Core Python Programming . . .

[Jorgen Grahn]

On Sat, 19 Jan 2008 08:57:24 -0500, Yu-Xi Lim <yuxi at ece.gatech.edu> wrote:
> FireNWater wrote:
>
>> I guess I'm not fully up to speed on what constitutes an IP address.
>> Does the term 'octet' refer to an 8-bit (xFF) number?
>
> Yes, it somewhat archaic though.

It's more precise than byte, like you say. I don't think its archaic
though; it's a fairly common term when you are talking data
communication in general and IP-based protocols in particular.

> It's used when "byte" is ambiguous. On 
> some ancient (by computing standards) computers, the size of a byte may 
> be as small as 6 bits or as big as 9.

On ancient computers and in some embedded processors. I have a Texas
Instruments DSP in my cellphone with 16-bit words. A C "char" is 16
bits in that environment.

/Jorgen

-- 
  // Jorgen Grahn <grahn@        Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu
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