From 3938962007204310923 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: fc772,8d9af67f0c48e4ef X-Google-Attributes: gidfc772,public X-Google-Thread: f78e5,8d9af67f0c48e4ef X-Google-Attributes: gidf78e5,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 2002-05-01 08:35:09 PST Path: archiver1.google.com!news1.google.com!newsfeed.stanford.edu!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!nycmny1-snh1.gtei.net!chcgil2-snh1.gtei.net!denver-snf1.gtei.net!news.gtei.net!namche.sun.com!news2me.EBay.Sun.COM!engnews1.eng.sun.com!taumet!clamage From: brangdon@cix.co.uk (Dave Harris) Newsgroups: comp.std.c++,comp.lang.c++.moderated Subject: Re: Unsignedness of size_t Date: 1 May 2002 15:28:06 GMT Organization: unknown Lines: 34 Approved: stephen.clamage@sun.com (comp.std.c++) Message-ID: References: <3CC7DB8F.52E75D62@bawi.org> Reply-To: brangdon@cix.co.uk NNTP-Posting-Host: taumet.eng.sun.com X-NNTP-Posting-Host: netlab.cs.rpi.edu X-Original-Date: Tue, 30 Apr 2002 20:51 +0100 (BST) X-Submission-Address: c++-submit@netlab.cs.rpi.edu X-Auth: PGPMoose V1.1 PGP comp.lang.c++.moderated iQBVAwUAPM8vlEHMCo9UcraBAQEe2AH/UjFhqOji9vj1V5O7/ppLn4jUNcRI35yw rjZnTc0T6uWa+owR+ASE/8jin2deDzVp1EYQ1N5stGKsbPHPYhkX+w== =6P9B X-Approved-For-Group: jep@[151.161.11.6] comp.lang.c++.moderated X-Scanned-By: MIMEDefang 2.3 (www dot roaringpenguin dot com slash mimedefang) Content-Length: 1402 X-Status: $$$$ X-UID: 0000000001 Originator: clamage@taumet Xref: archiver1.google.com comp.std.c++:10937 comp.lang.c++.moderated:42432 musiphil@bawi.org (Sungbom Kim) wrote (abridged): > I often find it somewhat "flawed" that the standard requires the data > type representing sizes of objects to be an unsigned integral type. I agree with your sentiments. > As Stroustrup mentioned in TC++PL 4.4, usage of unsigned integer types > for that kind of situation is discouraged. This is rather a special case, though. On some machines, using a signed integer would halve the maximum object size. That would be unacceptable. For example, on a 16-bit machine we might have a single array 36000 chars long (taking up more than half the addressable memory). So size_t needs to be a 16-bit quantity capable of representing 36000. Dave Harris, Nottingham, UK | "Weave a circle round him thrice, brangdon@cix.co.uk | And close your eyes with holy dread, | For he on honey dew hath fed http://www.bhresearch.co.uk/ | And drunk the milk of Paradise." [ Send an empty e-mail to c++-help@netlab.cs.rpi.edu for info ] [ about comp.lang.c++.moderated. First time posters: do this! ] [ comp.std.c++ is moderated. To submit articles, try just posting with ] [ your news-reader. If that fails, use mailto:std-c++@ncar.ucar.edu ] [ --- Please see the FAQ before posting. --- ] [ FAQ: http://www.jamesd.demon.co.uk/csc/faq.html ]