大多数平台都有一个系统头文件，提供了有效的byteswap函数。在Linux上是<end .h>。你可以用c++很好地包装它:

#include <iostream>

#include <endian.h>

template<size_t N> struct SizeT {};

#define BYTESWAPS(bits) \
template<class T> inline T htobe(T t, SizeT<bits / 8>) { return htobe ## bits(t); } \
template<class T> inline T htole(T t, SizeT<bits / 8>) { return htole ## bits(t); } \
template<class T> inline T betoh(T t, SizeT<bits / 8>) { return be ## bits ## toh(t); } \
template<class T> inline T letoh(T t, SizeT<bits / 8>) { return le ## bits ## toh(t); }

BYTESWAPS(16)
BYTESWAPS(32)
BYTESWAPS(64)

#undef BYTESWAPS

template<class T> inline T htobe(T t) { return htobe(t, SizeT<sizeof t>()); }
template<class T> inline T htole(T t) { return htole(t, SizeT<sizeof t>()); }
template<class T> inline T betoh(T t) { return betoh(t, SizeT<sizeof t>()); }
template<class T> inline T letoh(T t) { return letoh(t, SizeT<sizeof t>()); }

int main()
{
    std::cout << std::hex;
    std::cout << htobe(static_cast<unsigned short>(0xfeca)) << '\n';
    std::cout << htobe(0xafbeadde) << '\n';

    // Use ULL suffix to specify integer constant as unsigned long long 
    std::cout << htobe(0xfecaefbeafdeedfeULL) << '\n';
}

输出:

cafe
deadbeaf
feeddeafbeefcafe

使用下面的代码，您可以轻松地在BigEndian和LittleEndian之间进行切换

#define uint32_t unsigned 
#define uint16_t unsigned short

#define swap16(x) ((((uint16_t)(x) & 0x00ff)<<8)| \
(((uint16_t)(x) & 0xff00)>>8))

#define swap32(x) ((((uint32_t)(x) & 0x000000ff)<<24)| \
(((uint32_t)(x) & 0x0000ff00)<<8)| \
(((uint32_t)(x) & 0x00ff0000)>>8)| \
(((uint32_t)(x) & 0xff000000)>>24))

实现优化器友好的未对齐非就地末端访问器的可移植技术。它们处理每个编译器、每个边界对齐和每个字节排序。这些未对齐的例程被补充或讨论，取决于本机的端序和对齐方式。部分列出，但你懂的。BO*是基于本机字节排序的常数值。

uint32_t sw_get_uint32_1234(pu32)
uint32_1234 *pu32;
{
  union {
    uint32_1234 u32_1234;
    uint32_t u32;
  } bou32;
  bou32.u32_1234[0] = (*pu32)[BO32_0];
  bou32.u32_1234[1] = (*pu32)[BO32_1];
  bou32.u32_1234[2] = (*pu32)[BO32_2];
  bou32.u32_1234[3] = (*pu32)[BO32_3];
  return(bou32.u32);
}

void sw_set_uint32_1234(pu32, u32)
uint32_1234 *pu32;
uint32_t u32;
{
  union {
    uint32_1234 u32_1234;
    uint32_t u32;
  } bou32;
  bou32.u32 = u32;
  (*pu32)[BO32_0] = bou32.u32_1234[0];
  (*pu32)[BO32_1] = bou32.u32_1234[1];
  (*pu32)[BO32_2] = bou32.u32_1234[2];
  (*pu32)[BO32_3] = bou32.u32_1234[3];
}

#if HAS_SW_INT64
int64 sw_get_int64_12345678(pi64)
int64_12345678 *pi64;
{
  union {
    int64_12345678 i64_12345678;
    int64 i64;
  } boi64;
  boi64.i64_12345678[0] = (*pi64)[BO64_0];
  boi64.i64_12345678[1] = (*pi64)[BO64_1];
  boi64.i64_12345678[2] = (*pi64)[BO64_2];
  boi64.i64_12345678[3] = (*pi64)[BO64_3];
  boi64.i64_12345678[4] = (*pi64)[BO64_4];
  boi64.i64_12345678[5] = (*pi64)[BO64_5];
  boi64.i64_12345678[6] = (*pi64)[BO64_6];
  boi64.i64_12345678[7] = (*pi64)[BO64_7];
  return(boi64.i64);
}
#endif

int32_t sw_get_int32_3412(pi32)
int32_3412 *pi32;
{
  union {
    int32_3412 i32_3412;
    int32_t i32;
  } boi32;
  boi32.i32_3412[2] = (*pi32)[BO32_0];
  boi32.i32_3412[3] = (*pi32)[BO32_1];
  boi32.i32_3412[0] = (*pi32)[BO32_2];
  boi32.i32_3412[1] = (*pi32)[BO32_3];
  return(boi32.i32);
}

