The hardware registers in a computer machine are word sized. in one attempt) by the machine/system.Īlternatively, we can say that Word defines the amount of data that can be transferred between CPU and RAM in a single operation. #define CHAR_BIT 8 /* number of bits in a char */Ī Word is defined as specific number of bits which can be processed together (i.e. If you want to verify ‘number of bits’ in your C++ implementation, check the file ‘limits.h’. In other words, a byte is the amount of memory required to store a single character. Hence it is guaranteed that a byte will have at least 8 bits. In the United States, the basic character sets are usually the ASCII and EBCDIC sets, each of which can be accommodated by 8 bits. That is, the number of possible values must equal or exceed the number of distinct characters. What this means is that the byte consists of at least enough adjacent bits to accommodate the basic character set for the implementation. The C++ standard defines ‘byte’ as “Addressable unit of data large enough to hold any member of the basic character set of the execution environment.” I am trying to answer this question from C++ perspective. This is then reflected in some APIs, like Microsoft's WinAPI. For example, the Intel and AMD x86 manuals still use "word" to mean 16 bits with DWORD (double-word, 32 bit) and QWORD (quad-word, 64 bit) as larger sizes. In some manuals and APIs, the term "word" may be "stuck" on a former legacy size and might differ from what's the actual, current word size of a processor when the platform evolved to support larger register sizes. But its pointers (addresses) are 20 bit wide and were calculated by combining two 16 bit registers in a certain way. There are also a few processors which have a different pointer size: for example, the 8086 is a 16-bit processor which means its registers are 16 bit wide. The word size is the maximum register size that the majority of operations work with. floating point processing for example) or are able to access fractions of a register. ![]() That definition is a bit fuzzy, as some processors might have different register sizes for different tasks (integer vs. If you want to set/clear single bits, you first need to fetch the corresponding byte from memory, mess with the bits and then write the byte back to memory.īy contrast, one definition for word is the biggest chunk of bits with which a processor can do processing (like addition and subtraction) at a time – typically the width of an integer register. The byte is the smallest addressable unit for a CPU. For examples, there were a few 36 bit machines, or even 12 bit machines. The most common word sizes encountered today are 8, 16, 32 and 64 bits, but other sizes are possible. Word: The natural size with which a processor is handling data (the register size). Since 8 bits is a convenient number to work with it became the de facto standard. However, that wasn't always the case and there's no "standard" or something that dictates this. All rights reserved.Byte: Today, a byte is almost always 8 bit. Copyright © 2023, Columbia University Press. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Desktop publishers may include only simple word processing features but provide enhanced formatting functions, such as routines for merging text and graphics into complex page layouts. While they have features found in simple word processors, such as search and replace, that make the entry and editing of words and numbers easier, text editors provide only the most primitive facilities for text formatting and printing. Text editors are designed for creating and editing computer programs. Word processors are distinguished from text editors and desktop publishing systems. To aid in these alterations, the text is displayed as it will appear when printed with indented paragraphs and lists, multiple columns, tables, etc this is called a what-you-see-is-what-you-get (WYSIWYG) display. In addition, a document's format-type size, line spacing, margins, page length, and the like-usually can be easily altered. As word processors have become more sophisticated, such functions as word counting, spell checking, footnoting, and index generation have been added. ![]() As the text is entered or after it has been retrieved, sections ranging from words and sentences to paragraphs and pages can be moved, copied, deleted, altered, and added to while displayed. Word processors have various functions that allow a person to revise text without retyping an entire document. ![]() Text is most commonly entered using a keyboard similar to a typewriter's, although handwritten input (see pen-based computer) and audio input (as for dictation) devices have been introduced. Word processing, use of a computer program or a dedicated hardware and software package to write, edit, format, and print a document.
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