Every time I've used the unsigned
keyword it has been before int
, or another built-in type. I was wondering if there were any other ways unsigned
could be used.
unsigned
keyword?unsigned
?If not, why does it have its own keyword? Why is unsigned int
not uint
?
No, it can't be used with classes or structs since they're not integral types. All a template can do with it is make an int unsigned. I think it was chosen as a separate keyword since it can be applied to any integer type (char, int, long, long long), thereby achieving with one keyword what would have required four more. Its meaning is also immediately evident, whereas uint, uchar, etc. aren't necessarily. And keep in mind it can also be used by itself without a qualifier, in which case unsigned int is assumed.