Is there any advantages to use `Short` instead of `Int`? When writing this code: ```val foo: Short =...

# getting-started

[Johann Pardanaud]

Is there any advantages to use Short instead of Int? When writing this code:

val foo: Short = 36

I get the following JVM bytecode:

BIPUSH 36
ISTORE 0

But bipush stores integers, so is there any advantages to use Short? Maybe with the native target?

[marstran]

It's advantageous when you're running on 16 bit hardware 😛

[ephemient]

JVM values on the stack are always int- or long-sized

[ephemient]

the smaller boolean byte and short types are only smaller than int when in a field or array

[ephemient]

on native, registers are similarly going to be 32- or 64-bit and stack alignment will cause most values to be padded when spilled, so the story is pretty similar

[CLOVIS]

To complete what has been said before: smaller-than-int types mainly exist for storage/network reasons. They are not meant for computation, as computers usually work with 32+bits units anyway.

[Johann Pardanaud]

Should have thought of that! Thank you all 🙏