How do I convert between big-endian and little-endian values in C++?

If you're using Visual C++ do the following: You include intrin.h and call the following functions:

For 16 bit numbers:

unsigned short _byteswap_ushort(unsigned short value);

For 32 bit numbers:

unsigned long _byteswap_ulong(unsigned long value);

For 64 bit numbers:

unsigned __int64 _byteswap_uint64(unsigned __int64 value);

8 bit numbers (chars) don't need to be converted.

Also these are only defined for unsigned values they work for signed integers as well.

For floats and doubles it's more difficult as with plain integers as these may or not may be in the host machines byte-order. You can get little-endian floats on big-endian machines and vice versa.

Other compilers have similar intrinsics as well.

In GCC for example you can directly call some builtins as documented here:

uint32_t __builtin_bswap32 (uint32_t x)
uint64_t __builtin_bswap64 (uint64_t x)

(no need to include something). Afaik bits.h declares the same function in a non gcc-centric way as well.

16 bit swap it's just a bit-rotate.

Calling the intrinsics instead of rolling your own gives you the best performance and code density btw..

Simply put:

#include <climits>

template <typename T>
T swap_endian(T u)
{
    static_assert (CHAR_BIT == 8, "CHAR_BIT != 8");

    union
    {
        T u;
        unsigned char u8[sizeof(T)];
    } source, dest;

    source.u = u;

    for (size_t k = 0; k < sizeof(T); k++)
        dest.u8[k] = source.u8[sizeof(T) - k - 1];

    return dest.u;
}

usage: swap_endian<uint32_t>(42).

If you are doing this for purposes of network/host compatability you should use:

ntohl() //Network to Host byte order (Long)
htonl() //Host to Network byte order (Long)

ntohs() //Network to Host byte order (Short)
htons() //Host to Network byte order (Short)

If you are doing this for some other reason one of the byte_swap solutions presented here would work just fine.

The procedure for going from big-endian to little-endian is the same as going from little-endian to big-endian.

Here's some example code:

void swapByteOrder(unsigned short& us)
{
    us = (us >> 8) |
         (us << 8);
}

void swapByteOrder(unsigned int& ui)
{
    ui = (ui >> 24) |
         ((ui<<8) & 0x00FF0000) |
         ((ui>>8) & 0x0000FF00) |
         (ui << 24);
}

void swapByteOrder(unsigned long long& ull)
{
    ull = (ull >> 56) |
          ((ull<<40) & 0x00FF000000000000) |
          ((ull<<24) & 0x0000FF0000000000) |
          ((ull<<8) & 0x000000FF00000000) |
          ((ull>>8) & 0x00000000FF000000) |
          ((ull>>24) & 0x0000000000FF0000) |
          ((ull>>40) & 0x000000000000FF00) |
          (ull << 56);
}

There is an assembly instruction called BSWAP that will do the swap for you, extremely fast. You can read about it here.

Visual Studio, or more precisely the Visual C++ runtime library, has platform intrinsics for this, called _byteswap_ushort(), _byteswap_ulong(), and _byteswap_int64(). Similar should exist for other platforms, but I'm not aware of what they would be called.

We've done this with templates. You could do something like this:

// Specialization for 2-byte types.
template<>
inline void endian_byte_swapper< 2 >(char* dest, char const* src)
{
    // Use bit manipulations instead of accessing individual bytes from memory, much faster.
    ushort* p_dest = reinterpret_cast< ushort* >(dest);
    ushort const* const p_src = reinterpret_cast< ushort const* >(src);
    *p_dest = (*p_src >> 8) | (*p_src << 8);
}

// Specialization for 4-byte types.
template<>
inline void endian_byte_swapper< 4 >(char* dest, char const* src)
{
    // Use bit manipulations instead of accessing individual bytes from memory, much faster.
    uint* p_dest = reinterpret_cast< uint* >(dest);
    uint const* const p_src = reinterpret_cast< uint const* >(src);
    *p_dest = (*p_src >> 24) | ((*p_src & 0x00ff0000) >> 8) | ((*p_src & 0x0000ff00) << 8) | (*p_src << 24);
}

The same way you do in C:

short big = 0xdead;
short little = (((big & 0xff)<<8) | ((big & 0xff00)>>8));

You could also declare a vector of unsigned chars, memcpy the input value into it, reverse the bytes into another vector and memcpy the bytes out, but that'll take orders of magnitude longer than bit-twiddling, especially with 64-bit values.

