Convert bool[] to byte[]

Question

I have a List<bool> which I want to convert to a byte[]. How do i do this? list.toArray() creates a bool[].

Answer 1

Here's two approaches, depending on whether you want to pack the bits into bytes, or have as many bytes as original bits:

    bool[] bools = { true, false, true, false, false, true, false, true,
                     true };

    // basic - same count
    byte[] arr1 = Array.ConvertAll(bools, b => b ? (byte)1 : (byte)0);

    // pack (in this case, using the first bool as the lsb - if you want
    // the first bool as the msb, reverse things ;-p)
    int bytes = bools.Length / 8;
    if ((bools.Length % 8) != 0) bytes++;
    byte[] arr2 = new byte[bytes];
    int bitIndex = 0, byteIndex = 0;
    for (int i = 0; i < bools.Length; i++)
    {
        if (bools[i])
        {
            arr2[byteIndex] |= (byte)(((byte)1) << bitIndex);
        }
        bitIndex++;
        if (bitIndex == 8)
        {
            bitIndex = 0;
            byteIndex++;
        }
    }

Answer 2

You can use LINQ. This won't be efficient, but will be simple. I'm assuming that you want one byte per bool.

bool[] a = new bool[] { true, false, true, true, false, true };
byte[] b = (from x in a select x ? (byte)0x1 : (byte)0x0).ToArray();

Answer 3

Marc's answer is good already, but...

Assuming you are the kind of person that is comfortable doing bit-twiddling, or just want to write less code and squeeze out some more performance, then this here code is for you good sir / madame:

byte[] PackBoolsInByteArray(bool[] bools)
{
    int len = bools.Length;
    int bytes = len >> 3;
    if ((len & 0x07) != 0) ++bytes;
    byte[] arr2 = new byte[bytes];
    for (int i = 0; i < bools.Length; i++)
    {
        if (bools[i])
            arr2[i >> 3] |= (byte)(1 << (i & 0x07));
    }
}

It does the exact same thing as Marc's code, it's just more succinct.

Of course if we really want to go all out we could unroll it too...
...and while we are at it lets throw in a curve ball on the return type!

IEnumerable<byte> PackBoolsInByteEnumerable(bool[] bools)
{
    int len = bools.Length;
    int rem = len & 0x07; // hint: rem = len % 8.

    /*
    byte[] byteArr = rem == 0 // length is a multiple of 8? (no remainder?)
        ? new byte[len >> 3] // -yes-
        : new byte[(len >> 3)+ 1]; // -no-
     */

    const byte BZ = 0,
        B0 = 1 << 0, B1 = 1 << 1, B2 = 1 << 2, B3 = 1 << 3,
        B4 = 1 << 4, B5 = 1 << 5, B6 = 1 << 6, B7 = 1 << 7;

    byte b;
    int i = 0;
    for (int mul = len & ~0x07; i < mul; i += 8) // hint: len = mul + rem.
    {
        b = bools[i] ? B0 : BZ;
        if (bools[i + 1]) b |= B1;
        if (bools[i + 2]) b |= B2;
        if (bools[i + 3]) b |= B3;
        if (bools[i + 4]) b |= B4;
        if (bools[i + 5]) b |= B5;
        if (bools[i + 6]) b |= B6;
        if (bools[i + 7]) b |= B7;

        //byteArr[i >> 3] = b;
        yield return b;
    }

    if (rem != 0) // take care of the remainder...
    {
        b = bools[i] ? B0 : BZ; // (there is at least one more bool.)

        switch (rem) // rem is [1:7] (fall-through switch!)
        {
            case 7:
                if (bools[i + 6]) b |= B6;
                goto case 6;
            case 6:
                if (bools[i + 5]) b |= B5;
                goto case 5;
            case 5:
                if (bools[i + 4]) b |= B4;
                goto case 4;
            case 4:
                if (bools[i + 3]) b |= B3;
                goto case 3;
            case 3:
                if (bools[i + 2]) b |= B2;
                goto case 2;
            case 2:
                if (bools[i + 1]) b |= B1;
                break;
            // case 1 is the statement above the switch!
        }

        //byteArr[i >> 3] = b; // write the last byte to the array.
        yield return b; // yield the last byte.
    }

    //return byteArr;
}

Tip: As you can see I included the code for returning a byte[] as comments. Simply comment out the two yield statements instead if that is what you want/need.

---

Twiddling Hints:
Shifting x >> 3 is a cheaper x / 8.
Masking x & 0x07 is a cheaper x % 8.
Masking x & ~0x07 is a cheaper x - x % 8.

---

Edit: Here is some example documentation:

    /// <summary>
    /// Bit-packs an array of booleans into bytes, one bit per boolean.
    /// </summary><remarks>
    /// Booleans are bit-packed into bytes, in order, from least significant
    /// bit to most significant bit of each byte.<br/>
    /// If the length of the input array isn't a multiple of eight, then one
    /// or more of the most significant bits in the last byte returned will
    /// be unused. Unused bits are zero / unset.
    /// </remarks>
    /// <param name="bools">An array of booleans to pack into bytes.</param>
    /// <returns>
    /// An IEnumerable&lt;byte&gt; of bytes each containing (up to) eight
    /// bit-packed booleans.
    /// </returns>

Answer 4

If you have any control over the type of list, try to make it a List, which will then produce the byte[] on ToArray(). If you have an ArrayList, you can use:

(byte[])list.ToArray(typeof(byte));

To get the List, you could create one with your unspecified list iterator as an input to the constructor, and then produce the ToArray()? Or copy each item, casting to a new byte from bool?

Some info on what type of list it is might help.

Answer 5

Have a look at the BitConverter class. Depending on the exact nature of your requirement, it may solve your problem quite neatly.

Answer 6

Another LINQ approach, less effective than @hfcs101's but would easily work for other value types as well:

var a = new [] { true, false, true, true, false, true };
byte[] b = a.Select(BitConverter.GetBytes).SelectMany(x => x).ToArray();

Answer 7

Or the IEnumerable approach to AnorZaken's answer:

static IEnumerable<byte> PackBools(IEnumerable<bool> bools)
{
    int bitIndex = 0;
    byte currentByte = 0;
    foreach (bool val in bools) {
        if (val)
            currentByte |= (byte)(1 << bitIndex);
        if (++bitIndex == 8) {
            yield return currentByte;
            bitIndex = 0;
            currentByte = 0;
        }
    }
    if (bitIndex != 8) {
        yield return currentByte;
    }
}

And the according unpacking where paddingEnd means the amount of bits to discard from the last byte to unpack:

static IEnumerable<bool> UnpackBools(IEnumerable<byte> bytes, int paddingEnd = 0)
{
    using (var enumerator = bytes.GetEnumerator()) {
        bool last = !enumerator.MoveNext();
        while (!last) {
            byte current = enumerator.Current;
            last = !enumerator.MoveNext();
            for (int i = 0; i < 8 - (last ? paddingEnd : 0); i++) {
                yield return (current & (1 << i)) != 0;
            }
        }
    }
}