5.6.

2019 Arduino Reference

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Reference > Language > Variables > Data types > Int

int
[Data Types]

Description

Integers are your primary data-type for number storage.

On the Arduino Uno (and other ATmega based boards) an int stores a 16-bit (2-byte)
value. This yields a range of -32,768 to 32,767 (minimum value of -2^15 and a
maximum value of (2^15) - 1). On the Arduino Due and SAMD based boards (like
MKR1000 and Zero), an int stores a 32-bit (4-byte) value. This yields a range of
-2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,647 (minimum value of -2^31 and a maximum value of
LANGUAGE
(2^31) - 1).
FUNCTIONS
int’s store negative numbers with a technique called (2’s complement math). The
VARIABLES highest bit, sometimes referred to as the "sign" bit, flags the number as a negative
number. The rest of the bits are inverted and 1 is added.
STRUCTURE

The Arduino takes care of dealing with negative numbers for you, so that arithmetic
LIBRARIES
operations work transparently in the expected manner. There can be an unexpected
GLOSSARY complication in dealing with the bitshift right operator (>>) however.

The Arduino Reference text is

licensed under a Creative
Syntax
Commons Attribution-Share Alike
3.0 License. int var = val;

Find anything that can be

improved? Suggest corrections
and new documentation via Parameters
GitHub.
var : variable name.
Doubts on how to use Github?
Learn everything you need to val : the value you assign to that variable.
know in this tutorial.

Last Update: 2/21/2019

Example Code

EDIT THIS PAGE This code creates an integer called 'countUp', which is initially set as the number 0
(zero). The variable goes up by 1 (one) each loop, being displayed on the serial
monitor.

int countUp = 0; //creates a variable integer called 'countUp'

void setup() {
Serial.begin(9600); // use the serial port to print the number
}

void loop() {
countUp++; //Adds 1 to the countUp int on every loop
Serial.println(countUp); // prints out the current state of countUp
delay(1000);
}

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Notes and Warnings

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When signed variables are made to exceed their maximum or minimum capacity they
overflow. The result of an overflow is unpredictable so this should be avoided. A
typical symptom of an overflow is the variable "rolling over" from its maximum
capacity to its minimum or vice versa, but this is not always the case. If you want this
behavior, use unsigned int.

See also
LANGUAGE String()
LANGUAGE array
LANGUAGE bool
LANGUAGE boolean
LANGUAGE byte
LANGUAGE char
LANGUAGE double
LANGUAGE float
LANGUAGE long
LANGUAGE short
LANGUAGE size_t
LANGUAGE string
LANGUAGE unsigned char
LANGUAGE unsigned int
LANGUAGE unsigned long
LANGUAGE void
LANGUAGE word
LANGUAGE Integer Constants

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