Re: The integral type 'byte' (was Re: Suggested method for returning a string from a C program?)

On 26/03/2025 12:02, Richard Harnden wrote:

On 26/03/2025 10:10, David Brown wrote:

But the fact that "octet" was a standardised term for 8 bits prior to the standardisation of the term "byte", does not change the fact that the term "byte" was standardised as 8 bits - in common computing usage by at least 40 years ago (though I still think 50 years ago is reasonable), and in official international standards by at least 30 years ago.

 I was taught - probably wrongly - that byte was a contraction of 'binary-eight'.
 

As far as I know, it was just a re-spelling (to avoid mixups with "bit") of the word "bite" that was used to indicate a small chunk of something.   Certainly the word was used before its size was fixed at 8 bits.
The word "bit", on the other hand, is often said to come from "binary digit" or "binary information digit".  Personally, I think it is a lot simpler - it's the smallest usable bit of information you can have. Saying it is a "binary digit" just makes it clearer how big a bit you have.