Question

As per this website, I wish to represent a Maze with a 2 dimensional array of 16 bit integers.

Each 16 bit integer needs to hold the following information:

Here’s one way to do it (this is by no means the only way): a 12×16 maze grid can be represented as an array m[16][12] of 16-bit integers. Each array element would contains all the information for a single corresponding cell in the grid, with the integer bits mapped like this:

_{(source: mazeworks.com)}

To knock down a wall, set a border, or create a particular path, all we need to do is flip bits in one or two array elements.

How do I use bitwise flags on 16 bit integers so I can set each one of those bits and check if they are set.

I’d like to do it in an easily readable way (ie, Border.W, Border.E, Walls.N, etc).

How is this generally done in C++? Do I use hexidecimal to represent each one (ie, Walls.N = 0x02, Walls.E = 0x04, etc)? Should I use an enum?

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See also How do you set, clear, and toggle a single bit?.

Answer 1

Use std::bitset