Python Bits and bytes

Question

I was wondering how i could extract the last 2 bits of a byte. I receive the bytes when reading in from a file.

byte = b'\xfe' bits = bin(byte)

output: 0b00110001

I want to know how i can 7th and 8th bit from that.

Any help would be appreciated.

I don't think that code would work in either Python 2 or Python 3, and even if it did, that's not the binary associated with 0xFE. Please try to copy and paste actual transcripts where possible. — DSM
– DSM, Commented Jan 25, 2015 at 16:36

Steve Barnes · Accepted Answer · 2015-01-25 18:03:48Z

2

There is always the old fashioned trick of masking:

>>> bits = bin(byte[0] & 0x03)
>>> bits
'0b10'

answered Jan 25, 2015 at 18:03

Steve Barnes

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