Try loading package TwosComplement from the SqueakMap loader, or
install it like this:

  Installer ss project: 'TwosComplement';
      package: 'TwosComplement';
      install.

Then inspect these:

  TwosComplementRegister width: 8 value: -1.

  255 asRegister: 8. "same as above but note the overflow bit is set"

  TwosComplementRegister width: 64 value: -1.

Dave


On Tue, Jun 16, 2020 at 02:09:15PM -0400, Eric Gade wrote:
> Hi Karl,
> 
> Integer readFrom: '11111111' readStream base: 2.  ?
> >
> 
> When I evaluate this in Squeak, the Integer produced is 255 (I need to get
> from 255 to -1 -- and back again if possible).
> 
> One hint that I've found in the image is that Integers respond to a message
> #highBitOfMagnitude, which gives me the value of the most significant bit
> in the integer. That is a starting point if I want to treat the bits in
> twos-complement: I can determine if the desired representation should be
> negative or positive. However, I'm not sure how to actually translate the
> bits into a matching Squeak integer with the correct sign and value.
> 
> Here is a more concrete explanation of my issue: In the implementation /
> simulation, Register objects store their values as Squeak Integers, and
> they are truncated at evaluation to be 32-bit integers. Some instructions
> will treat a register as signed and others as unsigned. For unsigned
> treatment, there's no problem: Squeak always has the correct bit values for
> what I need. I just need to figure out what to "do" with the integer in the
> register when I want to treat it as signed. In the case of a value like -1
> ('11111111') I can send that #highBitOfMagnitude to determine if it should
> be a negative or positive value, but then what? I can't just send
> #negative, because that gives me -255
> 
> PS - Perhaps at some point there was a #twosComplement method implemented
> on Integers. There is an EToys object that is currently sending the message
> (which has no implementors in 5.3 as far as I can see): SecurityManager >>
> #asn1Integer:
> 
> On Tue, Jun 16, 2020 at 1:44 PM karl ramberg <karlramberg at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> > Integer readFrom: '11111111' readStream base: 2.  ?
> >
> > Best,
> > Karl
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > On Tue, Jun 16, 2020 at 6:36 PM Eric Gade <eric.gade at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >> Hi everyone,
> >>
> >> I'm smack in the middle of making some RISC-V tools in Squeak, which
> >> means I'm dealing with a lot of low-level bit manipulation.
> >>
> >> One question I have is how best to deal with two's complement
> >> representations of integers in Squeak, and how to translate between the
> >> different (positive v negative) values based on a given set of bits (or a
> >> byteArray or whatever).
> >>
> >> For example, doing the following:
> >> -1 printStringBase: 2 nDigits: 8. "11111111"
> >> Gives the expected binary value "11111111"
> >>
> >> However (and as we should expect), evaluating the following:
> >> 2r11111111. "255"
> >>
> >> Gives the (again, expected) value 255.
> >>
> >> My question is: what is the best way to convert between the complements
> >> in Squeak? How can I take 255, examine its bits, and get -1 as the response
> >> (or convert in the reverse)? I'm assuming there are already ways to deal
> >> with this, I just cannot find them.
> >>
> >> Thanks!
> >>
> >> --
> >> Eric
> >>
> >>
> >
> 
> -- 
> Eric

>