C# binary literals

toxvaerd_65968 0
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Is there a way to write binary literals in C#, like prefixing hexadecimal with 0x? 0b doesn't work.

If not, what is an easy way to do it? Some kind of string conversion?

binary syntax c#
12 Answers

Only integer and hex directly, I'm afraid (ECMA 334v4):

9.4.4.2 Integer literals Integer literals are used to write values of types int, uint, long, and ulong. Integer literals have two possible forms: decimal and hexadecimal.

To parse, you can use:

int i = Convert.ToInt32("01101101", 2);
Marc_Gravell_233540

Adding to @StriplingWarrior's answer about bit flags in enums, there's an easy convention you can use in hexadecimal for counting upwards through the bit shifts. Use the sequence 1-2-4-8, move one column to the left, and repeat.

[Flags]
enum Scenery
{
  Trees   = 0x001, // 000000000001
  Grass   = 0x002, // 000000000010
  Flowers = 0x004, // 000000000100
  Cactus  = 0x008, // 000000001000
  Birds   = 0x010, // 000000010000
  Bushes  = 0x020, // 000000100000
  Shrubs  = 0x040, // 000001000000
  Trails  = 0x080, // 000010000000
  Ferns   = 0x100, // 000100000000
  Rocks   = 0x200, // 001000000000
  Animals = 0x400, // 010000000000
  Moss    = 0x800, // 100000000000
}

Scan down starting with the right column and notice the pattern 1-2-4-8 (shift) 1-2-4-8 (shift) ...

To answer the original question, I second @Sahuagin's suggestion to use hexadecimal literals. If you're working with binary numbers often enough for this to be a concern, it's worth your while to get the hang of hexadecimal.

If you need to see binary numbers in source code, I suggest adding comments with binary literals like I have above.

user_1632270

While not possible using a Literal, maybe a BitConverter can also be a solution?

user_910
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