Almost Always Unsigned
This article argues that programmers should prefer unsigned integers over signed integers, challenging the common industry practice of defaulting to signed types. It demonstrates how to handle common pitfalls like reverse iteration using well-defined unsigned wrapping behavior instead of risky signed casting.
The need for signed integer arithmetic is often misplaced as most integers never represent negative values within a program. The indexing of arrays and iteration count of a loop reflects this concept as well. There should be a propensity to use unsigned integers more often than signed, yet despite this, most code incorrectly choses to use signed integers almost exclusively.
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