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Visual Studio Code – Can sized integer types be used interchangeably with typedefs?

Visual Studio stdint.h seems to have the following typedefs:

typedef signed char        int8_t;
typedef short              int16_t;
typedef int                int32_t;
typedef long long          int64_t;
typedef unsigned char      uint8_t;
typedef unsigned short     uint16_t;
typedef unsigned int       uint32_t;
typedef unsigned long long uint64_t;

However, sized integer types use the __intN syntax, as described here: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/cpp/cpp/int8-int16-int32-int64?view=msvc-170

Is there any difference (for example) between using int32_t versus using __int32?

I guess I am a little confused if the purpose of the int32_t typedef is to be the ANSI C99 standard to abstract away the specific compiler syntax (so you can use int32_t in both Visual Studio and gcc C code for example), then I’m not sure why the typedef in Visual Studio wouldn’t be: typedef __int32 int32_t;

Say that the codebase has the following:

#ifdef _MSC_VER
    typedef __int64 PROD_INT64;
#else
    typedef int64_t PROD_INT64;
#endif

And it uses PROD_INT64 everywhere for a 64-bit signed integer, and it is compiled in both Visual Studio and gcc.

Can it simply use the int64_t in both Visual Studio and gcc? It would seem this is changing __int64 for long long in Visual Studio.

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3

Answers


  1. 0

    Q: Is there any difference (for example) between using int32_t versus using __int32?

    A: Yes:

    https://stackoverflow.com/a/25090719/421195

    C standard says (section 7.1.3):

    All identifiers that begin with an underscore and either an uppercase
    letter or another underscore are always reserved for any use.

    All identifiers that begin with an underscore are always reserved for
    use as identifiers with file scope in both the ordinary
    and tag name spaces.

    What this means is that for example, the implementation (either the compiler or a standard header) can use the
    name __FOO for anything it likes. If you define that identifier in
    your own code, your program’s behavior is undefined. If you’re
    "lucky", you’ll be using an implementation that doesn’t happen to
    define it, and your program will work as expected.*

    In other words, for any NEW code, you should use "int32_t".

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  2. 0

    sized integer types use the __intN syntax, as described here: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/cpp/cpp/int8-int16-int32-int64?view=msvc-170

    Your wording suggests that you think the __intN syntax is somehow more correct or fundamental than all other alternatives. That’s not what the doc you link says. It simply defines what those particular forms mean. In Microsoft C, those are preferred over Microsoft’s older, single-underscore forms (_intN), but there’s no particular reason to think that they are to be preferred over other alternatives, such as the intN_t forms available when you include stdint.h. The key distinguishing characteristic of the __intN types is that they are built in, available without including any particular header.

    Is there any difference (for example) between using int32_t versus using __int32?

    • On Windows, int32_t is the same type as __int32, but the former is standard C, whereas the latter is not.

    • You need to include stdint.h to use int32_t, whereas __int32 is built in to MSVC.

    I’m not sure why the typedef in Visual Studio wouldn’t be: typedef __int32 int32_t;

    It’s an implementation decision that may or may not have a well-considered reason. As long as the implementation provides correct definitions — and there’s no reason to think MSVC is doing otherwise — you shouldn’t care about the details.

    Say that the codebase has the following:

    #ifdef _MSC_VER
    typedef __int64 PROD_INT64;
#else
    typedef int64_t PROD_INT64;
#endif

    And it uses PROD_INT64 everywhere for a 64-bit signed integer, and it
    is compiled in both Visual Studio and gcc.

    Can it simply use the int64_t in both Visual Studio and gcc?

    Yes, and that’s certainly what I would do.

    It would
    seem this is changing __int64 for long long in Visual Studio.

    Which is a distinction without a difference. Both of those spellings give you the same type in MSVC.

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  3. 0

    From my top comments …

    stdint.h is provided by the compiler rather than libc or the OS. It provides portable guarantees (e.g. int32_t will be 32 bits). The compiler designers could do:

    typedef __int32 int32_t;

    Or, they can do:

    typedef int int32_t;

    The latter is what most stdint.h files do (since they don’t have the __int* types).

    Probably, the VS compiler designers just grabbed a copy of the standard stdint.h and didn’t bother to change it.

    Your point is valid, it’s just a design choice (or lack of it) that the compiler writers made. Just use the standard/portable int32_t and don’t worry 😉

    Historical note: stdint.h is relatively recent. In the 1980s, MS had [16 bit] MS/DOS. Many mc68000 based micros at the time defined int to be 32 bits. But, on the MS C compiler, int was 16 bits because that fit the 8086 arch best.

    stdint.h didn’t exist back then. But, if it did, it would need:

    typedef long int32_t;

    because long was the only way to define a 32 bit integer for the MS 8086 compiler.

    When 64 bit machines became available, POSIX compliant machines allowed long to "float" with the arch/mode. It was 32 bits on 32 bit arches, and 64 bits on 64 arches. This is the LP64 memory model.

    Here’s the original rationale: https://unix.org/version2/whatsnew/lp64_wp.htm

    But, because of MS’s longstanding use of long to be a 32 bit integer, it couldn’t do this. Too many programs written in the 8086 days would break if recompiled.

    IIRC [and I could be wrong]:

    1. MS came up with __int64 and LONGLONG as types.
    2. They had to define [yet another] abstract type for pointers [remember near and far pointers, anyone ;-)?]

    So, IMO, it was, in part, because of all the MS craziness that prompted the creation of stdint.h in the first place.

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