`Word' data type_(re)

Fri, 13 Jun 1997 12:33:59 -0400

Why not just make it 16 bits on the Intel platform? On certain computers,
like the Macintosh I believe, a Byte is the size of a PC Word.
> behaviour.  In this case I would appreciate suggestions how to rename
> all GPC Integer types above (which I wouldn't like to do because I find
> the above quite consistent).

When I was playing with GPC doing the Port inline assembly stuff, I
delcared the types as follows:

...
TYPE
  ShortInt = __byte__ Integer;   { 8 bits  }
  Int      = __short__ Integer;  { 16 bits }
  LongInt  = __long__ Integer;   { 32 bits }

  Byte  = __unsigned__ ShortInt; { 8 bits  }
  Word  = __unsigned__ Int;      { 16 bits }
  DWord = __unsigned__ LongInt;  { 32 bits }
...

Or soemthing to that effect. Altho I'd prefer to re-declare the Integer as
a PC Integer, I didn't because I don't like overriding the default type.

I think that there should be a compiler directive to generate code, or
maybe typecasting should be implemented, in case someone writes data from a
32-bit word to prevent it from being read into a 16-bit word. I like
Borland Style Type-Casting because it's logical, for example:
VAR
  MyDword : DWord;
  MyLInt  : LongInt;

BEGIN
  MyLint := -23;
  LongInt( MyDword ) := MyLint;
END.

Not much of a logical example, but hopefully it shows you what I mean :}

See ya!
Orlando Llanes

Orlando Llanes (ollanes@accesspro.net)