Ever heard of "small endian" and felt a bit lost? Don't worry, it's simpler than it sounds! Endianness refers to the order in which bytes are stored in computer memory. Imagine the number 12345678 (in hexadecimal: 0x12345678).
In a **small endian** system, the least significant byte (LSB), which is 0x78, is stored at the lowest memory address. So, it would be stored as: 78 56 34 12 in memory.
Why does this matter? Primarily for compatibility! Different architectures use different endianness. Understanding this is crucial when working with network protocols, file formats, or porting code between systems. While it may seem like a detail, incorrect endianness handling can lead to data corruption and unexpected behavior. So, next time you encounter "small endian," remember: the little end comes first!
