while( ++idx <= fp_size)
{
byte current = buff[idx];
int integer = 0 ;
short shortint = 0 ;
if(idx < fp_size - 3)
integer = *((int *))&buff[idx];
}
What kind of cast is this *((int *)) ? variable integer is of type int is buff unsigned char .
Cast is only (int *) . The rest is reference and reference.
What happens on this line is as follows:
First, we get the address of an element of the vector buff : &buff[idx] . If buff is of type unsigned char , a unsigned char * will be returned.
Once this is done, a cast of unsigned char* is done to int* : (int *) .
Finally, a redo is done in * , returning a int .
The variable int will contain the following values in its bytes:
buff[idx]
buff[idx + 1]
buff[idx + 2]
buff[idx + 3]
That's if endianness of your machine is little endiann . If big endiann , it will be the reverse order.