> Using size_t might be fine for intra-process usage, but as soon as we are deal... | Hacker News

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raverbashing on July 8, 2015 | parent | context | favorite | on: When ‘int’ is the new ‘short’

> Using size_t might be fine for intra-process usage, but as soon as we are dealing with data across platforms, exact size type definition is a must.

I don't know why you are downvoted, but this is very important.

Never send anything "on the wire" (or to a file) unless you know its exact size and endianness.

sharpneli on July 8, 2015 [–]

That is correct. For file formats and packets etc you must use exact sizes.

However for cross platform support using size_t in an API (as in what is exposed via .dll or .so) is a must. It's exactly the correct way to write cross platform code.

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