# Ruby-nuby bytes question

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-nuby-bytes-question/101976>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [February 7, 2006, 12:14pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-nuby-bytes-question/101976 "2006-02-07T12:14:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/4bbf92/32.png) [@unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/unknown)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 12:14pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-nuby-bytes-question/101976/1 "2006-02-07T12:14:55Z")

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Hi all,

I’d like to convert an int to a byte array in Ruby.

In C# you can do this:  
byte[] b = BitConverter.GetBytes(BufferLength);

Any tips for the ruby equivalent gratefully received 🙂

Thanks  
Steven

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**Author:** ![unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/4bbf92/32.png) [@unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/unknown)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 12:30pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-nuby-bytes-question/101976/2 "2006-02-07T12:30:09Z")

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removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid wrote:

> Hi all,
> 
> I’d like to convert an int to a byte array in Ruby.
> 
> In C# you can do this:  
> byte[] b = BitConverter.GetBytes(BufferLength);
> 
> Any tips for the ruby equivalent gratefully received 🙂

You can use pack

irb(main):001:0\> [5].pack “i\*”  
=\> “\005\000\000\000”  
irb(main):002:0\> [5].pack “I\*”  
=\> “\005\000\000\000”  
irb(main):006:0\> [5].pack(“I\*”).split //  
=\> ["\005", “\000”, “\000”, “\000”]

But note also that you can treat an int as a bit vector:

irb(main):003:0\> 5[2]  
=\> 1  
irb(main):004:0\> 5[3]  
=\> 0

HTH

```
robert
```

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/4bbf92/32.png) [@unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/unknown)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 12:54pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-nuby-bytes-question/101976/3 "2006-02-07T12:54:59Z")

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super!  
thanks robert 🙂