writeInt

WriteInt is a generic programming term for a function or method that outputs an integer value to an output destination. It is not a universal standard; the exact behavior varies by language and library. In binary-writing APIs, writeInt typically writes the integer using a fixed width (for example 16, 32, or 64 bits) and a defined byte order. Endianness matters for interoperability across systems.

In Java, the DataOutputStream class provides a method writeInt(int v) that writes four bytes in big-endian order to the underlying output stream. In .NET, a BinaryWriter often provides a Write(int value) method; the actual byte order is determined by the platform’s endianness and the implementation.

Some libraries expose functions named writeInt intended for binary protocols, where the integer is serialized in network byte order (big-endian) to ensure portability. Others implement a textual form: rather than writing binary bytes, they convert the integer to its decimal string representation and write that string to a text writer.

Common considerations include: the size of the integer on the target platform, how many bytes are written, and whether sign and endianness are explicitly specified; error handling and stream state are also important.

In practice, developers will encounter writeInt as part of a larger I/O framework or protocol library. When integrating with external data formats, it is important to consult the specific API documentation to determine the exact semantics, including width, endianness, and encoding used.