Converting a binary number to its decimal equivalent is a common task in programming. In C++, one way to accomplish this is by using the bitset class from the standard library.

The bitset class in C++ provides a convenient way to work with binary representations of numbers. It allows you to manipulate individual bits and perform binary operations on them. To convert a binary number to decimal using bitset, follow the steps below:

1. Include the <bitset> header at the beginning of your C++ program:

#include <bitset>

1. Declare a bitset variable and initialize it with the binary number you want to convert. Make sure the length of the bitset is equal to the number of bits in the binary number:

std::bitset<8> binaryNumber("10101010");

1. Convert the bitset to decimal using the to_ulong() or to_ullong() member function, depending on the size of the bitset. These functions return the decimal equivalent of the binary number:

unsigned long decimalNumber = binaryNumber.to_ulong();

1. Print the result:

std::cout << "Decimal Number: " << decimalNumber << std::endl;

Here’s the complete example code:

#include <iostream>
#include <bitset>

int main() {
    std::bitset<8> binaryNumber("10101010");
    unsigned long decimalNumber = binaryNumber.to_ulong();
    
    std::cout << "Decimal Number: " << decimalNumber << std::endl;
    
    return 0;
}

When you run the program, the output will be:

Decimal Number: 170

In this example, we convert the binary number “10101010” to its decimal equivalent using the bitset class. The resulting decimal number is 170. You can modify the binary number and experiment with different values to see the conversion in action.

Using the bitset class in C++ provides an efficient and straightforward way to convert binary numbers to decimal. It simplifies the process by abstracting the manipulation of individual bits and allows for easy conversion operations.