A variable-length unsigned integer using base128 encoding. 1-byte groups consist of 1-bit flag of continuation and 7-bit value chunk, and are ordered "most significant group first", i.e. in "big-endian" manner.
This particular encoding is specified and used in:
More information on this encoding is available at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variable-length_quantity
This particular implementation supports serialized values to up 8 bytes long.
This page hosts a formal specification of Variable length quantity, unsigned integer, base128, big-endian using Kaitai Struct. This specification can be automatically translated into a variety of programming languages to get a parsing library.
All parsing code for C++98/STL generated by Kaitai Struct depends on the C++/STL runtime library. You have to install it before you can parse data.
For C++, the easiest way is to clone the runtime library sources and build them along with your project.
Using Kaitai Struct in C++/STL usually consists of 3 steps.
std::istream). One can open local file for that, or use existing std::string or char* buffer.
        
        #include <fstream>
std::ifstream is("path/to/local/file.bin", std::ifstream::binary);
#include <sstream>
std::istringstream is(str);
#include <sstream>
const char buf[] = { ... };
std::string str(buf, sizeof buf);
std::istringstream is(str);
#include "kaitai/kaitaistream.h"
kaitai::kstream ks(&is);
vlq_base128_be_t data(&ks);
After that, one can get various attributes from the structure by invoking getter methods like:
data.value() // => Resulting value as normal integer
#ifndef VLQ_BASE128_BE_H_
#define VLQ_BASE128_BE_H_
// This is a generated file! Please edit source .ksy file and use kaitai-struct-compiler to rebuild
class vlq_base128_be_t;
#include "kaitai/kaitaistruct.h"
#include <stdint.h>
#include <vector>
#if KAITAI_STRUCT_VERSION < 11000L
#error "Incompatible Kaitai Struct C++/STL API: version 0.11 or later is required"
#endif
/**
 * A variable-length unsigned integer using base128 encoding. 1-byte groups
 * consist of 1-bit flag of continuation and 7-bit value chunk, and are ordered
 * "most significant group first", i.e. in "big-endian" manner.
 * 
 * This particular encoding is specified and used in:
 * 
 * * Standard MIDI file format
 * * ASN.1 BER encoding
 * * RAR 5.0 file format
 * 
 * More information on this encoding is available at
 * <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variable-length_quantity>
 * 
 * This particular implementation supports serialized values to up 8 bytes long.
 */
class vlq_base128_be_t : public kaitai::kstruct {
public:
    class group_t;
    vlq_base128_be_t(kaitai::kstream* p__io, kaitai::kstruct* p__parent = 0, vlq_base128_be_t* p__root = 0);
private:
    void _read();
    void _clean_up();
public:
    ~vlq_base128_be_t();
    /**
     * One byte group, clearly divided into 7-bit "value" chunk and 1-bit "continuation" flag.
     */
    class group_t : public kaitai::kstruct {
    public:
        group_t(kaitai::kstream* p__io, vlq_base128_be_t* p__parent = 0, vlq_base128_be_t* p__root = 0);
    private:
        void _read();
        void _clean_up();
    public:
        ~group_t();
    private:
        bool m_has_next;
        uint64_t m_value;
        vlq_base128_be_t* m__root;
        vlq_base128_be_t* m__parent;
    public:
        /**
         * If true, then we have more bytes to read
         */
        bool has_next() const { return m_has_next; }
        /**
         * The 7-bit (base128) numeric value chunk of this group
         */
        uint64_t value() const { return m_value; }
        vlq_base128_be_t* _root() const { return m__root; }
        vlq_base128_be_t* _parent() const { return m__parent; }
    };
private:
    bool f_last;
    int32_t m_last;
public:
    int32_t last();
private:
    bool f_value;
    uint64_t m_value;
public:
    /**
     * Resulting value as normal integer
     */
    uint64_t value();
private:
    std::vector<group_t*>* m_groups;
    vlq_base128_be_t* m__root;
    kaitai::kstruct* m__parent;
public:
    std::vector<group_t*>* groups() const { return m_groups; }
    vlq_base128_be_t* _root() const { return m__root; }
    kaitai::kstruct* _parent() const { return m__parent; }
};
#endif  // VLQ_BASE128_BE_H_
// This is a generated file! Please edit source .ksy file and use kaitai-struct-compiler to rebuild
#include "vlq_base128_be.h"
vlq_base128_be_t::vlq_base128_be_t(kaitai::kstream* p__io, kaitai::kstruct* p__parent, vlq_base128_be_t* p__root) : kaitai::kstruct(p__io) {
    m__parent = p__parent;
    m__root = p__root ? p__root : this;
    m_groups = 0;
    f_last = false;
    f_value = false;
    try {
        _read();
    } catch(...) {
        _clean_up();
        throw;
    }
}
void vlq_base128_be_t::_read() {
    m_groups = new std::vector<group_t*>();
    {
        int i = 0;
        group_t* _;
        do {
            _ = new group_t(m__io, this, m__root);
            m_groups->push_back(_);
            i++;
        } while (!(!(_->has_next())));
    }
}
vlq_base128_be_t::~vlq_base128_be_t() {
    _clean_up();
}
void vlq_base128_be_t::_clean_up() {
    if (m_groups) {
        for (std::vector<group_t*>::iterator it = m_groups->begin(); it != m_groups->end(); ++it) {
            delete *it;
        }
        delete m_groups; m_groups = 0;
    }
}
vlq_base128_be_t::group_t::group_t(kaitai::kstream* p__io, vlq_base128_be_t* p__parent, vlq_base128_be_t* p__root) : kaitai::kstruct(p__io) {
    m__parent = p__parent;
    m__root = p__root;
    try {
        _read();
    } catch(...) {
        _clean_up();
        throw;
    }
}
void vlq_base128_be_t::group_t::_read() {
    m_has_next = m__io->read_bits_int_be(1);
    m_value = m__io->read_bits_int_be(7);
}
vlq_base128_be_t::group_t::~group_t() {
    _clean_up();
}
void vlq_base128_be_t::group_t::_clean_up() {
}
int32_t vlq_base128_be_t::last() {
    if (f_last)
        return m_last;
    f_last = true;
    m_last = groups()->size() - 1;
    return m_last;
}
uint64_t vlq_base128_be_t::value() {
    if (f_value)
        return m_value;
    f_value = true;
    m_value = static_cast<uint64_t>(((((((groups()->at(last())->value() + ((last() >= 1) ? (groups()->at(last() - 1)->value() << 7) : (0))) + ((last() >= 2) ? (groups()->at(last() - 2)->value() << 14) : (0))) + ((last() >= 3) ? (groups()->at(last() - 3)->value() << 21) : (0))) + ((last() >= 4) ? (groups()->at(last() - 4)->value() << 28) : (0))) + ((last() >= 5) ? (groups()->at(last() - 5)->value() << 35) : (0))) + ((last() >= 6) ? (groups()->at(last() - 6)->value() << 42) : (0))) + ((last() >= 7) ? (groups()->at(last() - 7)->value() << 49) : (0)));
    return m_value;
}