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Is it possible to cast a 4-byte data type (e.g. an unsigned int) to a
4-byte struct? Sometimes the HIWORD and LOWORD of a 4-byte value
contain information independent of each other. Is there a direct way
to perform this cast? If not, is there way in C++ to do it?

For example, I would like my function test() to work the way it is
coded below. It produces a compiler error though:

#include <pshpack2.h> // 16-bit padding

// My 4-byte struct
typedef struct _mystruct_t
{
unsigned short cx;
unsigned short cy;
} mystruct_t;

#include <poppack.h>

mystruct_t test()
{
unsigned int n = 0xffff0001;
return (mystruct_t)n;
}

int main()
{
mystruct_t s = test();
return 0;
}

On Wed, 05 Jul 2006 20:58:29 -0500, Jack <> wrote:

>Is it possible to cast a 4-byte data type (e.g. an unsigned int) to a
>4-byte struct? Sometimes the HIWORD and LOWORD of a 4-byte value
>contain information independent of each other. Is there a direct way
>to perform this cast? If not, is there way in C++ to do it?
>
>For example, I would like my function test() to work the way it is
>coded below. It produces a compiler error though:
>
>#include <pshpack2.h> // 16-bit padding
>
>// My 4-byte struct
>typedef struct _mystruct_t
>{
> unsigned short cx;
> unsigned short cy;
>} mystruct_t;
>
>#include <poppack.h>
>
>mystruct_t test()
>{
> unsigned int n = 0xffff0001;
> return (mystruct_t)n;
>}
>
>int main()
>{
> mystruct_t s = test();
> return 0;
>}

Oops, posted to wrong group. Meant for comp.lang.c.

the following compiles for me, in C you will just be doing malloc()
instead of new.

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

struct a{
unsigned short cx;
unsigned short cy;
};

a *test() {
int *xx = new int[1];
*xx = 0xffff0001;
return (a*)xx;
}

int main() {
a* bb = test();
cout << bb->cy;
delete [] bb;
}

Jack wrote:
> Is it possible to cast a 4-byte data type (e.g. an unsigned int) to a
> 4-byte struct? Sometimes the HIWORD and LOWORD of a 4-byte value
> contain information independent of each other. Is there a direct way
> to perform this cast? If not, is there way in C++ to do it?
>
> For example, I would like my function test() to work the way it is
> coded below. It produces a compiler error though:
>
> #include <pshpack2.h> // 16-bit padding
>
> // My 4-byte struct
> typedef struct _mystruct_t
> {
> unsigned short cx;
> unsigned short cy;
> } mystruct_t;
>
> #include <poppack.h>
>
> mystruct_t test()
> {
> unsigned int n = 0xffff0001;
> return (mystruct_t)n;
> }
>

try it:

mystruct_t test()
{
union
{
unsigned int n ;
mystruct_t mystruct;
} un;
un.n = = 0xffff0001;
return un.mystruct;
}