std::copy char vector byte by byte

Question

How do I copy an int (or any other data type) byte-by-byte to a vector<unsigned char> ?

int x = 10;
std::vector<unsigned char> byteArray(sizeof(int));
std::copy(byteArray.begin(), byteArray.end(), x); // how do I use x here?

If not possible with std::copy , can it be done with memcpy or any other technique?

Answer 1

Problem you are dealing with is called serialization. Solution with memcpy is 'crude but effective' so if your project is small I think it is OK to use it. Otherwise I recommend looking at some solutions, for example, provided in boost or Qt. This will provide you with generic interface for multiple data types.

How do you serialize an object in C++?