If you're doing this to transfer data between different platforms look at the ntoh and hton functions.

On most POSIX systems (through it's not in the POSIX standard) there is the endian.h, which can be used to determine what encoding your system uses. From there it's something like this:

unsigned int change_endian(unsigned int x)
{
    unsigned char *ptr = (unsigned char *)&x;
    return (ptr[0] << 24) | (ptr[1] << 16) | (ptr[2] << 8) | ptr[3];
}

This swaps the order (from big endian to little endian):

If you have the number 0xDEADBEEF (on a little endian system stored as 0xEFBEADDE), ptr[0] will be 0xEF, ptr[1] is 0xBE, etc.

But if you want to use it for networking, then htons, htonl and htonll (and their inverses ntohs, ntohl and ntohll) will be helpful for converting from host order to network order.

Most platforms have a system header file that provides efficient byteswap functions. On Linux it is in <endian.h>. You can wrap it nicely in C++:

#include <iostream>

#include <endian.h>

template<size_t N> struct SizeT {};

#define BYTESWAPS(bits) \
template<class T> inline T htobe(T t, SizeT<bits / 8>) { return htobe ## bits(t); } \
template<class T> inline T htole(T t, SizeT<bits / 8>) { return htole ## bits(t); } \
template<class T> inline T betoh(T t, SizeT<bits / 8>) { return be ## bits ## toh(t); } \
template<class T> inline T letoh(T t, SizeT<bits / 8>) { return le ## bits ## toh(t); }

BYTESWAPS(16)
BYTESWAPS(32)
BYTESWAPS(64)

#undef BYTESWAPS

template<class T> inline T htobe(T t) { return htobe(t, SizeT<sizeof t>()); }
template<class T> inline T htole(T t) { return htole(t, SizeT<sizeof t>()); }
template<class T> inline T betoh(T t) { return betoh(t, SizeT<sizeof t>()); }
template<class T> inline T letoh(T t) { return letoh(t, SizeT<sizeof t>()); }

int main()
{
    std::cout << std::hex;
    std::cout << htobe(static_cast<unsigned short>(0xfeca)) << '\n';
    std::cout << htobe(0xafbeadde) << '\n';

    // Use ULL suffix to specify integer constant as unsigned long long 
    std::cout << htobe(0xfecaefbeafdeedfeULL) << '\n';
}

Output:

cafe
deadbeaf
feeddeafbeefcafe

I have this code that allow me to convert from HOST_ENDIAN_ORDER (whatever it is) to LITTLE_ENDIAN_ORDER or BIG_ENDIAN_ORDER. I use a template, so if I try to convert from HOST_ENDIAN_ORDER to LITTLE_ENDIAN_ORDER and they happen to be the same for the machine for wich I compile, no code will be generated.

Here is the code with some comments:

// We define some constant for little, big and host endianess. Here I use 
// BOOST_LITTLE_ENDIAN/BOOST_BIG_ENDIAN to check the host indianess. If you
// don't want to use boost you will have to modify this part a bit.
enum EEndian
{
  LITTLE_ENDIAN_ORDER,
  BIG_ENDIAN_ORDER,
#if defined(BOOST_LITTLE_ENDIAN)
  HOST_ENDIAN_ORDER = LITTLE_ENDIAN_ORDER
#elif defined(BOOST_BIG_ENDIAN)
  HOST_ENDIAN_ORDER = BIG_ENDIAN_ORDER
#else
#error "Impossible de determiner l'indianness du systeme cible."
#endif
};

// this function swap the bytes of values given it's size as a template
// parameter (could sizeof be used?).
template <class T, unsigned int size>
inline T SwapBytes(T value)
{
  union
  {
     T value;
     char bytes[size];
  } in, out;

  in.value = value;

  for (unsigned int i = 0; i < size / 2; ++i)
  {
     out.bytes[i] = in.bytes[size - 1 - i];
     out.bytes[size - 1 - i] = in.bytes[i];
  }

  return out.value;
}

// Here is the function you will use. Again there is two compile-time assertion
// that use the boost librarie. You could probably comment them out, but if you
// do be cautious not to use this function for anything else than integers
// types. This function need to be calles like this :
//
//     int x = someValue;
//     int i = EndianSwapBytes<HOST_ENDIAN_ORDER, BIG_ENDIAN_ORDER>(x);
//
template<EEndian from, EEndian to, class T>
inline T EndianSwapBytes(T value)
{
  // A : La donnée à swapper à une taille de 2, 4 ou 8 octets
  BOOST_STATIC_ASSERT(sizeof(T) == 2 || sizeof(T) == 4 || sizeof(T) == 8);

