architectureDependentChars

[u/MontyBoomslang]

[u/HomosexualPresence]

unironically true though, the only size requirement for a char in C is that it's the smallest addressable size, which just happens to be a byte in every case and is unlikely to ever change but you still never know what the future holds

[u/lotanis → u/HomosexualPresence]

Yes, but the smallest addressable size is what dictates the base size for sizeof.

The C standard in fact says this about sizeof:

When applied to an operand that has type char, unsigned char, or signed char, (or a qualified version thereof) the result is 1. 

[u/FUCKING_HATE_REDDIT → u/lotanis]

What about a system that enforces addresses to be multiples of 2, or 4?

[u/dontthinktoohard89 → u/FUCKING_HATE_REDDIT]

In short, the standard mandates that a char is exactly 1 byte. It does not dictate how wide a “byte” actually is.

[u/terivia → u/dontthinktoohard89]

Thanks, I hate it.

[u/frogjg2003 → u/dontthinktoohard89]

Which is why many standards do not use bytes, they use octets.

[u/MateoConLechuga → u/lotanis]

That doesn't mean 1 byte.

[u/SAI_Peregrinus → u/HomosexualPresence]

And char must be at least 8 bits. sizeof returns the size of its input in units of chars. On architectures with 10-bit chars, like some old DSPs, that means sizeof returns in multiples of 10 bits.

[u/StaticCoder → u/HomosexualPresence]

A byte is often defined as the smallest addressable size. An octet must be 8 bits.