From: James Edward Gray II <james@...>
Date: 2007-02-16T12:21:56+09:00
Subject: Re: Converting Bytes to  a Negative Integer

On Feb 15, 2007, at 4:58 PM, Morton Goldberg wrote:

> 2. On my computer (iMac G5), I get
>
> [-20].pack('i') # => "\377\377\377\354"
> [-318767105].pack('i') # => "\354\377\377\377"
>
> and
>
> [-20].pack('N') # => "\377\377\377\354"
> [-318767105].pack('N') # => "\354\377\377\377"
>
> which shows it's big-endian because both unpack directives produce  
> the same result.
>
> 3. On your computer (which I think is also a Macintosh), you would get

Yes, it's an Intel Core Duo Mac.

> [-20].pack('i') # => "\354\377\377\377"
> [-318767105].pack('i') # => "\377\377\377\354"
>
> and
>
> [-20].pack('N') # => "\377\377\377\354"
> [-318767105].pack('N') # => "\354\377\377\377"
>
> which would show it's little-endian and, presumably, some kind of  
> Intel-based Mac.

Exactly.

> Do I have it right now?

Sure do.

> P.S. But I don't see how this props me back up :-)

I wasn't lording 64 bit processing over you.  ;)

James Edward Gray II