Is there any package/library that makes bitwise operations as simple
as with an Integer, but for larger numbers (as in a ByteArray).
Something that allows me to "slice" a sequence of bits, or extract
some using the same protocol as with a String of ones and zeros.
Now when I need to work with sequence of bits, I convert an Integer to
a zero padded version of it up a known size, and then do #copyFrom:to:
to extract what I need and read back the number from it.
I could use a bytearray for it, but as its name implies, it is
oriented towards bytes rather than bits (as in the case of Integer).
Now I do stuff like the following to to extract the first 5 bits of a
fixed length 256 bit array (an Integer).
Integer
readFrom:
(((SHA256 hashMessage: message)) asInteger
printStringBase: 2 length: 256 padded: true)
copyFrom: 1 to: 5)
base: 2
I understand bitwise operations, but I couldn't find something that
does the above in a conciser way.
Performance in my case isn't critical, but working with strings is
probably two orders of magnitude slower than manipulating bits in
integers or ByteArrays
Regards,
Esteban A. Maringolo
