a byte on eight pins

Using Arduino Programming Questions
#1

Hallo AduinoForum.cc,
i’m new on Arduino-programming.
Nevertheless, i would like to push some bytes to an SRAM. There for i want to set eight pins with a byte.
Either i’m blind or i have been searching with the wrong terms?
I just can not find a manual for my problem.
I stumbled across a rather dirty method:

int i;

void setup(){
DDRD = DDRD | B11111111;
}

void loop(){
for (i=0; i<256; i++){

PORTD = i; 
delay(250);
   }
}

Unfortunately this is missing the sixth bit (2 ^ 6)(?). It has also been recommended not to mess with this registers.
What i need are a few lines that i can output a byte on eight pins.
Or should i say goodbye to this method and do everything serially via a shift register?

Thank your suggestons -
derGistA

#2

You need an AVR with 8 pins on the same Port open.

Arduino UNO lets you have 6, the other 2 on PortB and PortD are tied up between the 16 MHz oscillator and Serial RX/TX. The Ports are 8 bit but you don't get 8 pins open for use.
A 328P stand-alone could give you 2 8-bit Ports if you run on the internal oscillator and don't use RX/TX.
Arduino MEGA has multiple 8-bit Ports free.
All the 40+ pin AVR's have free Ports, and cores are available to program many of them.

Do a search for Port Manipulation on the forum. You can read or write 8 pins at once.

#3