Bit fields to optimize comparison of multi state data

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A bit field is a variable that holds various boolean states as individual bits. A bit on would represent true, and off would be false. In the past bit fields were routinely used as they saved memory and reduced processing load. Though the need to use bit field is no longer so important they do offer some benefits that can simplify many processing tasks.

For example user input. When getting input from a keyboard’s direction keys up, down, left,right you can encode the various keys into a single variable with each direction assigned a bit.

Example reading keyboard via bitfield

var bitField = 0;  // the value to hold the bits
const KEY_BITS = [4,1,8,2]; // left up right down
const KEY_MASKS = [0b1011,0b1110,0b0111,0b1101]; // left up right down
window.onkeydown = window.onkeyup = function (e) {
    if(e.keyCode >= 37 && e.keyCode <41){
        if(e.type === "keydown"){
            bitField |= KEY_BITS[e.keyCode - 37];
        }else{
            bitField &= KEY_MASKS[e.keyCode - 37];
        }
    }    
}

Example reading as an array

var directionState = [false,false,false,false];
window.onkeydown = window.onkeyup = function (e) {
    if (e.keyCode >= 37 && e.keyCode <41){
        directionState[e.keyCode - 37] = e.type === "keydown";
    }    
}

To turn on a bit use bitwise or | and the value corresponding to the bit. So if you wish to set the 2nd bit bitField |= 0b10 will turn it on. If you wish to turn a bit off use bitwise and & with a value that has all by the required bit on. Using 4 bits and turning the 2nd bit off bitfield &= 0b1101;

You may say the above example seems a lot more complex than assigning the various key states to a array. Yes It is a little more complex to set but the advantage comes when interrogating the state.

If you want to test if all keys are up.

// as bit field
if(!bitfield) // no keys are on

// as array test each item in array
if(!(directionState[0] && directionState[1] && directionState[2] && directionState[3])){

You can set some constants to make things easier

// postfix U,D,L,R for Up down left right
const KEY_U = 1;
const KEY_D = 2;
const KEY_L = 4;
const KEY_R = 8;
const KEY_UL = KEY_U + KEY_L; // up left
const KEY_UR = KEY_U + KEY_R; // up Right
const KEY_DL = KEY_D + KEY_L; // down left
const KEY_DR = KEY_D + KEY_R; // down right

You can then quickly test for many various keyboard states

if ((bitfield & KEY_UL) === KEY_UL) { // is UP and LEFT only down
if (bitfield  & KEY_UL) {             // is Up left down 
if ((bitfield & KEY_U) === KEY_U) {   // is Up only down
if (bitfield & KEY_U) {               // is Up down (any other key may be down)
if (!(bitfield & KEY_U)) {            // is Up up (any other key may be down)
if (!bitfield ) {                     // no keys are down
if (bitfield ) {                      // any one or more keys are down

The keyboard input is just one example. Bitfields are useful when you have various states that must in combination be acted on. Javascript can use upto 32 bits for a bit field. Using them can offer significant performance increases. They are worth being familiar with.

Found a mistake? Have a question or improvement idea? Let me know.

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