void sw_set_int32_3412(pi32, i32)
int32_3412 *pi32;
int32_t i32;
{
  union {
    int32_3412 i32_3412;
    int32_t i32;
  } boi32;
  boi32.i32 = i32;
  (*pi32)[BO32_0] = boi32.i32_3412[2];
  (*pi32)[BO32_1] = boi32.i32_3412[3];
  (*pi32)[BO32_2] = boi32.i32_3412[0];
  (*pi32)[BO32_3] = boi32.i32_3412[1];
}

uint32_t sw_get_uint32_3412(pu32)
uint32_3412 *pu32;
{
  union {
    uint32_3412 u32_3412;
    uint32_t u32;
  } bou32;
  bou32.u32_3412[2] = (*pu32)[BO32_0];
  bou32.u32_3412[3] = (*pu32)[BO32_1];
  bou32.u32_3412[0] = (*pu32)[BO32_2];
  bou32.u32_3412[1] = (*pu32)[BO32_3];
  return(bou32.u32);
}

void sw_set_uint32_3412(pu32, u32)
uint32_3412 *pu32;
uint32_t u32;
{
  union {
    uint32_3412 u32_3412;
    uint32_t u32;
  } bou32;
  bou32.u32 = u32;
  (*pu32)[BO32_0] = bou32.u32_3412[2];
  (*pu32)[BO32_1] = bou32.u32_3412[3];
  (*pu32)[BO32_2] = bou32.u32_3412[0];
  (*pu32)[BO32_3] = bou32.u32_3412[1];
}

float sw_get_float_1234(pf)
float_1234 *pf;
{
  union {
    float_1234 f_1234;
    float f;
  } bof;
  bof.f_1234[0] = (*pf)[BO32_0];
  bof.f_1234[1] = (*pf)[BO32_1];
  bof.f_1234[2] = (*pf)[BO32_2];
  bof.f_1234[3] = (*pf)[BO32_3];
  return(bof.f);
}

void sw_set_float_1234(pf, f)
float_1234 *pf;
float f;
{
  union {
    float_1234 f_1234;
    float f;
  } bof;
  bof.f = (float)f;
  (*pf)[BO32_0] = bof.f_1234[0];
  (*pf)[BO32_1] = bof.f_1234[1];
  (*pf)[BO32_2] = bof.f_1234[2];
  (*pf)[BO32_3] = bof.f_1234[3];
}

double sw_get_double_12345678(pd)
double_12345678 *pd;
{
  union {
    double_12345678 d_12345678;
    double d;
  } bod;
  bod.d_12345678[0] = (*pd)[BO64_0];
  bod.d_12345678[1] = (*pd)[BO64_1];
  bod.d_12345678[2] = (*pd)[BO64_2];
  bod.d_12345678[3] = (*pd)[BO64_3];
  bod.d_12345678[4] = (*pd)[BO64_4];
  bod.d_12345678[5] = (*pd)[BO64_5];
  bod.d_12345678[6] = (*pd)[BO64_6];
  bod.d_12345678[7] = (*pd)[BO64_7];
  return(bod.d);
}

void sw_set_double_12345678(pd, d)
double_12345678 *pd;
double d;
{
  union {
    double_12345678 d_12345678;
    double d;
  } bod;
  bod.d = d;
  (*pd)[BO64_0] = bod.d_12345678[0];
  (*pd)[BO64_1] = bod.d_12345678[1];
  (*pd)[BO64_2] = bod.d_12345678[2];
  (*pd)[BO64_3] = bod.d_12345678[3];
  (*pd)[BO64_4] = bod.d_12345678[4];
  (*pd)[BO64_5] = bod.d_12345678[5];
  (*pd)[BO64_6] = bod.d_12345678[6];
  (*pd)[BO64_7] = bod.d_12345678[7];
}

