How to use std::byte in C++

std::byte is an enum class that was first introduced in C++17 and can be initialized using {} with any value from $0$ to $255$.

Make sure to include the cstddef header file.

#include <cstddef>

// Initializing a 'byte' variable:
std::byte x{2};

Only the following bitwise operations can be performed on a byte variable:

Operations

1. Left-shift (<<): Shifts all digits of a binary number to the left by the specified number of steps.

Shifting a binary number one-step to the left equates to multiplying it by 2.

std::byte x{3};

// Multiply 'x' by 4 and store the result back in 'x':
x <<= 2;

2. Right-shift (>>): Shifts all digits of a binary number to the right by the specified number of steps.

Shifting a binary number one-step to the right equates to dividing it by 2.

std::byte x{32};

// Divide 'x' by 8 and store the result back in 'x':
x >>= 3;

3. Logical operators: AND (&), OR (|), and XOR (^) bitwise operators can also be performed on 2-byte​ variables.

Demo

Converting to an integer

A byte can be converted to a signed or unsigned integer using the to_integer<type> function. This function is safer than a normal cast because it prevents a byte from being converted into a float.

Code