STDINT(7)

✨ STDINT 💖

okay bestie, so this is a page from the Miscellaneous Information Manual — that's the manual name, and honestly it's giving "miscellaneous but make it iconic" 💅 — and today we're talking about <stdint.h>, the header that literally hands you integers in every shape and size. no cap, it's a whole wardrobe of ints. 🎀

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🌸 NAME 🌸

stdint — standard integer types. yes queen, the standard ones. the ones with a specific size. slay.

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🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

#include <stdint.h>

that's it. that's the whole synopsis. go off, bestie. ✨

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💜 DESCRIPTION 💜

so the <stdint.h> header is out here providing source-portable integer types — and when I say source-portable I mean it. it's giving:

• a specific size 🍓
• the smallest memory footprint, but with a minimum size 🧚
• the fastest access speed, but also with a minimum size 🔥
• the largest integer size 👑
• and the ones that can hold a pointer 🫶

that's the whole vibe check. now let me break each one down because you need to know. 📚

🎀 the exact-size girlies

the types int8_t, int16_t, int32_t, and int64_t provide a signed integer type of width 8, 16, 32, or 64 bits, respectively. 💖

and the types uint8_t, uint16_t, uint32_t, and uint64_t provide an unsigned integer type of width 8, 16, 32, or 64 bits, respectively. 💖

these integer types should be used when a specific size is required. periodt.

🌈 the speed demons

the types int_fast8_t, int_fast16_t, int_fast32_t, and int_fast64_t provide the fastest signed integer type with a width of at least 8, 16, 32, or 64 bits, respectively. ⭐

and uint_fast8_t, uint_fast16_t, uint_fast32_t, and uint_fast64_t provide the fastest unsigned integer type with a width of at least 8, 16, 32, or 64 bits, respectively. ⭐

these types should be used when access speed is paramount, and when a specific size is not required. main character energy tbh.

🧚 the tiny memory icons

the types int_least8_t, int_least16_t, int_least32_t, and int_least64_t provide the smallest memory footprint signed integer type with a width of at least 8, 16, 32, or 64 bits, respectively. 🌸

and uint_least8_t, uint_least16_t, uint_least32_t, and uint_least64_t provide the smallest memory footprint unsigned integer type with a width of at least 8, 16, 32, or 64 bits, respectively. 🌸

these types should be used when memory storage is of concern, and when a specific size is not required. lowkey the most responsible of the group. 🙈

👑 the big ones

the type intmax_t provides a signed integer type large enough to hold any other signed integer. 👑

the type uintmax_t provides an unsigned integer type large enough to hold any other unsigned integer. 👑

these types are generally the largest signed and unsigned integer types available on a specific architecture. they ate and left no crumbs. 🔥

🫶 the pointer holders

the type intptr_t provides a signed integer type with the ability to hold a pointer to void, that can later be converted back to a pointer to void. 💅

the type uintptr_t provides an unsigned integer type with the ability to hold a pointer to void, that can later be converted back to a pointer to void. 💅

🍓 the mystery macros

additionally, the <stdint.h> header defines some macros, but none of them are documented here. 😭 literally not documented. not me leaving you on read, bestie — that's just what the page says. 🙈

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⭐ STANDARDS ⭐

the <stdint.h> header conforms to ISO/IEC 9899:1999 (they call it "ISO C99") and IEEE Std 1003.1-2001 (aka "POSIX.1"). certified, validated, iconic. 🎀

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💀 HISTORY 💀

the <stdint.h> header was first introduced in FreeBSD 5.0. a legend was born. 👑

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and that's the whole page, bestie 💖 go forth and pick the right int for the job 🦋✨

this little transmission was brought to you by Debian, dated September 15, 2002 — yeah, it's vintage, and it still ate. 💅🎀