Thread: Hexadecimal and Binary

  1. #1
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    Hexadecimal and Binary

    How important is it in languages? I want to do object oriented programming in C++ but how much of this will I have to know?!?!! Every book I read on the internet about this is very hard to understand for me.

    I skimmed though my "C++ For Dummies" book and it doesn't say anything about it.
    o.o

  2. #2
    Dual-Catfish
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    They aren't as complicated as most people think... besides, you won't need to know that much hex/binary for everyday programming, but the more the better. Bitfields, Flags, Scancodes, etc are some of the things which involve binary.

    This should give you a nice overview: http://www.gamehacking.com/view.php?...ls/numbers.php

  3. #3
    Registered User VBprogrammer's Avatar
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    To be honest an understanding of computer number systems is pretty much a basic programmer requirement, i wouldn't think you would get to far in lower level languages without meating Hex (though you probably wont meet binary too often). You may get away with it in VB which hides all the low level stuff, then again, VB programs run like s*** and installing the run-time DLL's is a pig, and even then a basic understanding of these number systems will be helpful.
    VC++ 6

  4. #4
    Code Goddess Prelude's Avatar
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    >I want to do object oriented programming in C++ but how much of this will I have to know?!?!!
    If you know how to count in hexadecimal and binary even just a little then you'll be fine for most pogramming projects.

    -Prelude
    My best code is written with the delete key.

  5. #5
    Visionary Philosopher Sayeh's Avatar
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    How important is it in languages?
    Well, it's pretty fundamental. You really need to learn atleast hexadecimal if you want to work with memory much-- not so much to understand what's in it, but just so you can figure out addressing correctly.

    Binary is important too, particularly if you want to work with shifting, masking, flags, and more.

    And it's actually easier than you think. If anything, decimal is harder to work with than hex and binary when you're doing programming things. It's because decimal _isn't_ suited to programming. It's fine for loops, but computers are base-2, not base-10 machines.

    ---

    Try this:

    Code:
    Hex     Decimal
    ---------------------
    0x0     0
    0x1     1
    0x2     2
    0x3     3
    0x4     4
    0x5     5
    0x6     6
    0x7     7
    0x8     8
    0x9     9
    0xA     10
    0xB     11
    0xC     12
    0xD     13
    0xE     14
    0xF     15
    ---------------------
    Hex is just that simple. In decimal let's say you roll from 9 to 10. What happened? The right digit went back to zero, and a new digit, the left one, became a 1. Same thing with hex. In hex, rolling from 15 (0xF) to 16 (0x??) means that the rightmost digit goes to 0, and a new leftmost digit is added-- a '1'. 0x10 = 16d.

    Hexidecimal is base 16-- which is a power of 2 (so it translates to _binary_ directly. Each hexadecimal character is equivalent to 4 (four) binary bits.

    Code:
    Binary   Hex
    ----------------------
    0000     0x0
    0001     0x1
    0010     0x2
    0011     0x3
    0100     0x4
    0101     0x5
    0110     0x6
    0111     0x7
    1000     0x8
    1001     0x9
    1010     0xA
    1011     0xB
    1100     0xC
    1101     0xD
    1110     0xE
    1111     0xF
    ----------------------
    Okay, okay. So the above binary patterns are _nice_ to look at, but how do you _count_ in binary, right? Here's how-- kinda like decimal:

    Each bit is worth a certain amount-- this never changes*. In most cases today, a binary number has a the lowest-worth bit on the right and the highest-worth bit on the left. Another way to say that (which you may have seen) is with acronyms like this: LSB or MSB.

    LSB = least significant bit
    MSB = most significant bit.

    That is to say, a low-value bit isn't worth much, while a high-value bit is worth a lot. This is called 'endian' notation.

    Some processors are left-endian (low-bit/LSB on the left), while others are right-endian (low-bit/LSB on the right). For example, Motorola versus Intel).

    Most compilers today, are right-endian (LSB on the right).

    Now that we know which end is which-- how do we count the darn things? What are those pesky bits worth?--

    Make a table--

    Code:
    Binary:   0      0      0      0
    Value:    8  +  4  +  2  +  1
    4-bits is called a 'nyble/nibble'. 8-bits is called a 'byte'. Above, we have a nyble. As you can see, each bit has a specific value. So by using the above understanding, what is this binary value worth in decimal?

    1101

    It should be worth: 8 + 4 + 0 + 1 = 13decimal. 13d converts to what in hex? It should convert to a 0xD.

    What about this binary number?

    01001011

    Well, it should be worth: 0 + 64 + 0 + 0 + 8 + 0 + 2 + 1 = 75decimal. 75d converts to what in hex?

    Code:
    0    1    0   0    |   1    0    1    1
    ------------------+-------------------
    8 + 4 + 2 + 1  |  8 + 4 + 2 + 1
    ------------------+-------------------
              4           |            B
    ------------------+-------------------
    Hope that helps. Sorry, can't write more, I think the fan on my video card just failed...


    -----
    *caveat- Each bit increases by a power of 2 from LSB to MSB. However, some patterns do this multiple times. If you were converting decimal to binary, then it would be from LSB to MSB, each bit increasing by a power of 2. If it were a large hex number (like say 0xA4 or 0xAC59436D, then the binary pattern would repeat from 1 to 8 (LSB to MSB) for each nyble.
    It is not the spoon that bends, it is you who bends around the spoon.

  6. #6
    &TH of undefined behavior Fordy's Avatar
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    Just to add that Windows calculator has a great dec-oct-bin-hex converter if you set it to view->scientific...............

    Handy when you need it....

  7. #7
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    OK, now I know how to convert binary to hexidecimal and decimal...is that all i need to know?

    Oh, and you were all a big help. thanks


    .o.
    o.o

  8. #8
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    Originally posted by Fordy
    Just to add that Windows calculator has a great dec-oct-bin-hex converter if you set it to view->scientific...............

    Handy when you need it....
    Heck yea! That's doober handy! It's got AND XOR & NOT buttons... that does come in handy! Same for the hex and oct modes

  9. #9
    Registered User toaster's Avatar
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    ack, I'd rather save the extra system resource and use my solar powered TI calculator instead.

    interesting that not much conversion programs support decimals in binary.
    think only with code.
    write only with source.

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