.::Data Types Supported::.
The table below lists each of the seven numeric data types supported by the Pentium, showing the data format for each type. The table also shows the approximate range of normalized values that can be represented with each type.
All operands are stored in memory with the least significant digits starting at the initial (lowest) memory address. Numeric instructions access and store memory operands using only this initial address.
Below is a data format chart for the Pentium.
Data Types And Formats
The Pentium recognizes seven numeric data types for memory-based values, divided into three classes: binary integers, packed decimal integers, and binary reals. The sign is always located in the highest-addressed byte. The three binary integer formats are the same except for length, which governs the range in each format. The leftmost bit is interpreted as the number's sign: 0=positive and 1=negative. Negative numbers are represented in standard two's complement notation. The quantity zero is represented with a positive sign. The word integer format is the same as the 16-bit signed integer data type. The short integer format is the same as the 32-bit signed integer data type. The binary integer formats exist in memory only. When used by the FPU, they are automatically converted to the 80-bit extended real format. All binary integers are represented in the extended real format. Decimal integers are stored in packed decimal notation, with two decimal digits "packed" into each byte, except the leftmost byte, which carries the sign bit (0=positive, 1=negative). Negative numbers are not stored in two's complement form and are different from positive numbers only by the sign bit. The most significant digit of the number is the leftmost digit. All digits must be in the range 0–9.
