我从这篇文章中得到了一些建议，并把它们放在一起形成了这个:

#include <boost/type_traits.hpp>
#include <boost/static_assert.hpp>
#include <boost/detail/endian.hpp>
#include <stdexcept>
#include <cstdint>

enum endianness
{
    little_endian,
    big_endian,
    network_endian = big_endian,
    
    #if defined(BOOST_LITTLE_ENDIAN)
        host_endian = little_endian
    #elif defined(BOOST_BIG_ENDIAN)
        host_endian = big_endian
    #else
        #error "unable to determine system endianness"
    #endif
};

namespace detail {

template<typename T, size_t sz>
struct swap_bytes
{
    inline T operator()(T val)
    {
        throw std::out_of_range("data size");
    }
};

template<typename T>
struct swap_bytes<T, 1>
{
    inline T operator()(T val)
    {
        return val;
    }
};

template<typename T>
struct swap_bytes<T, 2>
{
    inline T operator()(T val)
    {
        return ((((val) >> 8) & 0xff) | (((val) & 0xff) << 8));
    }
};

template<typename T>
struct swap_bytes<T, 4>
{
    inline T operator()(T val)
    {
        return ((((val) & 0xff000000) >> 24) |
                (((val) & 0x00ff0000) >>  8) |
                (((val) & 0x0000ff00) <<  8) |
                (((val) & 0x000000ff) << 24));
    }
};

template<>
struct swap_bytes<float, 4>
{
    inline float operator()(float val)
    {
        uint32_t mem =swap_bytes<uint32_t, sizeof(uint32_t)>()(*(uint32_t*)&val);
        return *(float*)&mem;
    }
};

template<typename T>
struct swap_bytes<T, 8>
{
    inline T operator()(T val)
    {
        return ((((val) & 0xff00000000000000ull) >> 56) |
                (((val) & 0x00ff000000000000ull) >> 40) |
                (((val) & 0x0000ff0000000000ull) >> 24) |
                (((val) & 0x000000ff00000000ull) >> 8 ) |
                (((val) & 0x00000000ff000000ull) << 8 ) |
                (((val) & 0x0000000000ff0000ull) << 24) |
                (((val) & 0x000000000000ff00ull) << 40) |
                (((val) & 0x00000000000000ffull) << 56));
    }
};

template<>
struct swap_bytes<double, 8>
{
    inline double operator()(double val)
    {
        uint64_t mem =swap_bytes<uint64_t, sizeof(uint64_t)>()(*(uint64_t*)&val);
        return *(double*)&mem;
    }
};

template<endianness from, endianness to, class T>
struct do_byte_swap
{
    inline T operator()(T value)
    {
        return swap_bytes<T, sizeof(T)>()(value);
    }
};
// specialisations when attempting to swap to the same endianess
template<class T> struct do_byte_swap<little_endian, little_endian, T> { inline T operator()(T value) { return value; } };
template<class T> struct do_byte_swap<big_endian,    big_endian,    T> { inline T operator()(T value) { return value; } };

} // namespace detail

template<endianness from, endianness to, class T>
inline T byte_swap(T value)
{
    // ensure the data is only 1, 2, 4 or 8 bytes
    BOOST_STATIC_ASSERT(sizeof(T) == 1 || sizeof(T) == 2 || sizeof(T) == 4 || sizeof(T) == 8);
    // ensure we're only swapping arithmetic types
    BOOST_STATIC_ASSERT(boost::is_arithmetic<T>::value);

    return detail::do_byte_swap<from, to, T>()(value);
}

然后你可以这样使用它:

// swaps val from host-byte-order to network-byte-order
auto swapped = byte_swap<host_endian, network_endian>(val);

反之亦然

// swap a value received from the network into host-byte-order
auto val = byte_swap<network_endian, host_endian>(val_from_network);

简单地说:

#include <climits>

template <typename T>
T swap_endian(T u)
{
    static_assert (CHAR_BIT == 8, "CHAR_BIT != 8");

    union
    {
        T u;
        unsigned char u8[sizeof(T)];
    } source, dest;

    source.u = u;

    for (size_t k = 0; k < sizeof(T); k++)
        dest.u8[k] = source.u8[sizeof(T) - k - 1];

    return dest.u;
}

用法:swap_endian < uint32_t >(42)。

这里有一个基本的函数来交换大小端序。它是基本的，但不需要补充库。

void endianness_swap(uint32_t& val) {
    uint8_t a, b, c;
    a = (val & 0xFF000000) >> 24;
    b = (val & 0x00FF0000) >> 16;
    c = (val & 0x0000FF00) >> 8;
    val=(val & 0x000000FF) << 24;
    val = val + (c << 16) + (b << 8) + (a);
}

如果一个大端位32位无符号整数看起来像0xAABBCCDD，它等于2864434397，那么同样的32位无符号整数在小端位处理器上看起来像0xDDCCBBAA，它也等于2864434397。

如果一个大端序16位无符号空头看起来像0xAABB，它等于43707，那么同一个16位无符号空头在小端序处理器上看起来像0xBBAA，它也等于43707。

这里有两个方便的#define函数，用于将字节从小端序转换为大端序，反之亦然——>

// can be used for short, unsigned short, word, unsigned word (2-byte types)
#define BYTESWAP16(n) (((n&0xFF00)>>8)|((n&0x00FF)<<8))

// can be used for int or unsigned int or float (4-byte types)
#define BYTESWAP32(n) ((BYTESWAP16((n&0xFFFF0000)>>16))|((BYTESWAP16(n&0x0000FFFF))<<16))

// can be used for unsigned long long or double (8-byte types)
#define BYTESWAP64(n) ((BYTESWAP32((n&0xFFFFFFFF00000000)>>32))|((BYTESWAP32(n&0x00000000FFFFFFFF))<<32))

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 */

我喜欢这个，只是为了风格:-)

long swap(long i) {
    char *c = (char *) &i;
    return * (long *) (char[]) {c[3], c[2], c[1], c[0] };
}