Size_t
size_t is an unsigned integer type in C and C++ used to represent object sizes and related counts.
Modern C
size_t is an unsigned integer type provided by the C standard library for representing object sizes and related counts.
- How it is used
- Uses size_t to express object sizes, cardinalities, and related counts with semantic type information.
- How deep it goes
- Explains size_t’s semantic classification and +, -, and * rules, but defers detailed overflow handling.
- Examples
- Demonstrates grouped expressions, unary operators, and values 45 and 7 producing 76 and 31.
- What you can do after
- Evaluate/understand size_t expressions and recognize when unsigned results are representable or overflow.
100 C++ Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
size_t is an unsigned integer type capable of representing the size of any object in C++.
- How it is used
- Represents object and container sizes while illustrating a boundary where automatic type deduction becomes unsafe.
- How deep it goes
- Defines its size guarantee and explains unsigned wraparound in reverse loops, stopping short of broader implementation details.
- Examples
- Uses a vector reverse-index loop whose unsigned counter wraps after reaching zero.
- What you can do after
- Diagnose reverse-loop crashes caused by unsigned wraparound and choose int when a negative loop condition is required.
Read how 100 C++ Mistakes and How to Avoid Them explains size_t →
Related concepts
- SIZE_MAXconfigured by · SIZE_MAX is a C standard-library macro that expands to the maximum value representable by size_t.
- modulo arithmeticimplements · Modulo arithmetic is arithmetic in which values are identified as equivalent when they differ by a multiple of a fixed modulus.
- unsigned integerkind of · An unsigned integer is an integer type or representation whose values are nonnegative, with its representable range determined by its bit width and applicable rules.
- numerical overflowcontrasts with · Numerical overflow is the condition in which an arithmetic result falls outside the range representable by its numeric type or format.
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