Encoding strings as integers, vice versa in C

name_strings_as_integers.c

#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>

/*
 * Extra credit: If an array of characters is 4 bytes long, and an integer is 4
 * bytes long, then can you treat the whole in_name array like it’s just an
 * integer?
 */


int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
   if (argc != 2)
   {
      printf("Incorrect or missing arguments!\n");
      return 1;
   }
   else
   {
      char          *in_name = argv[1];
      unsigned long bits[strlen(in_name)];
      unsigned char out_name[strlen(in_name)];

      // Convert from string to integer representation
      unsigned long int_repr = 0;
      for (int i = 0, count = strlen(in_name); i < count; ++i)
      {
         bits[i]   = (unsigned long)in_name[i] << (count - i - 1) * 8;
         int_repr += bits[i];
      }

      printf("The integer representation of '%s' is %lu.\n", in_name, int_repr);

      // Convert from integer to string representation
      for (int i = 0, count = strlen(in_name); i < count; ++i)
      {
         out_name[i] = (int_repr >> ((count - i - 1) * 8)) & 0xFF;
      }

      printf("Converting %lu into array of `char`s yields '%s'! \n", int_repr, out_name);
      return 0;
   }
}