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An explanation of the sizeof operator with examples as used within the C++ programming language.

Overview

Every data item, constants and variables, not only have a data type, but the data type determines how many bytes the item will use in the memory of the computer. The size of each data type varies with the complier being used and the computer. This effect is known as being machine dependent . Additionally, there have been some size changes with upgrades to the language. In "C" the int data type was allocated 2 bytes of memory storage on an Intel compatible central processing unit (cpu) machine. In "C++" an int is allocated 4 bytes.

There is an operator named "sizeof (… )" that is a unary operator, that is it has only one operand. The operand is to the right of the operator and is placed within the parentheses if it is a data type. The operand may be any data type (including those created by typedef). If the operand is an identifier name it does not need to go inside a set of parentheses. It works for both variable and memory constant identifier names. This operator is unique in that it performs its calculation at compile time for global scoped items and at run time for local scoped items. Examples:

cout<<"The size of an integer is: "<<sizeof (int);

The compiler would determine the byte size of an integer on the specific machine and in essence replaces the sizeof operator with a value. Integers are usually 4 bytes long, thus the line of code would be changed to:

cout<<"The size of an integer is: "<<4;

If you place an identifier name that represents a data storage area (variable or memory constant), it looks at the definition for the identifier name. NOTE: the parentheses are not needed and often not included for an identifier name.

Sizeof with a variable

double money; // variable set up with initialization then later on in the programcout<<"The size of money is: "<<sizeof money;

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The compiler would determine the byte size of money by looking at the definition where it indicates that the data type is double. The double data type on the specific machine (usually 8 bytes) would replace the code and it would become:

cout<<"The size of money is: "<<8;

Definitions

sizeof
An operator that tells you how many bytes a data type occupies in storage.

Questions & Answers

A golfer on a fairway is 70 m away from the green, which sits below the level of the fairway by 20 m. If the golfer hits the ball at an angle of 40° with an initial speed of 20 m/s, how close to the green does she come?
Aislinn Reply
cm
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A mouse of mass 200 g falls 100 m down a vertical mine shaft and lands at the bottom with a speed of 8.0 m/s. During its fall, how much work is done on the mouse by air resistance
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Can you compute that for me. Ty
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what is inorganic
emma
Chemistry is a branch of science that deals with the study of matter,it composition,it structure and the changes it undergoes
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A ball is thrown straight up.it passes a 2.0m high window 7.50 m off the ground on it path up and takes 1.30 s to go past the window.what was the ball initial velocity
Krampah Reply
2. A sled plus passenger with total mass 50 kg is pulled 20 m across the snow (0.20) at constant velocity by a force directed 25° above the horizontal. Calculate (a) the work of the applied force, (b) the work of friction, and (c) the total work.
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you have been hired as an espert witness in a court case involving an automobile accident. the accident involved car A of mass 1500kg which crashed into stationary car B of mass 1100kg. the driver of car A applied his brakes 15 m before he skidded and crashed into car B. after the collision, car A s
Samuel Reply
can someone explain to me, an ignorant high school student, why the trend of the graph doesn't follow the fact that the higher frequency a sound wave is, the more power it is, hence, making me think the phons output would follow this general trend?
Joseph Reply
Nevermind i just realied that the graph is the phons output for a person with normal hearing and not just the phons output of the sound waves power, I should read the entire thing next time
Joseph
Follow up question, does anyone know where I can find a graph that accuretly depicts the actual relative "power" output of sound over its frequency instead of just humans hearing
Joseph
"Generation of electrical energy from sound energy | IEEE Conference Publication | IEEE Xplore" ***ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7150687?reload=true
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answer
Magreth
progressive wave
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Mujahid
A string is 3.00 m long with a mass of 5.00 g. The string is held taut with a tension of 500.00 N applied to the string. A pulse is sent down the string. How long does it take the pulse to travel the 3.00 m of the string?
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Who can show me the full solution in this problem?
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Source:  OpenStax, Programming fundamentals - a modular structured approach using c++. OpenStax CNX. Jan 10, 2013 Download for free at http://cnx.org/content/col10621/1.22
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