Storing multiple values via bitmask in c#

Question

I'm trying to store four independent 5-bit values (0-31) inside a 32-bit int via bit mask but am having trouble getting the values correct to set and get the individual values from the masked int used for storage.

Can anyone help me with this?

Edit:

Sorry for the external link - here's some JavaScript demonstrating what I'm trying to achieve (but in bitmasks instead of decimal algebra):

var s = 0;

var v = [31, 6, 23, 31];

//save values
s = v[0] + (v[1] * 32) + (v[2] * 1024) + (v[3] * 32768);

console.log(s);

//retrieve values
v[3] = parseInt(s / 32768);
v[2] = parseInt((s - (v[3] * 32768)) / 1024);
v[1] = parseInt((s - ((v[3] * 32768) + (v[2] * 1024))) / 32);
v[0] = parseInt(s - ((v[3] * 32768)+ (v[2] * 1024) + (v[1] * 32)));

console.log(v);

//modify values [1] and [2]
s = s - (v[1] * 32) + (9 * 32);
s = s - (v[2] * 1024) + (17 * 1024);

console.log(s);

//retrieve values
v[3] = parseInt(s / 32768);
v[2] = parseInt((s - (v[3] * 32768)) / 1024);
v[1] = parseInt((s - ((v[3] * 32768) + (v[2] * 1024))) / 32);
v[0] = parseInt(s - ((v[3] * 32768)+ (v[2] * 1024) + (v[1] * 32)));

console.log(v);

Output:

1039583
[31, 6, 23, 31]
1033535
[31, 9, 17, 31]

Edit:

Thanks to Peter Duniho I was able to make these with the masks build in to save some operations for 6 5-bit values inside a 32-bit integer:

uint Get_5_In_32(uint storage, int index)
{
    switch (index)
    {
        case 0:
            return (storage & 0x0000001F);
        case 1:
            return (storage & 0x000003E0) >> 5;
        case 2:
            return (storage & 0x00007C00) >> 10;
        case 3:
            return (storage & 0x000F8000) >> 15;
        case 4:
            return (storage & 0x01F00000) >> 20;
        case 5:
            return (storage & 0x3E000000) >> 25;
        default:
            return (0);
    }
}
uint Set_5_In_32(uint storage, uint value, int index)
{
    if (value > 31) {  value = 31; }
    switch (index)
    {
        case 0:
            return (storage & 0xFFFFFFE0) | value;
        case 1:
            return (storage & 0xFFFFFC1F) | (value << 5);
        case 2:
            return (storage & 0xFFFF83FF) | (value << 10);
        case 3:
            return (storage & 0xFFF07FFF) | (value << 15);
        case 4:
            return (storage & 0xFE0FFFFF) | (value << 20);
        case 5:
            return (storage & 0xC1FFFFFF) | (value << 25);
        default:
            return (0);
    }
}

And a byref version of the Set function for even less allocation:

void Set_5_In_32(ref uint storage, uint value, int index)
{
    if (value > 31) {  value = 31; }
    switch (index)
    {
        case 0:
            storage &= 0xFFFFFFE0;
            storage |= value;
            break;
        case 1:
            storage &= 0xFFFFFC1F;
            storage |= (value << 5);
            break;
        case 2:
            storage &= 0xFFFF83FF;
            storage |= (value << 10);
            break;
        case 3:
            storage &= 0xFFF07FFF;
            storage |= (value << 15);
            break;
        case 4:
            storage &= 0xFE0FFFFF;
            storage |= (value << 20);
            break;
        case 5:
            storage &= 0xC1FFFFFF;
            storage |= (value << 25);
            break;
    }
}

Answer 1

Without a more specific question, and in particular you showing the code you have so far and explaining what you're having trouble specifically in terms of getting it to work, it's hard to know exactly what the best answer would be.

That said, here are a couple of example methods that might get you pointed in the right direction:

// Stores the given value in storage at the given index
int Set(int storage, int value, int index)
{
    int shiftCount = index * 5,
        mask = 0x1f << shiftCount;

    return (storage & ~mask) | (value << shiftCount);
}

// Retrieves the value stored in storage at the given index
int Get(int storage, int index)
{
    int shiftCount = index * 5,
        mask = 0x1f << shiftCount;

    return (storage & mask) >> shiftCount;
}

The Set() method above takes the current value in storage, clears all of the bits in the range of bits where you want to store your five-bit value, and then uses the | operator to store that five-bit value, shifting the bits of that value to the right place first.

The Get() method performs the reverse operation. It masks off (clears) all of the bits not in the range of bits where the value was stored, and then shifting the stored bits down to the least-significant five bits of an int before returning that result.

Notes:

• The above is specific to your stated problem. It could easily be generalized by encapsulating in a class where the bit count can be configured at initialization and the mask is generated based on that bit count rather than being hard-coded.
• There is no error-checking in the above code. In a production-code version, it would be much better to verify that the value passed to the Set() method does in fact fit in five bits (i.e. is less than 0x20).

EDIT:

Here is a simple console program that demonstrates the use of the above, with your example data:

static void Main(string[] args)
{
    int[] array = { 31, 6, 23, 31 };
    int storage = 0;

    storage = ArrayToStorage(array, storage);

    Console.WriteLine(storage);
    LogArray(array);

    storage = Set(storage, 9, 1);
    storage = Set(storage, 17, 2);

    StorageToArray(array, storage);

    Console.WriteLine(storage);
    LogArray(array);
}

static int ArrayToStorage(int[] array, int storage)
{
    for (int i = 0; i < array.Length; i++)
    {
        storage = Set(storage, array[i], i);
    }

    return storage;
}

static void StorageToArray(int[] array, int storage)
{
    for (int i = 0; i < array.Length; i++)
    {
        array[i] = Get(storage, i);
    }
}

static void LogArray(int[] array)
{
    Console.WriteLine("[" + string.Join(", ", array) + "]");
}

// Stores the given value in storage at the given index
static int Set(int storage, int value, int index)
{
    int shiftCount = index * 5,
        mask = 0x1f << shiftCount;

    return (storage & ~mask) | (value << shiftCount);
}

// Retrieves the value stored in storage at the given index
static int Get(int storage, int index)
{
    int shiftCount = index * 5,
        mask = 0x1f << shiftCount;

    return (storage & mask) >> shiftCount;
}