Data types

There is no size of the machine word concept in NoSense. Almost every instruction has several kinds that allow to do the operation on different data types. This page describes data types that are used in NoSense, their symbols and all the other symbol convention that is used in this documentation, especially in instruction and input-output messages description.

Bit (b) is the least, elementary information unit that can contain one of two values: 0 or 1. Byte (B) is the fundamental information unit that groups 8 bits. Remembering that, it will be more comfortable to talk about number of bytes, not number of bits.

1B = 8b
2B = 16b
4B = 32b
8B = 64b

Bytes are stored in the little endian convention, like in Intel processors.

Data types

Natural numbers (unsigned integer) stored in normal binary code:

1u

Unsigned integer, size: 1B
Range: 0 ... 255

2u

Unsigned integer, size: 2B
Range: 0 ... 65`535

4u

Unsigned integer, size: 4B
Range: 0 ... 4`294`967`295

8u

Unsigned integer, size: 8B
Range: 0 ... 18`446`744`073`709`551`615

Signed integer numbers stored in U2 code:

1i

Unsigned integer, size: 1B.
Range: -128 ... 127

2i

Unsigned integer, size: 2B.
Range: -32`768 ... 32`767

4i

Unsigned integer, size: 4B.
Range: -2`147`483`648 ... 2`147`483`647

8i

Unsigned integer, size: 8B.
Range: -9`223`372`036`854`775`808 ... 9`223`372`036`854`775`807

Real numbers (floating point) stored in FP2 code:

4f

Floating point number, size: 4B.
Range: 1.175494351*10^-38 ... 3.402823466*10³⁸
Precision: 6-7 digits

8f

Floating point number, size: 8B.
Range: 2.2250738585072014*10^-308 ... 1.7976931348623158*10³⁰⁸
Precision: 15-16 digits

Logical values:

1b

Logical type, size: 1B

• Value equal 0 means logical false
• Value not equal 0 means logical true

Other symbols

Symbols for different ways of storing character strings:

0s

String, which end is marked by the character with code 0.
Limitation: There cannot be character with code 0 inside the string

1s

1B [1u] for string size and next string characters.
Limitation: Maximum string length is 255 characters

2s

2B [2u] for string size and next string characters.
Limitation: Maximum string length is 65`535 characters

4s

4B [4u] for string size and next string characters.
Limitation: Maximum string length is 4`294`967`295 characters

ns

Only string characters. You must store string length separately.

1u(char)

1-byte unsigned integer that represents a single ASCII character

4i(addr)

4-byte signed integer that represents the address of a memory cell

4u(XRGB)

4-byte unsigned integer that represents a color

1. [1] Unused byte - should be 0
2. [1u] Red component
3. [1u] Green component
4. [1u] Blue component

Xi

Means signed integer value in any size

4

Means a 4-byte value of any type

N

Fixed length data (length is usually given in separate parameter of instruction)

1248uif

Means any allowed combination of mentioned size and type

4f[x]

Array of x 4B floating point values (size is x*4B)

4i(addr)->1b

Memory cell address that must point to a value in type 1b

in

Input value - must be set before call of the instruction

out

Output value - will be modified during execution of the instruction