What Is the Size of Short Data Type?

The size of the short data type in programming languages is an important concept to understand. A short data type is a type that is used to store integer values.

It is smaller in size compared to other integer types, such as int or long. Let’s dive deeper into understanding the size of the short data type.

Size of the Short Data Type

The size of the short data type varies depending on the programming language and the system architecture. In most programming languages, a short data type typically uses 2 bytes of memory.

• C: In C, a short data type uses 2 bytes (16 bits) of memory.
• C++: In C++, a short data type also uses 2 bytes (16 bits) of memory.
• Java: In Java, a short data type also uses 2 bytes (16 bits) of memory.
• C#: In C#, a short data type uses 2 bytes (16 bits) of memory.

It’s important to note that the actual size may vary on different systems or architectures. For example, on some systems, a short may use more than 2 bytes if the default size for integers is larger.

Usage and Range

The range of values that can be stored in a short data type depends on its size. Since a short typically uses 2 bytes, it can store values from -32,768 to 32,767 (inclusive). These values represent the minimum and maximum values that can be stored in a signed 16-bit integer.

Shorts are commonly used when memory efficiency is crucial or when there is no need for larger integer values. They are often used to save memory when dealing with large arrays or structures that contain multiple integer values.

Here’s an example in C to demonstrate the usage of the short data type:

#include 

int main() {
  short temperature = -10;
  printf("Temperature: %d\n", temperature);
  
  return 0;
}

In this example, we declare a variable called temperature of type short and assign it a value of -10. We then print the value using the printf function. The output will be “Temperature: -10”.

Conclusion

Understanding the size of the short data type is essential when working with integer values in programming languages. It is important to consider the memory usage and range of values that can be stored when deciding which data type to use.

Remember that the size of a short may vary across different programming languages and system architectures, but it is commonly 2 bytes (16 bits) in size.