Work with Numbers As Binary

1. Problem

You want to work with the individual bits of a number, or work with a number built by combining a series of flags.

2. Solution

To directly enter a hexadecimal number, use the 0x prefix:

        PS >$hexNumber = 0x1234

        PS >$hexNumber

        4660

To convert a number to its binary representation, supply a base of 2 to the [Convert]::ToString() method:

        PS >[Convert]::ToString(1234, 2)

        10011010010

To convert a binary number into its decimal representation, supply a base of 2 to the [Convert]::ToInt32() method:

        PS >[Convert]::ToInt32("10011010010", 2)

        1234

To manage the individual bits of a number, use PowerShell’s binary operators. In this case, the Archive flag is just one of the many possible attributes that may be true of a given file:

        PS >$archive = [System.IO.FileAttributes] "Archive"

        PS >attrib +a test.txt

        PS >Get-ChildItem | Where { $_.Attributes -band $archive } | Select Name

        

        Name

        ----

        test.txt

        PS >attrib -a test.txt

        PS >Get-ChildItem | Where { $_.Attributes -band $archive } | Select Name

        PS >

3. Discussion

In some system administration tasks, it is common to come across numbers that seem to mean nothing by themselves. The attributes of a file are a perfect example:

        PS >(Get-Item test.txt).Encrypt()

        PS >(Get-Item test.txt).IsReadOnly = $true

        PS >[int] (Get-Item test.txt -force).Attributes

        16417

        PS >(Get-Item test.txt -force).IsReadOnly = $false

        PS >(Get-Item test.txt).Decrypt()

        PS >[int] (Get-Item test.txt).Attributes

        32

What can the numbers 16417 and 32 possibly tell us about the file?

The answer to this comes from looking at the attributes in another light—as a set of features that can be either True or False. Take, for example, the possible attributes for an item in a directory shown by Example 6-3.

Example 6-3. Possible attributes of a file

PS >[Enum]::GetNames([System.IO.FileAttributes])

ReadOnly

Hidden

System

Directory

Archive

Device

Normal

Temporary

SparseFile

ReparsePoint

Compressed

Offline

NotContentIndexed

Encrypted

If a file is ReadOnly, Archive, and Encrypted, then you might consider this as a succinct description of the attributes on that file:

        ReadOnly = True

        Archive = True

        Encrypted = True

It just so happens that computers have an extremely concise way of representing sets of true and false values—a representation known as binary. To represent the attributes of a directory item as binary, you simply put them in a table. We give the item a “1″ if the attribute applies to the item and a “0″ otherwise (see Table 6-1).

If we treat those features as the individual binary digits in a number, that gives us the number 100000000100001. If we convert that number to its decimal form, it becomes clear where the number 16417 came from:

        PS >[Convert]::ToInt32("100000000100001", 2)

        16417

This technique sits at the core of many properties that you can express as a combination of features or flags. Rather than list the features in a table, though, documentation usually describes the number that would result from that feature being the only one active—such as FILE_ATTRIBUTE_REPARSEPOINT = 0×400. Example 6-4 shows the various representations of these file attributes.

Example 6-4. Integer, hexadecimal, and binary representations of possible file attributes

PS >$attributes = [Enum]::GetValues([System.IO.FileAttributes])

PS >$attributes | Select-Object '

>>    @{"Name"="Property";

>>        "Expression"= { $_ } },

>>    @{"Name"="Integer";

>>        "Expression"= { [int] $_ } },

>>    @{"Name"="Hexadecimal";

>>        "Expression"= { [Convert]::ToString([int] $_, 16) } },

>>    @{"Name"="Binary";

>>        "Expression"= { [Convert]::ToString([int] $_, 2) } } |

>>    Format-Table -auto

>>

          Property Integer Hexadecimal Binary

          -------- ------- ----------- ------

          ReadOnly       1 1           1

            Hidden       2 2           10

            System       4 4           100

         Directory      16 10          10000

           Archive      32 20          100000

            Device      64 40          1000000

            Normal     128 80          10000000

         Temporary     256 100         100000000

        SparseFile     512 200         1000000000

      ReparsePoint    1024 400         10000000000

        Compressed    2048 800         100000000000

           Offline    4096 1000        1000000000000

 NotContentIndexed    8192 2000        10000000000000

         Encrypted   16384 4000        100000000000000

                                        

Knowing how that 16417 number was formed, you can now use the properties in meaningful ways. For example, PowerShell’s –band operator allows you to check if a certain bit has been set:

        PS >$encrypted = 16384

        PS >$attributes = (Get-Item test.txt -force).Attributes

        PS >($attributes -band $encrypted)–eq $encrypted

        True

        PS >$compressed = 2048

        PS >($attributes -band $compressed)–eq $compressed

        False

        PS >

Although the example above uses the numeric values explicitly, it would be more common to enter the number by its name:

        PS >$archive = [System.IO.FileAttributes] "Archive"

        PS >($attributes -band $archive)–eq $archive

        True