Re:So you think you know C?
by breadbox on Tuesday November 08, 2016 @06:56PM
(#12905075)
char doesn't have to be 8 bits in size, true, but C basically doesn't give you any way to address memory smaller than a char.
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> C basically doesn't give you any way to address memory smaller than a char
It does, via bit-fields.
Or via the bitwise operators. Still, it is not possible to take the address of a bitfield.
The difference may be 100% semantics, but when I am using a bit field, I am addressing the particular bits I am interested in via a name, and when I am shifting and masking bits, I am directly manipulating a piece of memory until its value represents the bits that I am interested in.