...and 1!

yt2005 · October 2010

I noticed this line in server.cs:

if ( %client & 1 )
         %client.skin = addTaggedString( "swolf" );
      else
         %client.skin = addTaggedString( "beagle" );   
	}
	else
	{ (blah blah blah)

Why is it [tt]if ( %client & 1 )[/tt]? Why not [tt]if ( %client)[/tt]?

I guess this more of a general Tribes programming question than a Mods / Customization question.

Also, please don't hurt me if this is actually a general programming question and my not knowing this is just a result of my general programming ignorance.

Kryand · October 2010

A single & is a bitwise operator. Basically, that check returns true if the client ID is an odd number, and false if it's an even number. Odd numbers have a 1 in the first bit, even numbers don't, and that's what "& 1" checks.

yt2005 · October 2010

So every bit after the first bit is zeroed out because of [tt]& 1[/tt], leaving the first bit to be either 1 or 0, depending on whether the first bit was a 0 or 1 in the clientID (i.e., if the clientID was odd).

So it was programming ignorance. Thanks.

keen · October 2010

Or a cheap way to do pseudo-randomization.

Blakhart · October 2010

http://www.gergely.risko.hu/debian-dsa1571/dilbert9.jpg

Red Shifter · October 2010

http://xkcd.com/221/

...and 1!

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