Type conversion warning after bitwise operations in C

Question

How do you explain that line 7 gets a warning, but not line 5 or line 6?

int main()
{
    unsigned char a = 0xFF;
    unsig         


        

Answer 1

I use linux x86_64, GCC 4.70. And get the same error. I compile the code, and use gdb to disassemble the execution file. Here is what I get.

(gdb) l
1   int main(){
2     unsigned char a = 0xff;
3     unsigned char b = 0xff;
4     a = a | b;
5     a = (unsigned char)(b & 0xf);
6     a |= (unsigned char)(b & 0xf); 
7     return 0;
8   }
(gdb) b 4
Breakpoint 1 at 0x4004a8: file test.c, line 4.
(gdb) b 5
Breakpoint 2 at 0x4004af: file test.c, line 5.
(gdb) b 6
Breakpoint 3 at 0x4004b9: file test.c, line 6.
(gdb) r
Starting program: /home/spyder/stackoverflow/a.out 

Breakpoint 1, main () at test.c:4
4     a = a | b;
(gdb) disassemble 
Dump of assembler code for function main:
   0x000000000040049c <+0>: push   %rbp
   0x000000000040049d <+1>: mov    %rsp,%rbp
   0x00000000004004a0 <+4>: movb   $0xff,-0x1(%rbp)
   0x00000000004004a4 <+8>: movb   $0xff,-0x2(%rbp)
=> 0x00000000004004a8 <+12>:    movzbl -0x2(%rbp),%eax
   0x00000000004004ac <+16>:    or     %al,-0x1(%rbp)
   0x00000000004004af <+19>:    movzbl -0x2(%rbp),%eax
   0x00000000004004b3 <+23>:    and    $0xf,%eax
   0x00000000004004b6 <+26>:    mov    %al,-0x1(%rbp)
   0x00000000004004b9 <+29>:    movzbl -0x2(%rbp),%eax
   0x00000000004004bd <+33>:    mov    %eax,%edx
   0x00000000004004bf <+35>:    and    $0xf,%edx
   0x00000000004004c2 <+38>:    movzbl -0x1(%rbp),%eax
   0x00000000004004c6 <+42>:    or     %edx,%eax
   0x00000000004004c8 <+44>:    mov    %al,-0x1(%rbp)
   0x00000000004004cb <+47>:    mov    $0x0,%eax
   0x00000000004004d0 <+52>:    pop    %rbp
   0x00000000004004d1 <+53>:    retq   
End of assembler dump.

the a = a | b is compiled to

movzbl -0x2(%rbp),%eax
or     %al,-0x1(%rbp)

the a = (unsigned char)(b & 0xf) is compiled to

mov    %al,-0x2(%rbp)
and    $0xf,%eax
mov    %al,-0x1(%rbp)

the a |= (unsigned char)(b & 0xf); is compiled to

movzbl -0x2(%rbp),%eax
mov    %eax,%edx
and    $0xf,%edx
movzbl -0x1(%rbp),%eax
or     %edx,%eax
mov    %al,-0x1(%rbp)

the explict cast didn't appear in asm code. The problem is when (b & 0xf) operation is done. the output of operation is sizeof(int). So you should use this instead:

a = (unsigned char)(a | (b & 0xF));

PS: explict cast dont generate any warning. even you will lose something.