# Simple Q: bit string -\> integer

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/simple-q-bit-string-integer/103468>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [May 6, 2007, 4:08pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/simple-q-bit-string-integer/103468 "2007-05-06T16:08:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![toadkicker](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/5fc32e/32.png) [@toadkicker](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/toadkicker)\
**Post date:** [May 6, 2007, 4:08pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/simple-q-bit-string-integer/103468/1 "2007-05-06T16:08:42Z")

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Is there a simple way to induce a bit string into an  
integer; for example, “10010000” into 144? And also,  
to show a Fixnum in its different representations  
(hex, num, binary)?

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**Author:** ![toadkicker](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/5fc32e/32.png) [@toadkicker](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/toadkicker)\
**Post date:** [May 6, 2007, 4:21pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/simple-q-bit-string-integer/103468/2 "2007-05-06T16:21:43Z")

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On 5/6/07, Todd B. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:

> 

Try this

str = “10010000”  
p str.to\_i(2)  
puts  
p 255.to\_s(16)  
p 255.to\_s(2)

Harry

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**Author:** ![toadkicker](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/5fc32e/32.png) [@toadkicker](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/toadkicker)\
**Post date:** [May 6, 2007, 4:25pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/simple-q-bit-string-integer/103468/3 "2007-05-06T16:25:44Z")

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— Harry K. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:

> Try this
> 
> str = “10010000”  
> p str.to\_i(2)  
> puts  
> p 255.to\_s(16)  
> p 255.to\_s(2)
> 
> Harry

Yes, thanks a bunch. For some reason, #to\_i was the  
last place I thought to look.

Todd

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![toadkicker](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/5fc32e/32.png) [@toadkicker](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/toadkicker)\
**Post date:** [May 6, 2007, 4:38pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/simple-q-bit-string-integer/103468/4 "2007-05-06T16:38:45Z")

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Todd B. wrote:

> Is there a simple way to induce a bit string into an  
> integer; for example, “10010000” into 144?

“10010000”.to\_i(2)

> And also,  
> to show a Fixnum in its different representations  
> (hex, num, binary)?

144.to\_s(16), 144.to\_s(2)

But what’s “num”?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![toadkicker](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/5fc32e/32.png) [@toadkicker](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/toadkicker)\
**Post date:** [May 6, 2007, 4:58pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/simple-q-bit-string-integer/103468/5 "2007-05-06T16:58:46Z")

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— Florian F. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:

> Florian F.  
> “num” as in my brain is “numb” from staring at 1’s and 0’s.