What is an Unsigned Integer?
Positive integers are unsigned. Solidity uses uint for unsigned numbers. Unsigned integers do not utilize the MSB to identify signs. Unsigned integers indicate the number magnitude with all bits.
- A uint8 may represent values from 0 to 255, with all 8 bits indicating magnitude.
- Solidity’s default 256-bit uint types may represent numbers from 0 to 2^256-1.
- Solidity has fixed-size unit types of 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, and 256 bits.
Like signed integers, Solidity unsigned integers are used for arithmetic, logical, and bitwise operations. In smart contracts, they reflect token balances and cryptocurrency supply. As they lack a sign bit, unsigned integers are less likely to overflow or underflow. Nonetheless, contracts should not exceed the maximum value of an unsigned integer since this might produce unexpected behavior.
Solidity unsigned integers represent only positive entire values. Signed integers are more prone to overflow and underflow than unsigned numbers. Solidity has fixed-size uint types with a default size of 256 bits for values from 0 to 2^256-1. Smart contracts employ unsigned integers to represent token balances and cryptocurrency supply for arithmetic, logical, and bitwise operations.
Solidity – Integers
Integers help store numbers in smart contracts. Solidity provides two types of integers:
- Signed Integers: Signed integers can hold both positive and negative values, ranging from -2 ^ 255 to 2 ^255 – 1.
- Unsigned Integers: Unsigned integers can hold only integer values equal to or greater than zero, ranging from 0 to 2 ^256 – 1.