i16

i16 denotes a 16-bit signed integer type used in several programming languages. It is the counterpart of unsigned 16-bit types, such as u16 or unsigned short, and is commonly used when a small, fixed-width integer is desired.

i16 occupies two bytes of memory. In two's complement representation, which is standard on modern computer systems, the typical value range is -32768 to 32767. The exact storage layout can be affected by endianness, meaning the order of the two bytes varies between little-endian and big-endian architectures. When data is exchanged between systems, explicit endianness handling is often required.

Arithmetic on i16 follows the rules of the host language, and overflow behavior varies by language. In many languages, signed overflow wraps around or triggers a runtime check in debug modes, while in languages like C, signed overflow is undefined behavior. Some languages provide explicit checked, saturation, or wrapping arithmetic as separate operations or modes.

Common uses for i16 include memory-constrained or performance-sensitive contexts, such as embedded systems, graphics pipelines, audio processing with 16-bit PCM samples, small counters, and certain file or network data formats. Its fixed width ensures predictable size across platforms, which aids in binary I/O, protocol design, and interfacing with hardware.

Language design notes: i16 is a naming convention used by languages such as Rust, Zig, D, and Nim to denote a signed 16-bit integer. Other languages may use different identifiers, such as Int16, short, or int16_t, even though they refer to a similar underlying width.

See also: int16_t, u16, two’s complement, endianness.