divaligned

Divaligned is a term used in the context of data alignment and data structures, particularly in computer science and software engineering. It refers to the alignment of data within a computer's memory or storage system to optimize performance and efficiency. Proper alignment ensures that data is stored at memory addresses that are multiples of the data type's size, which can lead to faster access and manipulation of data.

The concept of divaligned is closely related to the alignment requirements of different data types. For example, a 4-byte integer should ideally be stored at a memory address that is a multiple of 4. This alignment helps in reducing the number of memory access cycles required to fetch or store the data, as modern processors often fetch data in chunks (e.g., 4 bytes, 8 bytes) rather than one byte at a time.

Divaligned is particularly important in systems programming, where developers need to manage memory manually. In high-level programming languages, compilers often handle alignment automatically, but in low-level languages like C or assembly, developers must be mindful of alignment to avoid performance penalties.

The term "divaligned" is not as commonly used as other alignment-related terms like "byte-aligned" or "word-aligned," but it emphasizes the idea that data should be aligned in a way that is divisible by the data type's size. This ensures that the data is stored in a manner that is optimal for the underlying hardware architecture.

In summary, divaligned refers to the practice of aligning data in memory or storage in a way that is divisible by the data type's size. This alignment is crucial for optimizing performance in computer systems, especially in low-level programming where manual memory management is required.