Thread: What's the point of unsigned char?

In C++ (and C too), char as is should be used to represent the ASCII characters, and the reason one wishes to use the unsigned char and signed char is if the purpose is to use small integral types (-128 to 127 and 0 - 255 range, respectively where a char is ~ 1B).

So trivial code below, is why doesn't it output an integer but that I needed to typecast it, but doesn't this defeat purpose of trying to use a small int since a short is ~ 2B, so what's the benefit of unsigned/signed char then?

Code:

int main()
{
   unsigned char x = 65;//what is this for, if it doesn't print a small int (1B) but 'A' instead
    
    cout << short(x) << endl;//If I have to typecast it, the short (smallest integer type) than it's going to take up 2B so defeats purpose of using a small int for whatever reason...
   return 0;
}

And we should use int8_t and uint8_t to avoid ambiguity for portability, just as we should use size_t, time_t, is that correct? But my question is not this, but why we need to typecast to output its integer value since a short (smallest integer type of 2B) needs to be used but a char is only 1B so we don't save space to use a char to represent small integers. I hope I am clear what I mean...

Chars are typically used as characters in C++. Therefore, cout automatically assumes that you want to print a character, and not a number.
But fret not, since a variable typically takes up space, your variable may take up as little as one byte (depending on OS, compiler, architecture, etc). However, when you type cast it, it will most likely end up in a cpu register until the function call to cout is over and then thrown away, wasting no memory.
Regardless, using char for storing small ranges is just not necessary on today's PCs (embedded is another matter).

An unsigned char can hold any value from 0 to 255, and if you assign it the value 222 say, then it has the value 222, regardless of whatever some other function decides to do with that. Who cares what 'cout' does with an unsigned char by default.
Sometimes people use the value an unsigned char holds to representing characters. Sometimes people use it to represent shades of say red in an RGB colour space. Sometimes people use it for a boolean flag.

If you want it to print as a decimal value, as a programmer you should be perfectly capabale of making that happen. If casting is how you can achieve that, great - casting it is. Most of the time when people use an unsigned char to hold as integral value, printing that value out as test is the last thing on their mind.

What's the benefit?! An 8-bit type take up half as much space as a 16-bit type, or a quarter that of a 32-bit type. Say you need 10 million of them, which one is going to take up less space? You're a smart enough person; do the math.

You'll have to forgive my bluntness. Replying with the aparent attitude shown here is merely to help get the point across. I'm not actually feeling this way right now, but it seemed like a good idea anyway.