看了一下，zipmapDecodeLength的实现还挺巧妙的，直接使用内存操作：

/* Decode the encoded length pointed by 'p' */
static unsigned int zipmapDecodeLength(unsigned char *p) {
    unsigned int len = *p;

    if (len < ZIPMAP_BIGLEN) return len;
    memcpy(&len,p+1,sizeof(unsigned int));
    memrev32ifbe(&len);
    return len;
}

static unsigned int zipmapGetEncodedLengthSize(unsigned char *p) {
    return (*p < ZIPMAP_BIGLEN) ? 1: 5;
}

/* Encode the length 'l' writing it in 'p'. If p is NULL it just returns
 * the amount of bytes required to encode such a length. */
static unsigned int zipmapEncodeLength(unsigned char *p, unsigned int len) {
    if (p == NULL) {
        return ZIPMAP_LEN_BYTES(len);
    } else {
        if (len < ZIPMAP_BIGLEN) {
            p[0] = len;
            return 1;
        } else {
            p[0] = ZIPMAP_BIGLEN;
            memcpy(p+1,&len,sizeof(len));
            memrev32ifbe(p+1);
            return 1+sizeof(len);
        }
    }
}