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What does "byte" mean in programming?

byte is one of the most common terms in software development. This guide explains what it means, how it is used in practice, and why it matters, with real examples from the developer world.

Definition

A primitive type representing 8 bits of data. A signed byte holds values from -128 to 127; an unsigned byte holds 0 to 255. Used in low-level programming, binary protocols, and file I/O.

Example

"byte flags = 0b00001010; // stores a bitmask in 8 bits"

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