How to Reverse the Order of Bits in a Byte in C/C ?

Bit Reversal in C/C : A Simplified Approach

In the realm of C/C programming, reversing the order of bits in a byte is a commonly encountered task. While various methods exist to accomplish this, the pursuit often revolves around finding the most straightforward and easily implementable solution for developers.

To elucidate, reversing bit order entails transforming binary values like 1110 into 0111 and 0010 into 0100. By embracing simplicity, the following code snippet offers a pragmatic approach:

unsigned char reverse(unsigned char b) {
   b = (b & 0xF0) >> 4 | (b & 0x0F) << 4;
   b = (b & 0xCC) >> 2 | (b & 0x33) << 2;
   b = (b & 0xAA) >> 1 | (b & 0x55) << 1;
   return b;
}

This method begins by swapping the leftmost four bits with the rightmost four bits, followed by swapping adjacent pairs and subsequently adjacent single bits. As a result, the original bit order is effectively reversed.

By leveraging bitwise operators and the clever manipulation of bit masks, this solution remains both efficient and accessible for developers to implement in their projects.

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