From: Bob Stout 

On 13 Jan 2004 Pascal.Schmidt!1.153.401.2{at}filegate.net wrote:

> On modern CPUs and compilers, you don't really gain much from using
> types that are smaller than int. The biggest use for char is for
> representing strings as either char arrays or char pointers.

I must register an exception here. One of the principle uses of C in modern
programming is in embedded systems and DSP. In embedded systems especially,
you might not have a whole lot of choice.

For example, my current project is for a downhole directional (oil)
drilling tool. The board size and battery capacity are both limited. Since
the device must operate at extremely high temperatures, most
"normal" parts will not work. Because of a variety of reasons,
the 32-bit CPU we're using is forced to access memory a byte at a time. In
the future, we may move to custom hybrid 16- or 32-bit memory devices, but
for now, the ability to use chars is very important for us.

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