DarkGoth has asked for the wisdom of the Perl Monks concerning the following question:



I've seen many means to return the bin value of an integer and a question came to me ...
How can i convert a char 2 bin and bin 2 char?
typing char2bin(a) --> 001000001 (not 1000001)

I have found some solutions to this one but i guess there's a better one ...
i guess in one line.
I have made some test for the contrary : bin 2 char, but a problem came to me : it returns me the ascii value.
I have made a pack "C" then ...
but i'd like a quicker and easier solution.

so, if you'v got an idee ... i would be thanxfull :)~
  • Comment on I'm looking for the faster way to convert char 2 Bin and Bin 2 char (8bits)

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Re: I'm looking for the faster way to convert char 2 Bin and Bin 2 char (8bits)
by eg (Friar) on Jan 26, 2001 at 00:32 UTC

    If you want a string of 0's and 1's, use pack and unpack with the template "B*" (descending) or "b*" (ascending).

    Is that what you're looking for?

[reply]
      Ok, that's right ;) thanx.
      That was so easy in fact ...
[reply]
Re: I'm looking for the faster way to convert char 2 Bin and Bin 2 char (8bits)
by Fixer (Acolyte) on Jan 26, 2001 at 03:28 UTC
    To get the byte (char) representation of a bit string:
    $char = pack("b8","01010101");
    To get the bit_string of a char/byte:
    $bit_string = unpack("b8",$char);
[reply]
      Thanx, that was exactly what i looked for ;)~~~~
[reply]
Re(golf): I'm looking for the faster way to convert char 2 Bin and Bin 2 char (8bits)
by jynx (Priest) on Jan 27, 2001 at 03:17 UTC
    beware before!

    Yesterday i found an amusing little routine to do decimal to binary (not the same drek everyone did in school as i understand it). So i converted it to perl and felt like posting it. Unfortunately i may have messed up something, so if someone (like maybe IO) could tell me if i did or not that would be sweet.

    sub dec2bin {
   my $num = shift;
   my @num;  my $i = 0;

   (push @num, (($num & 2**$i) == 2**$i) ? 1 : 0) and $i++ until (2**$
+i > $num);
   return 0 + join '', reverse @num;
}

    [download]
    It is completely untested, but it should work (as if that's any boon to a programmer)

    jynx

    update: changed the $n to $num on line 5 according to IO's suggestion (thank you).

[reply]
[d/l]
[select]
      Testing it would have found
      Name "main::n" used only once: possible typo at - line 5.
      But besides that, ** is a more expensive operation than you need here especially doing it 3 times per iteration.
      using 1<<$iin place of 2**$i would be a bit faster.
        my $i = 1;
   (push @num, (($num & $i) ? 1 : 0)) and $i<<=1 until $i > $num;

      [download]
      is even better. And
      (push @num, (($num & 1) ? 1 : 0)) and $num>>=1 until 1 > $num;still faster...
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[d/l]
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