Proxy Patterns and Storage Layouts — Forge College

Can you reliably port Solidity proxy upgradeability to Solana's Anchor? Storage layout compatibility is the single most important constraint when translating Ethereum proxy patterns to the Solana model. What you'll learn This lesson shows how to translate a common Solidity proxy pattern into an Anchor-compatible design and build a minimal Anchor program that intentionally maps Solidity storage slots to an Anchor account binary layout. You'll learn how delegatecall semantics map to Solana's CPI and account-access model, how to design an initializer that guarantees a stable, upgrade-friendly state shape, and how field order, fixed-size types, and explicit padding affect byte offsets. The hands-on example implements an Anchor account with an admin address, a uint64 counter, and an initialized flag, plus initialize and increment instructions and a local test that verifies byte offsets and behavior. Who this is for Intermediate blockchain developers who know Solidity and basic EVM proxy mechanics and who are learning Rust and Anchor. Familiarity with Anchor CLI (anchor init, anchor test) and Solana account concepts is recommended. Key topics covered - Mapping Solidity storage slots to Anchor account fields and byte offsets - Emulating delegatecall semantics via CPI or upgradeable program strategies - Designing an initializer and stable account layout for upgrades - Implementing an Anchor account with admin address, uint64 counter, and initialized flag - Writing local tests (anchor test) to verify layout and state changes - Common pitfalls: padding, ordering, and fixed-size field choices Build along with the lesson and run the provided local tests to validate layout compatibility. Start the hands-on guide and source code examples at https://www.forge.college/