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Re: How to get an integer from a sequence of bytes

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On Mon, Jun 3, 2013 at 7:31 AM, Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid>wrote:

> That's a common assumption, but historically, a "byte" was merely the
> smallest addressable unit of memory.  The size of a "byte" on widely
> used used CPUs ranged from 4 bits to 60 bits.
>
> Quoting from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byte
>
>     "The size of the byte has historically been hardware
>      dependent and no definitive standards existed that mandated the
>      size."
>
> That's why IEEE standards always use the word "octet" when referring a
> value containing 8 bits.
>

When I was a Freshman in college, I used a CDC Cyber a lot; it had 6 bit
bytes and 60 bit words.  This was in 1985.

Today though, it would be difficult to sell a conventional (Von Neumann)
computer that didn't have 8 bit bytes.  Quantum computers would still sell
if they were odd this way - they're going to be really different anyway.

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Thread

How to get an integer from a sequence of bytes Mok-Kong Shen <mok-kong.shen@t-online.de> - 2013-05-27 16:45 +0200
  Re: How to get an integer from a sequence of bytes Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2013-05-27 15:00 +0000
    RE: How to get an integer from a sequence of bytes Carlos Nepomuceno <carlosnepomuceno@outlook.com> - 2013-05-28 03:37 +0300
  Re: How to get an integer from a sequence of bytes Ned Batchelder <ned@nedbatchelder.com> - 2013-05-27 11:30 -0400
    Re: How to get an integer from a sequence of bytes Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2013-05-28 00:31 +0000
      Re: How to get an integer from a sequence of bytes Dave Angel <davea@davea.name> - 2013-05-27 20:41 -0400
    Re: How to get an integer from a sequence of bytes Mok-Kong Shen <mok-kong.shen@t-online.de> - 2013-05-30 20:26 +0200
      Re: How to get an integer from a sequence of bytes Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2013-05-30 12:42 -0600
        Re: How to get an integer from a sequence of bytes jmfauth <wxjmfauth@gmail.com> - 2013-05-30 11:53 -0700
      Re: How to get an integer from a sequence of bytes Ned Batchelder <ned@nedbatchelder.com> - 2013-05-30 15:22 -0400
        Re: How to get an integer from a sequence of bytes Mok-Kong Shen <mok-kong.shen@t-online.de> - 2013-06-02 21:25 +0200
          Re: How to get an integer from a sequence of bytes Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-06-03 05:54 +1000
          Re: How to get an integer from a sequence of bytes Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2013-06-02 21:48 -0400
            Re: How to get an integer from a sequence of bytes Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2013-06-03 14:31 +0000
              Re: How to get an integer from a sequence of bytes Dave Angel <d@davea.name> - 2013-06-03 18:07 -0400
                Re: How to get an integer from a sequence of bytes Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2013-06-03 22:34 +0000
              Re: How to get an integer from a sequence of bytes Dan Stromberg <drsalists@gmail.com> - 2013-06-03 15:41 -0700
                Re: How to get an integer from a sequence of bytes Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2013-06-04 13:39 +0000
                Re: How to get an integer from a sequence of bytes Joshua Landau <joshua.landau.ws@gmail.com> - 2013-06-04 20:51 +0100
                Re: How to get an integer from a sequence of bytes Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-06-05 07:49 +1000
                Re: How to get an integer from a sequence of bytes Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2013-06-04 20:34 -0400
                Re: How to get an integer from a sequence of bytes Tim Roberts <timr@probo.com> - 2013-06-04 22:11 -0700
                Re: How to get an integer from a sequence of bytes Fábio Santos <fabiosantosart@gmail.com> - 2013-06-12 15:00 +0100
                Re: How to get an integer from a sequence of bytes Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2013-06-12 14:42 +0000
              RE: How to get an integer from a sequence of bytes Carlos Nepomuceno <carlosnepomuceno@outlook.com> - 2013-06-04 02:18 +0300
                Re: How to get an integer from a sequence of bytes Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2013-06-04 13:42 +0000
                RE: How to get an integer from a sequence of bytes Carlos Nepomuceno <carlosnepomuceno@outlook.com> - 2013-06-04 16:58 +0300
              Re: How to get an integer from a sequence of bytes Dan Stromberg <drsalists@gmail.com> - 2013-06-03 16:47 -0700
  Re: How to get an integer from a sequence of bytes Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2013-05-28 16:04 +0000

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