Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site decwrl.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-logic!puder
From: puder@logic.DEC (Karl Puder)
Newsgroups: net.arch
Subject: the VAX is ALMOST all little-endian
Message-ID: <3470@decwrl.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 29-Aug-84 13:54:20 EDT
Article-I.D.: decwrl.3470
Posted: Wed Aug 29 13:54:20 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 30-Aug-84 12:30:20 EDT
Sender: daemon@decwrl.UUCP
Organization: DEC Engineering Network
Lines: 18

(I think this has been mentioned before, so I will keep it short).

Well, the VAX is all little-endian until you look at the floating point
formats. The bits are all in the little-endian order, but the words* are in
big-endian order. Also, if I read the diagram correctly, variable length
bitfields go from one longword+ to the next in a big-endian way.

* a word is 16 bits long
+ a longword is 32 bits long

----
The contents of this message are straight from my brain to you, and thus
have nothing to do with the opinions of my employer or associates, or
perhaps even with reality.
----
    Karl Puder
phone:	(1)(617)568-4979  |  ARPA:	puder%logic.DEC@DECWRL.ARPA
UUCP:	...!{ucbvax,decvax,ihnp4}!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-logic!puder