Consider the following code for integral types:
template <class T>
std::string as_binary_string( T value ) {
return std::bitset<sizeof( T ) * 8>( value ).to_string();
}
int main() {
unsigned char a(2);
char b(4);
unsigned short c(2);
short d(4);
unsigned int e(2);
int f(4);
unsigned long long g(2);
long long h(4);
std::cout << "a = " << +a << " " << as_binary_string( a ) << std::endl;
std::cout << "b = " << +b << " " << as_binary_string( b ) << std::endl;
std::cout << "c = " << c << " " << as_binary_string( c ) << std::endl;
std::cout << "d = " << c << " " << as_binary_string( d ) << std::endl;
std::cout << "e = " << e << " " << as_binary_string( e ) << std::endl;
std::cout << "f = " << f << " " << as_binary_string( f ) << std::endl;
std::cout << "g = " << g << " " << as_binary_string( g ) << std::endl;
std::cout << "h = " << h << " " << as_binary_string( h ) << std::endl;
std::cout << "\nPress any key and enter to quit.\n";
char q;
std::cin >> q;
return 0;
}
Pretty straight forward, works well and is quite simple.
EDIT
How would one go about writing a function to extract the binary or bit pattern of arbitrary floating point types at compile time?
When it comes to floats I have not found anything similar in any existing libraries of my own knowledge. I've searched google for days looking for one, so then I resorted into trying to write my own function without any success. I no longer have the attempted code available since I've originally asked this question so I can not exactly show you all of the different attempts of implementations along with their compiler - build errors. I was interested in trying to generate the bit pattern for floats in a generic way during compile time and wanted to integrate that into my existing class that seamlessly does the same for any integral type. As for the floating types themselves, I have taken into consideration the different formats as well as architecture endian. For my general purposes the standard IEEE versions of the floating point types is all that I should need to be concerned with.
iBug had suggested for me to write my own function when I originally asked this question, while I was in the attempt of trying to do so. I understand binary numbers, memory sizes, and the mathematics, but when trying to put it all together with how floating point types are stored in memory with their different parts {sign bit, base & exp } is where I was having the most trouble.
Since then with the suggestions those who have given a great answer - example I was able to write a function that would fit nicely into my already existing class template and now it works for my intended purposes.
What about writing one by yourself?
static_assert(sizeof(float) == sizeof(uint32_t));
static_assert(sizeof(double) == sizeof(uint64_t));
std::string as_binary_string( float value ) {
std::uint32_t t;
std::memcpy(&t, &value, sizeof(value));
return std::bitset<sizeof(float) * 8>(t).to_string();
}
std::string as_binary_string( double value ) {
std::uint64_t t;
std::memcpy(&t, &value, sizeof(value));
return std::bitset<sizeof(double) * 8>(t).to_string();
}
You may need to change the helper variable t in case the sizes for the floating point numbers are different.
You can alternatively copy them bit-by-bit. This is slower but serves for arbitrarily any type.
template <typename T>
std::string as_binary_string( T value )
{
const std::size_t nbytes = sizeof(T), nbits = nbytes * CHAR_BIT;
std::bitset<nbits> b;
std::uint8_t buf[nbytes];
std::memcpy(buf, &value, nbytes);
for(int i = 0; i < nbytes; ++i)
{
std::uint8_t cur = buf[i];
int offset = i * CHAR_BIT;
for(int bit = 0; bit < CHAR_BIT; ++bit)
{
b[offset] = cur & 1;
++offset; // Move to next bit in b
cur >>= 1; // Move to next bit in array
}
}
return b.to_string();
}