Bits how to program them

Hi,

I am writing a P2P client application. As such, I am creating packets that
are to be sent between the peers. I would like to know how in C these bits
of the packets may be programmed. These bits need to be continguous.

For example: I create a packet of size 5. 2 bytes for the size, 1 for the
message type, 1 for the start flag, 1 for the body, and 1 for the end flag.

How to I program this?

I have tried the following:

unsigned size:16;
unsigned type:8;
unsigned start:8;
unsigned body:8;
unsigned end:8;

How to I keep them contiguous? I would like to eventually send them over the
socket connection. And therefore would like to store them in an unsigned *
buffer.

Please, please help.

Thank you,
Marcia

"Marcia Hon" <honm@rogers.com> writes:

]Hi,

]I am writing a P2P client application. As such, I am creating packets that
]are to be sent between the peers. I would like to know how in C these bits
]of the packets may be programmed. These bits need to be continguous.

]For example: I create a packet of size 5. 2 bytes for the size, 1 for the
]message type, 1 for the start flag, 1 for the body, and 1 for the end flag.

]How to I program this?

]I have tried the following:

]unsigned size:16;
]unsigned type:8;
]unsigned start:8;
]unsigned body:8;
]unsigned end:8;

]How to I keep them contiguous? I would like to eventually send them over the
]socket connection. And therefore would like to store them in an unsigned *
]buffer.

Make a structure.