  // A : La donnée à swapper est d'un type arithmetic
  BOOST_STATIC_ASSERT(boost::is_arithmetic<T>::value);

  // Si from et to sont du même type on ne swap pas.
  if (from == to)
     return value;

  return SwapBytes<T, sizeof(T)>(value);
}

Here's a generalized version I came up with off the top of my head, for swapping a value in place. The other suggestions would be better if performance is a problem.

 template<typename T>
    void ByteSwap(T * p)
    {
        for (int i = 0;  i < sizeof(T)/2;  ++i)
            std::swap(((char *)p)[i], ((char *)p)[sizeof(T)-1-i]);
    }

Disclaimer: I haven't tried to compile this or test it yet.

If you have C++ 17 then add this header

#include <algorithm>

Use this template function to swap the bytes:

template <typename T>
void swapEndian(T& buffer)
{
    static_assert(std::is_pod<T>::value, "swapEndian support POD type only");
    char* startIndex = static_cast<char*>((void*)buffer.data());
    char* endIndex = startIndex + sizeof(buffer);
    std::reverse(startIndex, endIndex);
}

call it like:

swapEndian (stlContainer);

Byte swapping with ye olde 3-step-xor trick around a pivot in a template function gives a flexible, quick O(ln2) solution that does not require a library, the style here also rejects 1 byte types:

template<typename T>void swap(T &t){
    for(uint8_t pivot = 0; pivot < sizeof(t)/2; pivot ++){
        *((uint8_t *)&t + pivot) ^= *((uint8_t *)&t+sizeof(t)-1- pivot);
        *((uint8_t *)&t+sizeof(t)-1- pivot) ^= *((uint8_t *)&t + pivot);
        *((uint8_t *)&t + pivot) ^= *((uint8_t *)&t+sizeof(t)-1- pivot);
    }
}

Seems like the safe way would be to use htons on each word. So, if you have...

std::vector<uint16_t> storage(n);  // where n is the number to be converted

// the following would do the trick
std::transform(word_storage.cbegin(), word_storage.cend()
  , word_storage.begin(), [](const uint16_t input)->uint16_t {
  return htons(input); });

The above would be a no-op if you were on a big-endian system, so I would look for whatever your platform uses as a compile-time condition to decide whether htons is a no-op. It is O(n) after all. On a Mac, it would be something like ...

#if (__DARWIN_BYTE_ORDER != __DARWIN_BIG_ENDIAN)
std::transform(word_storage.cbegin(), word_storage.cend()
  , word_storage.begin(), [](const uint16_t input)->uint16_t {
  return htons(input); });
#endif

Here is a basic function to swap to/from little and big endian. It's basic but it doesn't require supplementary libraries.

void endianness_swap(uint32_t& val) {
    uint8_t a, b, c;
    a = (val & 0xFF000000) >> 24;
    b = (val & 0x00FF0000) >> 16;
    c = (val & 0x0000FF00) >> 8;
    val=(val & 0x000000FF) << 24;
    val = val + (c << 16) + (b << 8) + (a);
}

Not as efficient as using an intrinsic function, but certainly portable. My answer:

#include <cstdint>
#include <type_traits>

/**
 * Perform an endian swap of bytes against a templatized unsigned word.
 *
 * @tparam value_type The data type to perform the endian swap against.
 * @param value       The data value to swap.
 *
 * @return value_type The resulting swapped word.
 */
template <typename value_type>
constexpr inline auto endian_swap(value_type value) -> value_type
{
    using half_type = typename std::conditional<
        sizeof(value_type) == 8u,
        uint32_t,
        typename std::conditional<sizeof(value_type) == 4u, uint16_t, uint8_t>::
            type>::type;

    size_t const    half_bits  = sizeof(value_type) * 8u / 2u;
    half_type const upper_half = static_cast<half_type>(value >> half_bits);
    half_type const lower_half = static_cast<half_type>(value);

    if (sizeof(value_type) == 2u)
    {
        return (static_cast<value_type>(lower_half) << half_bits) | upper_half;
    }

    return ((static_cast<value_type>(endian_swap(lower_half)) << half_bits) |
            endian_swap(upper_half));
}

