finitebit

Finitebit is a fixed-width bit vector data type designed to represent a sequence of n bits where the width is determined at creation or by the type parameter. It emphasizes compact storage and predictable performance for low-level bit manipulation, making it suitable for systems programming, embedded contexts, and performance-critical code.

A finitebit value stores bits in a compact underlying representation, typically using an unsigned integer large enough for the specified width or a packed array of storage units. Operations are defined on the bit level and often wrap around according to the fixed width, mirroring the behavior of native fixed-width integers. Common capabilities include constructing from integers or binary strings, accessing and mutating individual bits (get, set, clear, flip), and querying properties such as the number of set bits. Finitebit also typically supports standard bitwise operations (and, or, xor, not) and shift operations (left and right) with well-defined semantics for the finite width.

In practice, finitebit provides an API that can resemble fixed-width integers but with a focus on bitfield semantics and safety, including bounds checking for bit indices and clear visibility of bit-level state. It is useful for representing masks, flag registers, and fixed-format protocol fields, as well as for bitboard representations in board games and other compact bit-packed data structures.

Compared to dynamic bitsets that can grow, finitebit emphasizes a static size, predictable memory usage, and wraparound semantics. See also: bitset, bitfield, fixed-width integer, bitboard.