C#: Cannot convert from ulong to byte

Question

Strange how I can do it in C++,but not in C#.

To make it clear,i'll paste the two functions in C++ and then in C# and mark the problematic lines in the C# code with a comment "//error". What the two function does is encoding the parameter and then add it in to a global variable named byte1seeds.

These are the functions in C++

//Global var:

unsigned char byte1seeds[3];

unsigned long GenerateValue( unsigned long * Ptr )
{
unsigned long val = *Ptr;
for( int i = 0; i < 32; i++ )
    val = (((((((((((val >> 2)^val) >> 2)^val) >> 1)^val) >> 1)^val) >> 1)^val)&1)|((((val&1) << 31)|(val >> 1))&0xFFFFFFFE);
return ( *Ptr = val );
}

void SetupCountByte( unsigned long seed )
{
if( seed == 0 ) seed = 0x9ABFB3B6;
unsigned long mut = seed;
unsigned long mut1 = GenerateValue( &mut );
unsigned long mut2 = GenerateValue( &mut );
unsigned long mut3 = GenerateValue( &mut );
GenerateValue( &mut );
unsigned char byte1 = (mut&0xFF)^(mut3&0xFF);
unsigned char byte2 = (mut1&0xFF)^(mut2&0xFF);
if( !byte1 ) byte1 = 1;
if( !byte2 ) byte2 = 1;
byte1seeds[0] = byte1^byte2;
byte1seeds[1] = byte2;
byte1seeds[2] = byte1;
}

Now the C# code:

I've changed the function GenerateValue.Instead of having a pointer as a parameter, it has a ulong parameter.

To call it and change both values i use:

1. ulong mut1 = GenerateValue(mut);
2. mut = mut1;

Here are the translated functions(the problematic lines are marked with "//error");

//Global var:
public static byte[] byte1seeds = new byte[3];

public static ulong GenerateValue(ulong val)
{
    for( int i = 0; i < 32; i++ )
        val = (((((((((((val >> 2)^val) >> 2)^val) >> 1)^val) >> 1)^val) >> 1)^val)&1)|((((val&1) << 31)|(val >> 1))&0xFFFFFFFE);
    return val ;
}

public static void SetupCountByte( uint seed )
{
    if( seed == 0 ) seed = 0x9ABFB3B6;
    ulong mut = seed;
    ulong mut1 = GenerateValue(mut);
    mut = mut1;
    ulong mut2 = GenerateValue(mut);
    mut = mut2;
    ulong mut3 = GenerateValue(mut);
    mut = mut3;
    mut = GenerateValue(mut);
    byte byte1 = (mut & 0xFF) ^ (mut3 & 0xFF); //error
    byte byte2 = (mut1 & 0xFF) ^ (mut2 & 0xFF); //error
    if( byte1 != 0 )
        byte1 = 1;
    if( byte2 != 0 )
        byte2 = 1;
    byte1seeds[0] = byte1^byte2; //error
    byte1seeds[1] = byte2;
    byte1seeds[2] = byte1;
}

The error is:

Cannot implicitly convert type 'ulong' to 'byte'. An explicit conversion exists (are you missing a cast?)

edit:the error at problematic line 3 is:

Cannot implicitly convert type 'int' to 'byte'. An explicit conversion exists (are you missing a cast?)

Here comes the question: How to solve those errors?

Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

Add a (byte) to cast it. As you could lose precision, you have to tell the compiler that the value will fit into a byte, i.e.

byte byte1 = (byte)((mut & 0xFF) ^ (mut3 & 0xFF));
byte byte2 = (byte)((mut1 & 0xFF) ^ (mut2 & 0xFF));