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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →An integer is a number with no fractional part: …, −2, −1, 0, 1, 2, …. In programming, an integer type stores such values within a finite range (unless the language provides arbitrary precision). int is a language-specific type name—not a universal 32-bit format. Its size, range, conversions, and overflow behavior depend on the language and, in C and C++, the target implementation.
Integer values, literals, and types
-7, 0, 42, and 2_000_000 (where digit separators are supported) are integer values written as literals. A literal is source-code notation; its default type is chosen by the language. A variable’s integer data type determines what values it can store and how operations behave.
“Whole number” is useful for beginners, but “number with no fractional part” is more precise: integers include negative values and zero. An integer type cannot directly represent 3.14; converting a fraction to an integer requires a language-defined conversion such as truncation or rounding.
What does int mean?
In C, C++, Java, C#, and related languages, int is commonly a built-in type or keyword. The same spelling does not promise the same representation.
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int count = 42;JavaScript has no ordinary separate int type: 42 is normally a Number. Python code can simply write count = 42 without declaring a fixed-width type. Always check the language specification and implementation before relying on a range.
Signed and unsigned integers
A signed type represents negative and nonnegative values. An unsigned type represents zero and positive values only. For an N-bit two’s-complement signed representation, the usual range is −2N−1 through 2N−1−1; an N-bit unsigned representation ranges from 0 through 2N−1. These relationships are described for fixed-width types by The Open Group’s stdint.h specification.
| Representation | 8-bit range |
|---|---|
| Signed | −128 to 127 |
| Unsigned | 0 to 255 |
Unsigned is not automatically safer. Subtracting from zero can wrap to a very large value, and mixed signed/unsigned comparisons in C and C++ can produce surprising results.
How wide is an int?
C and C++
C and C++ leave the width of int implementation-dependent within minimum requirements. It is commonly 32 bits on modern desktop and server systems, but narrower implementations exist. See the Microsoft C documentation, GNU C integer overview, and C++ fundamental-type reference.
Inspect the implementation instead of assuming four bytes:
#include <limits.h>
#include <stdio.h>
printf("%zu\n", sizeof(int));
printf("%d through %d\n", INT_MIN, INT_MAX);When a file, protocol, or binary layout requires an exact width, use available fixed-width types such as int32_t or uint64_t from <stdint.h>.
Java and C#
Java int is always a signed 32-bit value from −2,147,483,648 through 2,147,483,647; long is signed 64-bit. The Java documentation lists these widths and ranges at Oracle’s data-types tutorial.
C# int is an alias for signed System.Int32, with the same 32-bit range. The language specification documents integral types and overflow contexts at Microsoft Learn.
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JavaScript
JavaScript’s ordinary Number uses IEEE-754 double precision. Integer values are exact only through ±(253−1), or 9,007,199,254,740,991; beyond that, distinct integers can become indistinguishable. See MDN’s Number reference. BigInt provides arbitrary-magnitude integers, but it is a separate type and cannot be mixed implicitly with Number arithmetic (MDN BigInt).
Common 32-bit ranges
These exact values apply to Java and C# int, and to any 32-bit representation with the stated signedness:
| Type | Minimum | Maximum |
|---|---|---|
| Signed 32-bit | −2,147,483,648 | 2,147,483,647 |
| Unsigned 32-bit | 0 | 4,294,967,295 |
Do not apply this table automatically to C or C++ int; query the implementation.
Overflow and underflow
Overflow occurs when a result exceeds the type’s maximum; underflow occurs when it falls below its minimum. For example, 2,147,483,647 + 1 cannot be represented by a signed 32-bit integer.
- C: unsigned arithmetic is modulo 2N; signed overflow is undefined behavior under ordinary language rules (GNU overflow guidance).
- C++: signed overflow is not portable to rely on; unsigned arithmetic has modular behavior. Consult the applicable standard and compiler mode (cppreference).
- C#:
checkedcontexts detect integral overflow, whileuncheckedcontexts permit the unchecked result; project settings can affect defaults. - Java: fixed-width integer operations wrap according to Java’s two’s-complement rules.
- JavaScript: precision loss in
Numberis often the main hazard; useBigIntfor exact larger integers.
Check before an operation, not after it. In C, for example:
#include <limits.h>
if (a > INT_MAX - b) {
/* addition would overflow */
}A cast does not make an already-overflowing calculation safe.
