[c++] Can I use a binary literal in C or C++?

I need to work with a binary number.

I tried writing:

const x = 00010000;

But it didn't work.

I know that I can use an hexadecimal number that has the same value as 00010000, but I want to know if there is a type in C++ for binary numbers and if there isn't, is there another solution for my problem?

This thread may help.

/* Helper macros */
#define HEX__(n) 0x##n##LU
#define B8__(x) ((x&0x0000000FLU)?1:0) \
+((x&0x000000F0LU)?2:0) \
+((x&0x00000F00LU)?4:0) \
+((x&0x0000F000LU)?8:0) \
+((x&0x000F0000LU)?16:0) \
+((x&0x00F00000LU)?32:0) \
+((x&0x0F000000LU)?64:0) \
+((x&0xF0000000LU)?128:0)

/* User macros */
#define B8(d) ((unsigned char)B8__(HEX__(d)))
#define B16(dmsb,dlsb) (((unsigned short)B8(dmsb)<<8) \
+ B8(dlsb))
#define B32(dmsb,db2,db3,dlsb) (((unsigned long)B8(dmsb)<<24) \
+ ((unsigned long)B8(db2)<<16) \
+ ((unsigned long)B8(db3)<<8) \
+ B8(dlsb))


#include <stdio.h>

int main(void)
{
    // 261, evaluated at compile-time
    unsigned const number = B16(00000001,00000101);

    printf("%d \n", number);
    return 0;
}

It works! (All the credits go to Tom Torfs.)

template<unsigned long N>
struct bin {
    enum { value = (N%10)+2*bin<N/10>::value };
} ;

template<>
struct bin<0> {
    enum { value = 0 };
} ;

// ...
    std::cout << bin<1000>::value << '\n';

The leftmost digit of the literal still has to be 1, but nonetheless.

You can use a bitset

bitset<8> b(string("00010000"));
int i = (int)(bs.to_ulong());
cout<<i;

You can use binary literals. They are standardized in C++14. For example,

int x = 0b11000;

Support in GCC

Support in GCC began in GCC 4.3 (see https://gcc.gnu.org/gcc-4.3/changes.html) as extensions to the C language family (see https://gcc.gnu.org/onlinedocs/gcc/C-Extensions.html#C-Extensions), but since GCC 4.9 it is now recognized as either a C++14 feature or an extension (see Difference between GCC binary literals and C++14 ones?)

Support in Visual Studio

Support in Visual Studio started in Visual Studio 2015 Preview (see https://www.visualstudio.com/news/vs2015-preview-vs#C++).

C does not have native notation for pure binary numbers. Your best bet here would be either octal (e.g. 07777) of hexadecimal (e.g. 0xfff).

The "type" of a binary number is the same as any decimal, hex or octal number: int (or even char, short, long long).

When you assign a constant, you can't assign it with 11011011 (curiously and unfortunately), but you can use hex. Hex is a little easier to mentally translate. Chunk in nibbles (4 bits) and translate to a character in [0-9a-f].

I extended the good answer given by @renato-chandelier by ensuring the support of:

• _NIBBLE_(…) – 4 bits, 1 nibble as argument
• _BYTE_(…) – 8 bits, 2 nibbles as arguments
• _SLAB_(…) – 12 bits, 3 nibbles as arguments
• _WORD_(…) – 16 bits, 4 nibbles as arguments
• _QUINTIBBLE_(…) – 20 bits, 5 nibbles as arguments
• _DSLAB_(…) – 24 bits, 6 nibbles as arguments
• _SEPTIBBLE_(…) – 28 bits, 7 nibbles as arguments
• _DWORD_(…) – 32 bits, 8 nibbles as arguments

I am actually not so sure about the terms “quintibble” and “septibble”. If anyone knows any alternative please let me know.

