In order to utilize a byte to its fullest potential, I\'m attempting to store two unique values into a byte: one in the first four bits and another in the second four bits. How
Here's some code, but I think the earlier answers will do it for you. This is just to show some sort of test code to copy and past into a simple console project (the WriteBits method by be of help):
static void Main(string[] args)
{
int b1 = 255;
WriteBits(b1);
int b2 = b1 >> 4;
WriteBits(b2);
int b3 = b1 & ~0xF ;
WriteBits(b3);
// Store 5 in first nibble
int b4 = 5 << 4;
WriteBits(b4);
// Store 8 in second nibble
int b5 = 8;
WriteBits(b5);
// Store 5 and 8 in first and second nibbles
int b6 = 0;
b6 |= (5 << 4) + 8;
WriteBits(b6);
// Store 2 and 4
int b7 = 0;
b7 = StoreFirstNibble(2, b7);
b7 = StoreSecondNibble(4, b7);
WriteBits(b7);
// Read First Nibble
int first = ReadFirstNibble(b7);
WriteBits(first);
// Read Second Nibble
int second = ReadSecondNibble(b7);
WriteBits(second);
}
static int ReadFirstNibble(int storage)
{
return storage >> 4;
}
static int ReadSecondNibble(int storage)
{
return storage &= 0xF;
}
static int StoreFirstNibble(int val, int storage)
{
return storage |= (val << 4);
}
static int StoreSecondNibble(int val, int storage)
{
return storage |= val;
}
static void WriteBits(int b)
{
Console.WriteLine(BitConverter.ToString(BitConverter.GetBytes(b),0));
}
}
Assuming newVal contains the value you want to store in origVal. Do this for the 4 least significant bits:
byte origVal = ???;
byte newVal = ???
orig = (origVal & 0xF0) + newVal;
and this for the 4 most significant bits:
byte origVal = ???;
byte newVal = ???
orig = (origVal & 0xF) + (newVal << 4);
I know you asked specifically about clearing out the first four bits, which has been answered several times, but I wanted to point out that if you have two values <= decimal 15, you can combine them into 8 bits simply with this:
public int setBits(int upperFour, int lowerFour)
{
return upperFour << 4 | lowerFour;
}
The result will be xxxxyyyy
where
xxxx = upperFour
yyyy = lowerFour
And that is what you seem to be trying to do.