signed integer format
nounUK /saɪnd ˈɪntɪdʒə ˈfɔːmæt/
US /saɪnd ˈɪntɪdʒər ˈfɔːrmæt/
A way to store whole numbers that can be positive or negative.
The program uses a signed integer format so it can save temperatures below zero.
SYNONYMS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A binary encoding where the highest bit indicates whether the number is positive or negative.
In a signed integer format, the leftmost bit is reserved for the sign.
3. A file or data field specification that allows both positive and negative whole values.
The database column was declared with a signed integer format to hold account balances.
4. A programming convention for interpreting a fixed number of bits as a value that may be less than zero.
Mixing signed integer format with unsigned values caused a bug in the calculation.