unsigned int vs. size_t?

Question

I notice that modern C and C++ code seems to use `size_t` instead of `int`/`unsigned int` pretty much everywhere - from parameters for C string functions to the STL. I am curious as to the reason for this and the benefits it brings.

Answer 1

This size of int varies on different platforms. Original C did not fully accommodate this, and when they did, the realized that one should have a type for each use, rather that one type that served multiple purposes. It is more exact to do it that way, and the type tells you a bit more about its use. Read about the old segmented architectures that were developed to make 8 bit processors address more memory and this will make more sense.