The problem is: given an integer val1 find the position of the highest bit set (Most Significant Bit) then, given a second integer val2 find a contiguous region of unset bits, with the minimum number of zero bits given by width to the left of the position (ie, in the higher bits).

Here is the C code for my solution:

typedef unsigned int t;
unsigned const t_bits = sizeof(t) * CHAR_BIT;

_Bool test_fit_within_left_of_msb(  unsigned width,
                                    t val1,
                                    t val2,
                                    unsigned* offset_result)
{
    unsigned offbit = 0;
    unsigned msb = 0;
    t mask;
    t b;

    while(val1 >>= 1)
        ++msb;

    while(offbit + width < t_bits - msb)
    {
        mask = (((t)1 << width) - 1) << (t_bits - width - offbit);
        b = val2 & mask;

        if (!b)
        {
            *offset_result = offbit;
            return true;
        }

        if (offbit++) /* this conditional bothers me! */
            b <<= offbit - 1;

        while(b <<= 1)
            offbit++;
    }
    return false;
}

Aside from faster ways of finding the MSB of the first integer, the commented test for a zero offbit seems a bit extraneous, but necessary to skip the highest bit of type t if it is set.

I have also implemented similar algorithms but working to the right of the MSB of the first number, so they don't require this seemingly extra condition.

How can I get rid of this extra condition, or even, are there far more optimal solutions?

Edit: Some background not strictly required. The offset result is a count of bits from the high bit, not from the low bit as maybe expected. This will be part of a wider algorithm which scans a 2D array for a 2D area of zero bits. Here, for testing, the algorithm has been simplified. val1 represents the first integer which does not have all bits set found in a row of the 2D array. From this the 2D version would scan down which is what val2 represents.

Here's some output showing success and failure:

t_bits:32
     t_high: 10000000000000000000000000000000 ( 2147483648 )
---------

-----------------------------------
*** fit within left of msb test ***
-----------------------------------
      val1:  00000000000000000000000010000000 ( 128 )
      val2:  01000001000100000000100100001001 ( 1091569929 )
msb:   7
offbit:0 + width: 8 = 8
      mask:  11111111000000000000000000000000 ( 4278190080 )
      b:     01000001000000000000000000000000 ( 1090519040 )
offbit:8 + width: 8 = 16
      mask:  00000000111111110000000000000000 ( 16711680 )
      b:     00000000000100000000000000000000 ( 1048576 )
offbit:12 + width: 8 = 20
      mask:  00000000000011111111000000000000 ( 1044480 )
      b:     00000000000000000000000000000000 ( 0 )
offbit:12
iters:10


***** found room for width:8 at offset: 12 *****

-----------------------------------
*** fit within left of msb test ***
-----------------------------------
      val1:  00000000000000000000000001000000 ( 64 )
      val2:  00010000000000001000010001000001 ( 268469313 )
msb:   6
offbit:0 + width: 13 = 13
      mask:  11111111111110000000000000000000 ( 4294443008 )
      b:     00010000000000000000000000000000 ( 268435456 )
offbit:4 + width: 13 = 17
      mask:  00001111111111111000000000000000 ( 268402688 )
      b:     00000000000000001000000000000000 ( 32768 )
 ***** mask: 00001111111111111000000000000000 ( 268402688 )
offbit:17
iters:15


***** no room found for width:13 *****

(iters is the count of iterations of the inner while loop)