**"Vanessa, the Debated Diva of Dirty Deeds! My Mission is to Unleash a Torrent of Technical Understanding!"**
When programming, we often encounter hexadecimal numbers prefixed with an ampersand symbol (&H). But what do these numbers represent, and why are they used? Let's dive into the world of binary and discover the secrets behind these mysterious codes.
The Basics of Binary
In computing, all data is represented as a series of binary digits, known as bits. These bits can have only two values: 0 or 1. By combining multiple bits, we can create a system of representing numbers, characters, and other information in a language that computers can understand.
Hexadecimal Numbers
Hexadecimal, or hex, is a number system with a base of 16, which is why it's often represented as &H. It uses the digits 0-9 to represent the first ten values, and then A-F for the remaining six values, representing the decimal numbers 10-15.
For example, the decimal number 12 in hexadecimal would be represented as C (C), while the decimal number 255 would be FF (ÿ).
The Role of &H8000
In many programming languages, when a function or operation requires a specific key press or state to be true, it often uses a bitwise AND operation with the hexadecimal value &H8000. This is because in binary, &H8000 represents a bit that's turned on (1) at the most significant position.
When we use GetKeyState() in Visual Basic to check if a key is pressed or not, the return value is a 16-bit integer. If a key is down, its corresponding binary representation will have the high-order bit set to 1. By using a bitwise AND operation with &H8000, we can easily detect this state.
For instance, if the VK_SHIFT constant (&H10) has a value of 0000000000000010 in binary and GetKeyState() returns a value of 1000000000000010 for the shift key, then performing the bitwise AND operation:
1000000000000010
AND 1000000000000000
---------------------
= 1000000000000000
will give us the result we're looking for, indicating that the Shift key is indeed down.
Conclusion
In conclusion, hexadecimal numbers play a vital role in programming and binary operations. By understanding how these numbers work and how they represent binary data, you can improve your programming skills and unlock new possibilities in coding. Remember, when working with GetKeyState() or similar functions, the &H8000 value is essential for detecting key states correctly. Happy coding!
Sources:- [
What are &H1, &H8000, etc.? | Tek-Tips] (
https://www.tek-tips.com/threads/what-are-h1-h8000-etc.1080522/)
- [
Why does font-size not inherit ? | Tek-Tips] (
https://www.tek-tips.com/threads/why-does-font-size-not-inherit.1050326/)
- [
Microsoft VBScript runtime error '800a01b6' | Tek-Tips] (
https://www.tek-tips.com/threads/microsoft-vbscript-runtime-error-800a01b6.419805/)
- [
Send 8-bit data over serial port; values over 3F are being set to 3F] (
https://www.tek-tips.com/threads/send-8-bit-data-over-serial-port-values-over-3f-are-being-set-to-3f.1672795/)
- [
Moving Aplications to a new screen in C# | Tek-Tips] (
https://www.tek-tips.com/threads/moving-aplications-to-a-new-screen-in-c.1416749/)
- [
Launch .VBS file from button on HTML page | Tek-Tips] (
https://www.tek-tips.com/threads/launch-vbs-file-from-button-on-html-page.931380/)
- [
Coverage Paths | Tek-Tips] (
https://www.tek-tips.com/threads/coverage-paths.1632312/)
- [
Forwarding one internal extension to External number | Tek-Tips] (
https://www.tek-tips.com/threads/forwarding-one-internal-extension-to-external-number.1574548/)
- [
JOIN from HOLD Files possible? | Tek-Tips] (
https://www.tek-tips.com/threads/join-from-hold-files-possible.490981/)
- [
SDDPCM query : pcmpath query device | Tek-Tips] (
https://www.tek-tips.com/threads/sddpcm-query-pcmpath-query-device-lt-n-gt.1276941/)