A c++20 branchless version now that std::endian exists but before c++23 adds std::byteswap

#include <bit>
#include <type_traits>
#include <concepts>
#include <array>
#include <cstring>
#include <iostream>
#include <bitset>

template <int LEN, int OFF=LEN/2>
class do_swap
{
    // FOR 8 bytes:
    // LEN=8 (LEN/2==4)       <H><G><F><E><D><C><B><A>
    // OFF=4: FROM=0, TO=7 => [A]<G><F><E><D><C><B>[H]
    // OFF=3: FROM=1, TO=6 => [A][B]<F><E><D><C>[G][H]
    // OFF=2: FROM=2, TO=5 => [A][B][C]<E><D>[F][G][H]
    // OFF=1: FROM=3, TO=4 => [A][B][C][D][E][F][G][H]
    // OFF=0: FROM=4, TO=3 => DONE
public:
    enum consts {FROM=LEN/2-OFF, TO=(LEN-1)-FROM};
    using NXT=do_swap<LEN, OFF-1>;
// flip the first and last for the current iteration's range
    static void flip(std::array<std::byte, LEN>& b)
    {
        std::byte tmp=b[FROM];
        b[FROM]=b[TO];
        b[TO]=tmp;
        NXT::flip(b);
    }
};
template <int LEN>
class do_swap<LEN, 0> // STOP the template recursion
{
public:
    static void flip(std::array<std::byte, LEN>&)
    {
    }
};

template<std::integral T, std::endian TO, std::endian FROM=std::endian::native>
        requires ((TO==std::endian::big) || (TO==std::endian::little))
              && ((FROM==std::endian::big) || (FROM==std::endian::little))
class endian_swap
{
public:
    enum consts {BYTE_COUNT=sizeof(T)};
    static T cvt(const T integral)
    {
    // if FROM and TO are the same -- nothing to do
        if (TO==FROM)
        {
                return integral;
        }

    // endian::big --> endian::little is the same as endian::little --> endian::big
    // the bytes have to be reversed
    // memcpy seems to be the most supported way to do byte swaps in a defined way
        std::array<std::byte, BYTE_COUNT> bytes;
        std::memcpy(&bytes, &integral, BYTE_COUNT);
        do_swap<BYTE_COUNT>::flip(bytes);
        T ret;
        std::memcpy(&ret, &bytes, BYTE_COUNT);
        return ret;
    }
};

std::endian big()
{
    return std::endian::big;
}

std::endian little()
{
    return std::endian::little;
}

std::endian native()
{
    return std::endian::native;
}

long long swap_to_big(long long x)
{
    return endian_swap<long long, std::endian::big>::cvt(x);
}

long long swap_to_little(long long x)
{
    return endian_swap<long long, std::endian::little>::cvt(x);
}

void show(std::string label, long long x)
{
    std::cout << label << "\t: " << std::bitset<64>(x) << " (" << x << ")" << std::endl;
}

int main(int argv, char ** argc)
{
    long long init=0xF8FCFEFF7F3F1F0;
    long long to_big=swap_to_big(init);
    long long to_little=swap_to_little(init);
    show("Init", init);
    show(">big", to_big);
    show(">little", to_little);
}

void writeLittleEndianToBigEndian(void* ptrLittleEndian, void* ptrBigEndian , size_t bufLen )
{
    char *pchLittleEndian = (char*)ptrLittleEndian;

    char *pchBigEndian = (char*)ptrBigEndian;

    for ( size_t i = 0 ; i < bufLen ; i++ )    
        pchBigEndian[bufLen-1-i] = pchLittleEndian[i];
}

std::uint32_t row = 0x12345678;

char buf[4]; 

writeLittleEndianToBigEndian( &row, &buf, sizeof(row) );

Look up bit shifting, as this is basically all you need to do to swap from little -> big endian. Then depending on the bit size, you change how you do the bit shifting.