sizeof(char)

Ray Butterworth rbutterworth at watmath.UUCP
Tue Nov 11 06:50:49 AEST 1986


> In article <126 at olamb.UUCP> kimcm at olamb.UUCP (Kim Chr. Madsen) writes:
> >Why not take the full step and let the datatype char be of variable size,
> >like int's and other types. Then invent the datatype ``byte'' which is exactly
> >8 bits long.

Who says bytes are 8 bits long?  They're 9 on the machine I use.
Why not make sizeof() return the number of bits?  I don't think
there is much argument about how big a bit is.  And the number of
bits is much more useful than the number of chars.  If you really
want the number of chars, use "sizeof(object)/sizeof(char)".



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