Setting a bit range in an ordinal?

Never assume anything is inefficient unless you can prove it. The if-else may just as well be more efficient on your architecture+OS than the promotion to 64-bit. I don't think there is any other, sane approach than those two you already posted.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.