The mode variable attribute

The variable attribute mode allows you to override the type specifier in a variable declaration, to specify the size of a particular integral type.

mode variable attribute syntax
 
>>-__attribute__--((--+-mode-----+--(--+-byte--------+--)--))--><
                      '-__mode__-'     +-word--------+
                                       +-pointer-----+
                                       +-__byte__----+
                                       +-__word__----+
                                       '-__pointer__-'
 

The valid argument for the mode is any of the of the following type specifiers that indicates a specific width:

• byte means a 1-byte integer type
• word means a 4-byte integer type
• pointer means an 8-byte integer type