Division, remainder, and conversions
Integer division
In C, C++, Java, and C#, dividing integer operands produces an integer result; a fractional part is discarded. For example, 5 / 2 is 2. These languages truncate integer division toward zero, so negative cases such as -5 / 2 produce -2; the remainder’s sign follows language rules. JavaScript differs: 5 / 2 is 2.5, while 5n / 2n is 2n (MDN language overview).
Conversions and promotions
Narrowing a wide value can discard information. Signed-to-unsigned conversion follows each language’s rules and may produce a large nonnegative value. In C, small integer types are promoted before arithmetic, and mixed signed/unsigned operands can change comparisons:
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int a = -1;
unsigned int b = 1;
if (a < b) {
/* may surprise you */
}GNU explains promotions and mixed arithmetic at Integer Arithmetic.
Literals, bases, and parsing text
C-like languages support decimal and hexadecimal notation, and some support binary literals by version:
int decimal = 42;
int hexadecimal = 0x2A;
int binary = 0b101010; /* support varies */Suffixes such as u, L, and LL influence literal type selection in C and C++. A literal can be too large for its intended type before assignment. Parsing is a different operation: "123" is text, whereas 123 is a numeric value. A parser must define the radix, whitespace and sign handling, invalid characters, empty input, range checking, and its failure signal (exception, error result, sentinel, or truncation).
How integers are represented
Integers are stored as bit patterns. Bit width determines the number of available patterns; signed two’s-complement is widespread. The same bits can represent different values when interpreted as signed or unsigned (GNU’s representation explanation).
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Decimal, hexadecimal, octal, and binary are source notations, not different kinds of integer. Endianness describes byte order in memory or serialized data; it does not change the mathematical value.
Choosing an integer type
| Requirement | Usually consider |
|---|---|
| Ordinary bounded counter or loop | The language’s conventional integer, often int |
| Exact file, protocol, or binary width | int32_t, uint64_t, or the language’s fixed-width equivalent |
| Values beyond signed 32-bit range | A documented wider type such as long, long long, long in Java, or a big-integer type |
| Array/object sizes in C or C++ | size_t or the API-specified size type |
| Arbitrarily large exact values | Big-integer facility, such as JavaScript BigInt |
| Fractions or currency amounts | Decimal arithmetic or a documented smallest-unit design, not a casual int choice |
| Identifiers with leading zeroes or arbitrary length | A string or dedicated identifier type |
Base the decision on required bounds, whether negatives are meaningful, portability, interoperability, overflow policy, memory and performance constraints, and API compatibility. Unsigned types can increase nonnegative range but also complicate subtraction and comparisons.
Where integer bugs appear
- Off-by-one errors at minimum or maximum bounds.
- Signed overflow or unsigned wraparound.
- Narrowing conversions and mixed signed/unsigned comparisons.
- Assuming
sizeof(int) == 4across C and C++ targets. - Treating JavaScript
Numberas an arbitrary-precision integer or mixingNumberandBigInt. - Unexpected truncation in division, especially with negative operands.
- Malformed parsing that becomes zero, a partial value, or an unchecked sentinel.
- Multiplication overflow before division:
a * b / ccan overflow ina * beven when the final result fits. - Serialization mismatches between 32-bit and 64-bit fields.
Testing and defensive practice
- Test zero, one, negative values, both bounds, and one value beyond each bound.
- Test empty and malformed input, mixed-type expressions, and exact serialized boundaries.
- Run portability tests on 32-bit and 64-bit targets when relevant.
- Query limits from the language or library instead of hard-coding them.
- Enable compiler warnings and static analysis; use checked arithmetic or safe-arithmetic libraries for security-sensitive code.
- Test debug and optimized C/C++ builds, where undefined behavior can produce different results.
NIST classifies integer overflow among recurring software defects involving range, signedness, and type selection (NIST publication).
Quick answers
Is int always 32-bit?
No. It is guaranteed 32-bit in Java and C#, commonly 32-bit but implementation-dependent in C and C++, and not the ordinary integer type in JavaScript.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsCan an integer store decimals?
No. A fractional value must use a fractional type or an explicit conversion.
What should I use for a protocol field?
Use an explicitly sized integer with documented signedness and byte order.
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