memory_ptr_$dyn_memory_ptr",
                       "typeString": "uint256[][]"
                     },
                     "typeName":

test/libsolidity/gasTests/abiv2.sol

@@ -14,9 +14,9 @@ contract C {
 }
 // ----
 // creation:
-//   codeDepositCost: 1120000
-//   executionCost: 1160
-//   totalCost: 1121160
+//   codeDepositCost: 1094400
+//   executionCost: 1134
+//   totalCost: 1095534
 // external:
 //   a(): 1130
 //   b(uint256): infinite

test/libsolidity/semanticTests/variables/public_state_overridding_dynamic_struct.sol

@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+pragma experimental ABIEncoderV2;
+
+struct S { uint256 v; string s; }
+
+contract A
+{
+	function test() external virtual returns (uint256 v, string memory s)
+	{
+	    v = 42;
+	    s = "test";
+	}
+}
+contract X is A
+{
+	S public override test;
+
+	function set() public { test.v = 2; test.s = "statevar"; }
+}
+
+
+// ----
+// test() -> 0, 64, 0
+// set() ->
+// test() -> 2, 0x40, 8, "statevar"

test/libsolidity/semanticTests/variables/public_state_overridding_mapping_to_dynamic_struct.sol

@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+pragma experimental ABIEncoderV2;
+
+struct S { uint256 v; string s; }
+
+contract A
+{
+	function test(uint256 x) external virtual returns (uint256 v, string memory s)
+	{
+	    v = x;
+	    s = "test";
+	}
+}
+contract X is A
+{
+	mapping(uint256 => S) public override test;
+
+	function set() public { test[42].v = 2; test[42].s = "statevar"; }
+}
+
+
+// ----
+// test(uint256): 0 -> 0, 64, 0
+// test(uint256): 42 -> 0, 64, 0
+// set() ->
+// test(uint256): 0 -> 0, 64, 0
+// test(uint256): 42 -> 2, 0x40, 8, "statevar"

test/libsolidity/syntaxTests/inheritance/override/public_var_override_mapping_to_dynamic_struct.sol

@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+pragma experimental ABIEncoderV2;
+
+abstract contract C {
+	struct S {
+	uint256 x;
+	string y;
+	}
+	function f(address x) external virtual returns (uint256, string memory);
+}
+contract D is C {
+	mapping(address => S) public override f;
+}

test/libsolidity/syntaxTests/inheritance/override/public_var_override_struct_with_memory_element.sol

@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+pragma experimental ABIEncoderV2;
+
+abstract contract C {
+	struct S {
+		uint256 x;
+		string y;
+	}
+
+	function f() external virtual returns (uint256, string memory);
+}
+contract D is C {
+	S public override f;
+}