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In the Microsoft world, “word” generally means 16 bits, because their usage dates back to the 16 bit era. Other sizes are double words and quad words In the AR
by fanf2 4y ago
In the Microsoft world, “word” generally means 16 bits, because their usage dates back to the 16 bit era. Other sizes are double words and quad words
In the ARM ARM, a word is 32 bits, because that was the Arm’s original word size. Other sizes are half words and double words.
It is a very context-sensitive term.
- AdamH12113 4y ago>In the Microsoft world, “word” generally means 16 bits, because their usage dates back to the 16 bit era. Other sizes are double words and quad words Ah, yes. That terminology is still used in the Windows registry, although Windows 10 seems to be limited to DWORD and QWORD. Probably dates back to the 286 or earlier. :-)
- ajross 4y agoFWIW, those conventions come from Intel originally, Microsoft took it from them. ARM borrowed from VAX Unix conventions, who got it from DEC.