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June 2026

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[ruby-dev:52221] [Ruby Feature#22082] Introduce Bit Operations into String
by hasumikin (hitoshi hasumi) 09 Jun '26

09 Jun '26

Issue #22082 has been reported by hasumikin (hitoshi hasumi). ---------------------------------------- Feature #22082: Introduce Bit Operations into String https://bugs.ruby-lang.org/issues/22082 * Author: hasumikin (hitoshi hasumi) * Status: Open ---------------------------------------- ## Relevant tickets - Introduce #bit_count method on Integer --- #20163 ## Abstract Ruby's `String` is already a byte sequence, but it lacks high-level bit operations. As a result, packed binary data must be handled with manual byte arithmetic. For example, checking set-bit at offset `10` currently requires calculating the byte position and the bit's position within that byte: ```ruby data = "\xAA\xAA\xAA\xAA" # The "classic" way byte_offset = 10 / 8 byte = data.getbyte(byte_offset) bit_offset = 10 % 8 ((byte >> bit_offset) & 1) == 1 #=> false # The "concise" way using Integer#[] data.getbyte(10 / 8)[10 % 8] == 1 #=> false ``` The concise form is a single line, but it still leaks implementation details into every call site: the caller writes `10 / 8` and `10 % 8` by hand (a recurring source of off-by-one errors at byte boundaries), and the `Integer` result must be compared against `1` to be used as a boolean. With a bit-addressed API, `data.bit_at(10)` takes a bit position and returns `true`/`false` directly. The cost compounds for iteration, run-length scanning, or splicing, where each operation otherwise needs its own byte/bit arithmetic. I propose native bit-level APIs, treating the String class as a first-class bit sequence: ```ruby data = "\xAA\xAA\xAA\xAA" data.bit_at(10) #=> false ``` By providing a flat bit-addressing model that handles the underlying bit-to-byte mapping, we allow developers to focus on the logical layout of their data (e.g., an Apache Arrow bitmap or a pixel buffer), making the code more readable and less error-prone. This proposal presents a family of methods for bit-oriented use of `String`, organized into groups below. The immediate goal is agreement on the overall direction and feedback on which subset should be pursued first. Presenting the full menu matters because some design questions only become clear at that level: - bit numbering keyword (`lsb_first:`) and its consistent application across methods - naming symmetry such as `bits` / `each_bit` - behavior for out-of-range bit indices ## Implementation (Prototype) You can try an actual working implementation with `gem install string_bits`. The source code can be seen in https://github.com/hasumikin/string_bits The reason I want to include this feature in the Ruby core rather than a third-party gem is that I want this API to be common across Ruby implementations such as mruby and Spinel. ## Proposed Methods Full prototype and documentation: https://github.com/hasumikin/string_bits/blob/0.2.0/docs/ProposedMethods.md **Read** - `bit_at(bit_offset, lsb_first: true) -> true | false | nil` -- read a single bit - `bit_count -> Integer` -- count of set-bits (popcount) `bit_count(bit_offset, bit_length, lsb_first: true) -> Integer` `bit_count(bit_range, lsb_first: true) -> Integer` - `bit_run_count(bit, bit_offset, lsb_first: true) -> Integer | nil` -- length of the run of `bit` starting at bit_offset **Iterator** - `each_bit(start_offset=0, lsb_first: true) { |bool| ... } -> self` -- yield each bit as true/false `each_bit(start_offset=0, lsb_first: true) -> Enumerator` - `bits(start_offset=0, lsb_first: true) -> Array` -- Array form of `each_bit` `bits(start_offset=0, lsb_first: true) { |bool| ... } -> self` - `each_bit_run(start_offset=0, lsb_first: true) { |bool, offset, len| } -> self` -- yield `(bool, offset, run_length)` pairs `each_bit_run(start_offset=0, lsb_first: true) -> Enumerator` - `bit_runs(start_offset=0, lsb_first: true) -> Array` -- Array form of `each_bit_run` `bit_runs(start_offset=0, lsb_first: true) { |bool, len| } -> self` - `each_bit_offset(bit, start_offset=0, lsb_first: true) { |offset| ... } -> self` -- yield position of each bit equal to `bit` `each_bit_offset(bit, start_offset=0, lsb_first: true) -> Enumerator` - `bit_offsets(bit, start_offset=0, lsb_first: true) -> Array` -- Array form of `each_bit_offset` `bit_offsets(bit, start_offset=0, lsb_first: true) { |offset| ... } -> self` **Mutation** - `bit_set(bit_offset, bit_length=1, lsb_first: true) -> self` -- set one bit or a logical bit bit_range to 1 `bit_set(bit_range, lsb_first: true) -> self` - `bit_clear(bit_offset, bit_length=1, lsb_first: true) -> self` -- set one bit or a logical bit bit_range to 0 `bit_clear(bit_range, lsb_first: true) -> self` - `bit_flip(bit_offset, bit_length=1, lsb_first: true) -> self` -- toggle one bit or a logical bit bit_range `bit_flip(bit_range, lsb_first: true) -> self` - `bit_splice(bit_offset, bit_length, str, str_bit_offset=0, lsb_first: true) -> self` -- write a sub-sequence of bits in place (bit-granularity `bytesplice`) `bit_splice(bit_range, str, str_bit_offset=0, lsb_first: true) -> self` **Slice** - `bit_slice(bit_offset, bit_length, lsb_first: true) -> String | nil` -- extract a sub-sequence of bits (bit-granularity `byteslice`) `bit_slice(bit_range, lsb_first: true) -> String | nil` **Bitwise** - `bitwise_not -> String` / `bitwise_not! -> self` -- invert every bit - `bitwise_and(other) -> String` / `bitwise_and!(other) -> self` -- bitwise AND - `bitwise_or(other) -> String` / `bitwise_or!(other) -> self` -- bitwise OR - `bitwise_xor(other) -> String` / `bitwise_xor!(other) -> self` -- bitwise XOR ## Performance This is not only about convenience. In a prototype implementation (string_bits gem), bulk operations such as `bitwise_and`, `bitwise_or`, and `bit_count` are also substantially faster than Ruby-level loops over bytes (see the Benchmark link below). I do not think performance alone is the reason to add the feature, but it is a practical benefit. ## Notes Benchmarks, discussion, and prior art: - Proposed methods (with use cases): https://github.com/hasumikin/string_bits/blob/0.2.0/docs/ProposedMethods.md - Benchmark: https://github.com/hasumikin/string_bits/blob/0.2.0/docs/Benchmark.md - Discussion: https://github.com/hasumikin/string_bits/blob/0.2.0/docs/Discussion.md - Why extend `String` rather than introduce a new class? - Naming convention: symmetry with `bytes` / `each_byte` - Bit Position Numbering of the String bit API - Why `lsb_first: true` is the default? - Bit ordering across domains - Apache Arrow Compatibility - Error behavior for out-of-range bit indices - Prior art: https://github.com/hasumikin/string_bits/blob/0.2.0/docs/PriorArt.md -- https://bugs.ruby-lang.org/

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