Here is the macro rewritten:

#define __CAT__(A, B) A##B
#define _CAT_(A, B) __CAT__(A, B)

#define __HEX_0000 0
#define __HEX_0001 1
#define __HEX_0010 2
#define __HEX_0011 3
#define __HEX_0100 4
#define __HEX_0101 5
#define __HEX_0110 6
#define __HEX_0111 7
#define __HEX_1000 8
#define __HEX_1001 9
#define __HEX_1010 a
#define __HEX_1011 b
#define __HEX_1100 c
#define __HEX_1101 d
#define __HEX_1110 e
#define __HEX_1111 f

#define _NIBBLE_(N1) _CAT_(0x, _CAT_(__HEX_, N1))
#define _BYTE_(N1, N2) _CAT_(_NIBBLE_(N1), _CAT_(__HEX_, N2))
#define _SLAB_(N1, N2, N3) _CAT_(_BYTE_(N1, N2), _CAT_(__HEX_, N3))
#define _WORD_(N1, N2, N3, N4) _CAT_(_SLAB_(N1, N2, N3), _CAT_(__HEX_, N4))
#define _QUINTIBBLE_(N1, N2, N3, N4, N5) _CAT_(_WORD_(N1, N2, N3, N4), _CAT_(__HEX_, N5))
#define _DSLAB_(N1, N2, N3, N4, N5, N6) _CAT_(_QUINTIBBLE_(N1, N2, N3, N4, N5), _CAT_(__HEX_, N6))
#define _SEPTIBBLE_(N1, N2, N3, N4, N5, N6, N7) _CAT_(_DSLAB_(N1, N2, N3, N4, N5, N6), _CAT_(__HEX_, N7))
#define _DWORD_(N1, N2, N3, N4, N5, N6, N7, N8) _CAT_(_SEPTIBBLE_(N1, N2, N3, N4, N5, N6, N7), _CAT_(__HEX_, N8))

And here is Renato's using example:

char b = _BYTE_(0100, 0001); /* equivalent to b = 65; or b = 'A'; or b = 0x41; */
unsigned int w = _WORD_(1101, 1111, 0100, 0011); /* equivalent to w = 57155; or w = 0xdf43; */
unsigned long int dw = _DWORD_(1101, 1111, 0100, 0011, 1111, 1101, 0010, 1000); /* Equivalent to dw = 3745774888; or dw = 0xdf43fd28; */

A few compilers (usually the ones for microcontrollers) has a special feature implemented within recognizing literal binary numbers by prefix "0b..." preceding the number, although most compilers (C/C++ standards) don't have such feature and if it is the case, here it is my alternative solution:

#define B_0000    0
#define B_0001    1
#define B_0010    2
#define B_0011    3
#define B_0100    4
#define B_0101    5
#define B_0110    6
#define B_0111    7
#define B_1000    8
#define B_1001    9
#define B_1010    a
#define B_1011    b
#define B_1100    c
#define B_1101    d
#define B_1110    e
#define B_1111    f

#define _B2H(bits)    B_##bits
#define B2H(bits)    _B2H(bits)
#define _HEX(n)        0x##n
#define HEX(n)        _HEX(n)
#define _CCAT(a,b)    a##b
#define CCAT(a,b)   _CCAT(a,b)

#define BYTE(a,b)        HEX( CCAT(B2H(a),B2H(b)) )
#define WORD(a,b,c,d)    HEX( CCAT(CCAT(B2H(a),B2H(b)),CCAT(B2H(c),B2H(d))) )
#define DWORD(a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h)    HEX( CCAT(CCAT(CCAT(B2H(a),B2H(b)),CCAT(B2H(c),B2H(d))),CCAT(CCAT(B2H(e),B2H(f)),CCAT(B2H(g),B2H(h)))) )

// Using example
char b = BYTE(0100,0001); // Equivalent to b = 65; or b = 'A'; or b = 0x41;
unsigned int w = WORD(1101,1111,0100,0011); // Equivalent to w = 57155; or w = 0xdf43;
unsigned long int dw = DWORD(1101,1111,0100,0011,1111,1101,0010,1000); //Equivalent to dw = 3745774888; or dw = 0xdf43fd28;

Disadvantages (it's not such a big ones):

• The binary numbers have to be grouped 4 by 4;
• The binary literals have to be only unsigned integer numbers;

Advantages:

• Total preprocessor driven, not spending processor time in pointless operations (like "?.. :..", "<<", "+") to the executable program (it may be performed hundred of times in the final application);
• It works "mainly in C" compilers and C++ as well (template+enum solution works only in C++ compilers);
• It has only the limitation of "longness" for expressing "literal constant" values. There would have been earlyish longness limitation (usually 8 bits: 0-255) if one had expressed constant values by parsing resolve of "enum solution" (usually 255 = reach enum definition limit), differently, "literal constant" limitations, in the compiler allows greater numbers;
• Some other solutions demand exaggerated number of constant definitions (too many defines in my opinion) including long or several header files (in most cases not easily readable and understandable, and make the project become unnecessarily confused and extended, like that using "BOOST_BINARY()");
• Simplicity of the solution: easily readable, understandable and adjustable for other cases (could be extended for grouping 8 by 8 too);

The smallest unit you can work with is a byte (which is of char type). You can work with bits though by using bitwise operators.