如果不与访问器一起使用，这些类型def的好处是会引发编译器错误，从而减少被遗忘的访问器错误。

typedef char int8_1[1], uint8_1[1];

typedef char int16_12[2], uint16_12[2]; /* little endian */
typedef char int16_21[2], uint16_21[2]; /* big endian */

typedef char int24_321[3], uint24_321[3]; /* Alpha Micro, PDP-11 */

typedef char int32_1234[4], uint32_1234[4]; /* little endian */
typedef char int32_3412[4], uint32_3412[4]; /* Alpha Micro, PDP-11 */
typedef char int32_4321[4], uint32_4321[4]; /* big endian */

typedef char int64_12345678[8], uint64_12345678[8]; /* little endian */
typedef char int64_34128756[8], uint64_34128756[8]; /* Alpha Micro, PDP-11 */
typedef char int64_87654321[8], uint64_87654321[8]; /* big endian */

typedef char float_1234[4]; /* little endian */
typedef char float_3412[4]; /* Alpha Micro, PDP-11 */
typedef char float_4321[4]; /* big endian */

typedef char double_12345678[8]; /* little endian */
typedef char double_78563412[8]; /* Alpha Micro? */
typedef char double_87654321[8]; /* big endian */

我有这个代码，允许我从HOST_ENDIAN_ORDER(无论它是什么)转换为LITTLE_ENDIAN_ORDER或BIG_ENDIAN_ORDER。我使用一个模板，所以如果我试图从HOST_ENDIAN_ORDER转换为LITTLE_ENDIAN_ORDER，他们恰好是相同的机器为我编译，不会生成任何代码。

下面是带有注释的代码:

// We define some constant for little, big and host endianess. Here I use 
// BOOST_LITTLE_ENDIAN/BOOST_BIG_ENDIAN to check the host indianess. If you
// don't want to use boost you will have to modify this part a bit.
enum EEndian
{
  LITTLE_ENDIAN_ORDER,
  BIG_ENDIAN_ORDER,
#if defined(BOOST_LITTLE_ENDIAN)
  HOST_ENDIAN_ORDER = LITTLE_ENDIAN_ORDER
#elif defined(BOOST_BIG_ENDIAN)
  HOST_ENDIAN_ORDER = BIG_ENDIAN_ORDER
#else
#error "Impossible de determiner l'indianness du systeme cible."
#endif
};

// this function swap the bytes of values given it's size as a template
// parameter (could sizeof be used?).
template <class T, unsigned int size>
inline T SwapBytes(T value)
{
  union
  {
     T value;
     char bytes[size];
  } in, out;

  in.value = value;

  for (unsigned int i = 0; i < size / 2; ++i)
  {
     out.bytes[i] = in.bytes[size - 1 - i];
     out.bytes[size - 1 - i] = in.bytes[i];
  }

  return out.value;
}

// Here is the function you will use. Again there is two compile-time assertion
// that use the boost librarie. You could probably comment them out, but if you
// do be cautious not to use this function for anything else than integers
// types. This function need to be calles like this :
//
//     int x = someValue;
//     int i = EndianSwapBytes<HOST_ENDIAN_ORDER, BIG_ENDIAN_ORDER>(x);
//
template<EEndian from, EEndian to, class T>
inline T EndianSwapBytes(T value)
{
  // A : La donnée à swapper à une taille de 2, 4 ou 8 octets
  BOOST_STATIC_ASSERT(sizeof(T) == 2 || sizeof(T) == 4 || sizeof(T) == 8);

  // A : La donnée à swapper est d'un type arithmetic
  BOOST_STATIC_ASSERT(boost::is_arithmetic<T>::value);

  // Si from et to sont du même type on ne swap pas.
  if (from == to)
     return value;

  return SwapBytes<T, sizeof(T)>(value);
}

和在C中一样:

short big = 0xdead;
short little = (((big & 0xff)<<8) | ((big & 0xff00)>>8));

您还可以声明一个无符号字符的向量，将输入值memcpy放入其中，将字节反向转换为另一个向量，然后将字节memcpy取出，但这将花费比旋转位长几个数量级的时间，特别是对于64位值。

我们已经用模板做到了这一点。你可以这样做:

// Specialization for 2-byte types.
template<>
inline void endian_byte_swapper< 2 >(char* dest, char const* src)
{
    // Use bit manipulations instead of accessing individual bytes from memory, much faster.
    ushort* p_dest = reinterpret_cast< ushort* >(dest);
    ushort const* const p_src = reinterpret_cast< ushort const* >(src);
    *p_dest = (*p_src >> 8) | (*p_src << 8);
}

// Specialization for 4-byte types.
template<>
inline void endian_byte_swapper< 4 >(char* dest, char const* src)
{
    // Use bit manipulations instead of accessing individual bytes from memory, much faster.
    uint* p_dest = reinterpret_cast< uint* >(dest);
    uint const* const p_src = reinterpret_cast< uint const* >(src);
    *p_dest = (*p_src >> 24) | ((*p_src & 0x00ff0000) >> 8) | ((*p_src & 0x0000ff00) << 8) | (*p_src << 24);
}