gistfile1.txt

#is there an easy way to convert integers to radix 256?
#to_s(radix) only accepts radi from 2 to 36.


#this methods works, but is there an easier way?
def base_256 n
  s = ''
  while n>0
    s << (n % 256)
    n >>= 8
  end
  s.reverse
end


n = 23423488694903409830495       #original number

s = base_256 n                    #convert to base 256 binary representation
m = s.unpack('B*')[0].to_i(2)     #convert from string back to original number



#this almost works. the ideas is to first convert n to a string of hex nibbles using to_s(16).
#then take two hex nibbles at a time and convert to a single radix 256 byte.
#unfortunately it fails if to_s(16) returns a string with an odd number of bytes.
#it also seems longwinded...
s = n.to_s(16).scan(/../).inject('') { |out,hex| out << hex.to_i(16) }
m = s.unpack('B*')[0].to_i(2)     #convert from string back to original number