bit_fiddling.py

def get_val_from_binary_range(high_bit, low_bit, int_type):
'''
    Returns the numeric value of the bits bounded by low_bit and high_bit in the int_type param
    low_bit becomes the new value's zeroth bit
'''
    val = 0
    cur_bit = high_bit
    while (cur_bit >= low_bit):
        val = val << 1
        if test_bit(int_type, cur_bit) != 0:
            val = set_bit(val, 0)
        cur_bit = cur_bit - 1

    return val

# Below from https://wiki.python.org/moin/BitManipulation
# First two needed, last two for completeness

def test_bit(int_type, offset):
    mask = 1 << offset
    return (int_type & mask)

def set_bit(int_type, offset):
    mask = 1 << offset
    return (int_type | mask)
    
def clear_bit(int_type, offset):
    mask = ~(1 << offset)
    return (int_type & mask)
    
 def flip_bit(int_type, offset):
    mask = 1 << offset
    return(int_type ^ mask)