Here is one way to do it: 
    #!/usr/bin/perl -wl

    use strict;

    my $posture     = 2;
    my $app_width   = 5;
    my $structure   = 6;

    my $style_word  = $posture;
       $style_word |= $app_width << 2;
       $style_word |= $structure << 5;
       $style_word  = pack 'n', $style_word;

    print unpack "B*", $style_word;

    __END__
    Prints: 0000000011010110

[download]
You can also use the %b format in sprintf to debug the unpacked integer (perl5.6 and later): 
    my $style_word2 = $posture | $app_width << 2 | $structure << 5;

    printf "%016b\n", $style_word2;

[download]

--
John.

In reply to Re: using pack() to build a 16 bit word by jmcnamara
in thread using pack() to build a 16 bit word by shelob101

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