The plain-English version
The order in which the bytes of a multi-byte value are represented.
Why it matters
Binary protocols must define it so different platforms interpret values consistently.
Let’s make it click
A two-byte length field is encoded in the protocol's specified endianness.
Vibe Bro’s heads-up
Native machine representation can vary; explicitly choose byte order and padding when exchanging binary data across systems.
The docs behind it
Documentation links checked .
Editorial review · October 28, 2026
Supported: Explicit endianness and padding are required for portable binary representations; native layout is not assumed stable.