From: Joel VanderWerf <vjoel@...>
Date: 2005-10-18T12:54:13+09:00
Subject: Re: [ANN] BitStruct

Morgan wrote:
> [I really wish I knew how to make eudora do attribution lines
> automatically...]
> 
> Joel VanderWerf wrote:
> 
>> (Exerpt from the docs at the project page,
>> http://redshift.sourceforge.net/bit-struct/.)
>>
>> = BitStruct
> 
> 
> 
> Looks pretty interesting. I do have one question though.
> 
> I've got a project I've been thinking about doing a project that would
> benefit from the use of arrays of two-bit unsigned integers, of
> unknown-at-time-of-coding but probably large size. Which will also
> need to be shoved across sockets occaisionally. Is there a convenient
> way to make a structure like this using BitStruct?

Not yet. I haven't needed variable sized arrays of anything except
chars. For now, if you want to get something working quickly, you're
probably better off with String#[] (i.e. slice) and some bit arithmetic
(which is just what BitStruct does anyway). Or use a C extension. (You
can take a look at unsigned-field.rb for how to set up masks and so on,
but it's nothing special.)

Maybe someone else can pipe up if there is a way to do this with Ruby/DL
or something else?

It would be great if ruby had a built-in method (or a standard lib
extension) for doing bit-wise slice operations (and other bit-oriented
string operations)...

-- 
      vjoel : Joel VanderWerf : path berkeley edu : 510 665 3407