As for integer literals, you can only work with decimal (base 10), octal (base 8) or hexadecimal (base 16) numbers. There are no binary (base 2) literals in C nor C++.

Octal numbers are prefixed with 0 and hexadecimal numbers are prefixed with 0x. Decimal numbers have no prefix.

In C++0x you'll be able to do what you want by the way via user defined literals.

As already answered, the C standards have no way to directly write binary numbers. There are compiler extensions, however, and apparently C++14 includes the 0b prefix for binary. (Note that this answer was originally posted in 2010.)

One popular workaround is to include a header file with helper macros. One easy option is also to generate a file that includes macro definitions for all 8-bit patterns, e.g.:

#define B00000000 0
#define B00000001 1
#define B00000010 2
…

This results in only 256 #defines, and if larger than 8-bit binary constants are needed, these definitions can be combined with shifts and ORs, possibly with helper macros (e.g., BIN16(B00000001,B00001010)). (Having individual macros for every 16-bit, let alone 32-bit, value is not plausible.)

Of course the downside is that this syntax requires writing all the leading zeroes, but this may also make it clearer for uses like setting bit flags and contents of hardware registers. For a function-like macro resulting in a syntax without this property, see bithacks.h linked above.

You could try using an array of bool:

bool i[8] = {0,0,1,1,0,1,0,1}

Based on some other answers, but this one will reject programs with illegal binary literals. Leading zeroes are optional.

template<bool> struct BinaryLiteralDigit;

template<> struct BinaryLiteralDigit<true> {
    static bool const value = true;
};

template<unsigned long long int OCT, unsigned long long int HEX>
struct BinaryLiteral {
    enum {
        value = (BinaryLiteralDigit<(OCT%8 < 2)>::value && BinaryLiteralDigit<(HEX >= 0)>::value
            ? (OCT%8) + (BinaryLiteral<OCT/8, 0>::value << 1)
            : -1)
    };
};

template<>
struct BinaryLiteral<0, 0> {
    enum {
        value = 0
    };
};

#define BINARY_LITERAL(n) BinaryLiteral<0##n##LU, 0x##n##LU>::value

Example:

#define B BINARY_LITERAL

#define COMPILE_ERRORS 0

int main (int argc, char ** argv) {
    int _0s[] = { 0, B(0), B(00), B(000) };
    int _1s[] = { 1, B(1), B(01), B(001) };
    int _2s[] = { 2, B(10), B(010), B(0010) };
    int _3s[] = { 3, B(11), B(011), B(0011) };
    int _4s[] = { 4, B(100), B(0100), B(00100) };

    int neg8s[] = { -8, -B(1000) };

#if COMPILE_ERRORS
    int errors[] = { B(-1), B(2), B(9), B(1234567) };
#endif

    return 0;
}

C++ provides a standard template named std::bitset. Try it if you like.

The C++ over-engineering mindset is already well accounted for in the other answers here. Here's my attempt at doing it with a C, keep-it-simple-ffs mindset:

unsigned char x = 0xF; // binary: 00001111

You can also use inline assembly like this:

int i;

__asm {
    mov eax, 00000000000000000000000000000000b
    mov i,   eax
}

std::cout << i;

Okay, it might be somewhat overkill, but it works.

Just use the standard library in C++:

#include <bitset>

You need a variable of type std::bitset:

std::bitset<8ul> x;
x = std::bitset<8>(10);
for (int i = x.size() - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
      std::cout << x[i];
}

In this example, I stored the binary form of 10 in x.

8ul defines the size of your bits, so 7ul means seven bits and so on.

If you are using GCC then you can use a GCC extension (which is included in the C++14 standard) for this:

int x = 0b00010000;

You can use the function found in this question to get up to 22 bits in C++. Here's the code from the link, suitably edited:

template< unsigned long long N >
struct binary
{
  enum { value = (N % 8) + 2 * binary< N / 8 > :: value } ;
};

template<>
struct binary< 0 >
{
  enum { value = 0 } ;
};

So you can do something like binary<0101011011>::value.