Word computer science - Uses of words

In computing, "word" is a term for the natural unit of data used by a particular computer design. A word is simply a fixed-sized group of bits that are handled together by the machine. The word size (or length) is an important characteristic of a computer architecture. The size of a word influences many aspects of a computer's structure and operation. The majority of the registers in the computer are usually word-sized. The typical numeric value manipulated by the computer is probably word sized. The amount of data transferred ...

Including:

• Word computer science - Uses of words
• Word computer science - Word size choice
• Word computer science - Variable word architectures
• Word computer science - Word and byte addressing
• Word computer science - The power of 2
• Word computer science - Size families
• Word computer science - Table of word sizes

Read more here: » Word computer science: Encyclopedia - Word computer science

When a computer architecture is designed, the choice of a word size is of substantial importance. There are design considerations which encourage particular bit-group sizes for particular uses (e.g. for addresses), and these considerations point to different sizes for different uses. However, considerations of economy in design strongly push for one size, or a very few sizes related by multiples or fractions (submultiples) to a primary size. That ...

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Word computer science, Word computer science - Uses of words, Word computer science - Word size choice, Word computer science - Variable word architectures, Word computer science - Word and byte addressing, Word computer science - The power of 2, Word computer science - Size families, Word computer science - Table of word sizes

Read more here: » Word computer science: Encyclopedia II - Word computer science - Word size choice

As computer designs have grown more complex, the obvious central importance of a single word size to an architecture has decreased. This is due to the more capable hardware making use of a wider variety of sizes of data since differing sizes are most effective in differing contexts. One pressure in this direction is the need to maintain backward compatibility while extending processor capability. As a result, what might have been the central word size in a fresh design has to coexist as an alternative size to ...

See also:

Word computer science, Word computer science - Uses of words, Word computer science - Word size choice, Word computer science - Variable word architectures, Word computer science - Word and byte addressing, Word computer science - The power of 2, Word computer science - Size families, Word computer science - Table of word sizes

Read more here: » Word computer science: Encyclopedia II - Word computer science - Size families