# big-endian and little-endian  ## Metadata - Author: [[Crystal Bedell]] - Full Title: big-endian and little-endian - Category: #articles - Summary: Endianness refers to the order in which bytes are stored in computer memory, with big-endian storing the most significant byte first and little-endian storing the least significant byte first. Many computers use little-endian format, but big-endian is common in network protocols. Both formats have their advantages, affecting how data is processed and stored. - URL: https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/big-endian-and-little-endian ## Highlights - The case for little-endian An argument for little-endian order is that as the numeric value increases, additional digits might need to be added to the left. For example, a higher nonexponential number has more digits, so an addition of two numbers often requires moving all the digits of a big-endian ordered number in storage. This addition moves everything to the right. In a number stored in little-endian fashion, the least significant bytes can stay where they are and new digits are added to the right at a higher address. This means some computer operations might be simpler and faster to perform. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01jtpgr25z5x35cpce799wvgsw))