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| <h4 class="subsection">A.5.2 Range of an Integer Type</h4> |
| |
| <p><a name="index-integer-type-range-3745"></a><a name="index-range-of-integer-type-3746"></a><a name="index-limits_002c-integer-types-3747"></a> |
| Suppose you need to store an integer value which can range from zero to |
| one million. Which is the smallest type you can use? There is no |
| general rule; it depends on the C compiler and target machine. You can |
| use the ‘<samp><span class="samp">MIN</span></samp>’ and ‘<samp><span class="samp">MAX</span></samp>’ macros in <samp><span class="file">limits.h</span></samp> to determine |
| which type will work. |
| |
| <p>Each signed integer type has a pair of macros which give the smallest |
| and largest values that it can hold. Each unsigned integer type has one |
| such macro, for the maximum value; the minimum value is, of course, |
| zero. |
| |
| <p>The values of these macros are all integer constant expressions. The |
| ‘<samp><span class="samp">MAX</span></samp>’ and ‘<samp><span class="samp">MIN</span></samp>’ macros for <code>char</code> and <code>short int</code><!-- /@w --> types have values of type <code>int</code>. The ‘<samp><span class="samp">MAX</span></samp>’ and |
| ‘<samp><span class="samp">MIN</span></samp>’ macros for the other types have values of the same type |
| described by the macro—thus, <code>ULONG_MAX</code> has type |
| <code>unsigned long int</code><!-- /@w -->. |
| |
| <!-- Extra blank lines make it look better. --> |
| <dl> |
| <!-- limits.h --> |
| <!-- ISO --> |
| <dt><code>SCHAR_MIN</code><a name="index-SCHAR_005fMIN-3748"></a><dd> |
| This is the minimum value that can be represented by a <code>signed char</code><!-- /@w -->. |
| |
| <!-- limits.h --> |
| <!-- ISO --> |
| <br><dt><code>SCHAR_MAX</code><a name="index-SCHAR_005fMAX-3749"></a><dd><!-- limits.h --> |
| <!-- ISO --> |
| <dt><code>UCHAR_MAX</code><a name="index-UCHAR_005fMAX-3750"></a><dd> |
| These are the maximum values that can be represented by a |
| <code>signed char</code><!-- /@w --> and <code>unsigned char</code><!-- /@w -->, respectively. |
| |
| <!-- limits.h --> |
| <!-- ISO --> |
| <br><dt><code>CHAR_MIN</code><a name="index-CHAR_005fMIN-3751"></a><dd> |
| This is the minimum value that can be represented by a <code>char</code>. |
| It's equal to <code>SCHAR_MIN</code> if <code>char</code> is signed, or zero |
| otherwise. |
| |
| <!-- limits.h --> |
| <!-- ISO --> |
| <br><dt><code>CHAR_MAX</code><a name="index-CHAR_005fMAX-3752"></a><dd> |
| This is the maximum value that can be represented by a <code>char</code>. |
| It's equal to <code>SCHAR_MAX</code> if <code>char</code> is signed, or |
| <code>UCHAR_MAX</code> otherwise. |
| |
| <!-- limits.h --> |
| <!-- ISO --> |
| <br><dt><code>SHRT_MIN</code><a name="index-SHRT_005fMIN-3753"></a><dd> |
| This is the minimum value that can be represented by a <code>signed short int</code><!-- /@w -->. On most machines that the GNU C library runs on, |
| <code>short</code> integers are 16-bit quantities. |
| |
| <!-- limits.h --> |
| <!-- ISO --> |
| <br><dt><code>SHRT_MAX</code><a name="index-SHRT_005fMAX-3754"></a><dd><!-- limits.h --> |
| <!-- ISO --> |
| <dt><code>USHRT_MAX</code><a name="index-USHRT_005fMAX-3755"></a><dd> |
| These are the maximum values that can be represented by a |
| <code>signed short int</code><!-- /@w --> and <code>unsigned short int</code><!-- /@w -->, |
| respectively. |
| |
| <!-- limits.h --> |
| <!-- ISO --> |
| <br><dt><code>INT_MIN</code><a name="index-INT_005fMIN-3756"></a><dd> |
| This is the minimum value that can be represented by a <code>signed int</code><!-- /@w -->. On most machines that the GNU C system runs on, an <code>int</code> is |
| a 32-bit quantity. |
| |
| <!-- limits.h --> |
| <!-- ISO --> |
| <br><dt><code>INT_MAX</code><a name="index-INT_005fMAX-3757"></a><dd><!-- limits.h --> |
| <!-- ISO --> |
| <dt><code>UINT_MAX</code><a name="index-UINT_005fMAX-3758"></a><dd> |
| These are the maximum values that can be represented by, respectively, |
| the type <code>signed int</code><!-- /@w --> and the type <code>unsigned int</code><!-- /@w -->. |
| |
| <!-- limits.h --> |
| <!-- ISO --> |
| <br><dt><code>LONG_MIN</code><a name="index-LONG_005fMIN-3759"></a><dd> |
| This is the minimum value that can be represented by a <code>signed long int</code><!-- /@w -->. On most machines that the GNU C system runs on, <code>long</code> |
| integers are 32-bit quantities, the same size as <code>int</code>. |
| |
| <!-- limits.h --> |
| <!-- ISO --> |
| <br><dt><code>LONG_MAX</code><a name="index-LONG_005fMAX-3760"></a><dd><!-- limits.h --> |
| <!-- ISO --> |
| <dt><code>ULONG_MAX</code><a name="index-ULONG_005fMAX-3761"></a><dd> |
| These are the maximum values that can be represented by a |
| <code>signed long int</code><!-- /@w --> and <code>unsigned long int</code>, respectively. |
| |
| <!-- limits.h --> |
| <!-- GNU --> |
| <br><dt><code>LONG_LONG_MIN</code><a name="index-LONG_005fLONG_005fMIN-3762"></a><dd> |
| This is the minimum value that can be represented by a <code>signed long long int</code><!-- /@w -->. On most machines that the GNU C system runs on, |
| <code>long long</code><!-- /@w --> integers are 64-bit quantities. |
| |
| <!-- limits.h --> |
| <!-- GNU --> |
| <br><dt><code>LONG_LONG_MAX</code><a name="index-LONG_005fLONG_005fMAX-3763"></a><dd><!-- limits.h --> |
| <!-- ISO --> |
| <dt><code>ULONG_LONG_MAX</code><a name="index-ULONG_005fLONG_005fMAX-3764"></a><dd> |
| These are the maximum values that can be represented by a <code>signed |
| long long int</code> and <code>unsigned long long int</code>, respectively. |
| |
| <!-- limits.h --> |
| <!-- GNU --> |
| <br><dt><code>WCHAR_MAX</code><a name="index-WCHAR_005fMAX-3765"></a><dd> |
| This is the maximum value that can be represented by a <code>wchar_t</code>. |
| See <a href="Extended-Char-Intro.html#Extended-Char-Intro">Extended Char Intro</a>. |
| </dl> |
| |
| <p>The header file <samp><span class="file">limits.h</span></samp> also defines some additional constants |
| that parameterize various operating system and file system limits. These |
| constants are described in <a href="System-Configuration.html#System-Configuration">System Configuration</a>. |
| |
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