Packing and Unpacking Values
Packing small values into a single variable is a powerful technique in C programming, especially when you need to store multiple pieces of information efficiently. By using bitwise shift and mask operations, you can combine several smaller values into a single int variable. This approach is commonly used when you want to save memory or transmit compact data.
pack_unpack.c
12345678910111213141516171819202122#include <stdio.h> #include <stdint.h> int main() { // Suppose you have two 4-bit values (0-15) uint8_t value1 = 9; // 1001 in binary uint8_t value2 = 12; // 1100 in binary // Pack value1 into the high 4 bits, value2 into the low 4 bits of an 8-bit integer uint8_t packed = (value1 << 4) | (value2 & 0x0F); printf("Packed value: 0x%02X\n", packed); // Unpack the values uint8_t unpacked1 = (packed >> 4) & 0x0F; // high 4 bits uint8_t unpacked2 = packed & 0x0F; // low 4 bits printf("Unpacked value 1: %u\n", unpacked1); printf("Unpacked value 2: %u\n", unpacked2); return 0; }
This method of packing and unpacking values is widely used in data compression and communication protocols. By squeezing multiple small values into a single variable, you reduce the amount of memory needed and make data transfer more efficient. This technique is especially useful when bandwidth or storage is limited, such as in embedded systems, file formats, and network packet design.
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Packing small values into a single variable is a powerful technique in C programming, especially when you need to store multiple pieces of information efficiently. By using bitwise shift and mask operations, you can combine several smaller values into a single int variable. This approach is commonly used when you want to save memory or transmit compact data.
pack_unpack.c
12345678910111213141516171819202122#include <stdio.h> #include <stdint.h> int main() { // Suppose you have two 4-bit values (0-15) uint8_t value1 = 9; // 1001 in binary uint8_t value2 = 12; // 1100 in binary // Pack value1 into the high 4 bits, value2 into the low 4 bits of an 8-bit integer uint8_t packed = (value1 << 4) | (value2 & 0x0F); printf("Packed value: 0x%02X\n", packed); // Unpack the values uint8_t unpacked1 = (packed >> 4) & 0x0F; // high 4 bits uint8_t unpacked2 = packed & 0x0F; // low 4 bits printf("Unpacked value 1: %u\n", unpacked1); printf("Unpacked value 2: %u\n", unpacked2); return 0; }
This method of packing and unpacking values is widely used in data compression and communication protocols. By squeezing multiple small values into a single variable, you reduce the amount of memory needed and make data transfer more efficient. This technique is especially useful when bandwidth or storage is limited, such as in embedded systems, file formats, and network packet design.
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