Bytetyp

Bytetyp is a term used in computing to denote a data type that stores a single byte. A byte is the basic unit of memory in most modern architectures, commonly consisting of 8 bits. While an 8-bit byte is standard today, historical architectures experimented with different byte sizes, and some language specifications still describe a byte in more general terms as an 8-bit unit regardless of sign.

In programming languages, a bytetyp is typically implemented as an integer-type with a fixed width. In many languages it is unsigned, allowing values from 0 to 255, while in others the concept of a signed byte exists (for example -128 to 127). Some languages treat a byte as a distinct type called 'byte' or 'bytetype', while in others, a character type such as 'char' may be used to hold raw byte data as well. The exact semantics—such as signedness and range—depend on the language and runtime.

Usage: bytes are used to represent binary data, encode characters in encodings like ASCII or UTF-8, and serve as buffers for input/output operations, networking, and file handling. In multi-byte types, endianness determines how larger values are stored, but a single byte is endianness-agnostic.

Origin and terminology: the word byte originates from "by-te" and the suffix typ reflects Germanic usage to denote a type. The term 'bytetyp' is primarily found in German and some European technical literature as a translation or variant of 'byte type'.