how to convert a char array to int array n back

[mangala]

i hav gotta convert an int array to a char array.. so that i can write it to the socket.. that is in the server side..
n in the client side i gotta read d socket... get d char array n convert it into an int array.. so HELP!!!!!!!!!!! !!

[Banfa]

Well if you know that the sending and receiving computers have the same endianness (this is byte ordering, a little endian computer must the least significant byte of a multibyte integer in the lowest memory address for the integer, a big endian computer puts the least significant byte of a multibyte integer in the highest memory address for the integer so the bytes of the integer appear in memory in a different order) then you can just cast the pointer something like

    extern void Send( char *data, int length);
 
    int aIntegers[10];
 
    Send( (char *)aIntegers, sizeof(aIntegers) );
 

however if you are not sure that the sending and receiving computers have the same endianness then you should read and write the bytes of the integer into and out of memory in a specific location so that the values are maintained like so

    int aIntegers[10];
    int i;
    char aBytes[40];  /* assuming 4 byte ints */
 
/* Int array to byte array */
    for(i=0; i<sizeof(aIntegers)/sizeof(aIntegers[0]); i++)
    {
        aBytes[i*4+0] = (aIntegers[i]>>24) & 0xFF;
        aBytes[i*4+1] = (aIntegers[i]>>16) & 0xFF;
        aBytes[i*4+2] = (aIntegers[i]>>8)  & 0xFF;
        aBytes[i*4+3] = aIntegers[i] & 0xFF;
    }
 
 
/* Byte array to int array */
    for(i=0; i<sizeof(aIntegers)/sizeof(aIntegers[0]); i++)
    {
        aIntegers[i]  = (int)aBytes[i*4+0] << 24;
        aIntegers[i] |= (int)aBytes[i*4+1] << 16;
        aIntegers[i] |= (int)aBytes[i*4+2] << 8;
        aIntegers[i] |= aBytes[i*4+3];
    }
 

This code allows the compiler to correctly handle the endianness of the sending/receiving computer for you.