!SignedWordArray class methodsFor:'documentation'!

documentation

"

    SignedWordArrays store 16bit signed integers in the range 16r-8000..16r7FFF.

    They are much like WordArrays, but the values stored are signed.

    In contrast to normal arrays (which store pointers to their elements),

    signedWordArrays store the values in a dense & compact way. 

    Since the representation fits the underlying C-language systems representation

    of signed int16's, this is also useful to pass bulk data to c primitive code.

    Therefore, SignedWordArrays can be used to hold bulk data in a more compact way.

        For example:

            Array new:100000 withAll:1

        requires 400k of object memory;

        in contrast,

            SignedWordArray new:100000 withAll:1

        only requires half of it.

    [memory requirements:]

        OBJ-HEADER + (size * 2)

    [see also:]

        ByteArray WordArray BooleanArray FloatArray DoubleArray Array

        IntegerArray LongIntegerArray SignedLongIntegerArray

    [caveat:]

        should probably be renamed to SignedInt16Array or Int16Array

    [author:]

        Claus Gittinger

"

! !

!SignedWordArray class methodsFor:'documentation'!

version_CVS

    ^ '$Header$'

! !