====== Number formats used in API ======

Many numbers do not fit into a single byte [0..255] range and for those there are conventions throughout our API on how to encode them.

===== BYTE =====

An 8-bit unsigned or signed value representing a decimal range of ''[0..255]'' or ''[-128..127]'' respectively. Bits are ordered the "usual" way with the MSB on the left and LSB on the right.

A couple of examples (decimal = bits):
  * ''1'' = ''00000001'' both signed and unsigned
  * ''253'' = ''11111101'' (unsigned only)
  * ''-3'' = ''11111101'' (signed only)

===== UFIX 8.8 =====

This is a 16-bit value in which 8 MSB represent the unsigned integer part of the number and the 8 LSB represent the fractional part. The fractional value is the ''LSB x 256'', i.e. the smallest "increment" for this format is ''1/256'' or ''0.00390625''.

Numbers in this format represent a decimal range of ''[0.0..256)''.

A few examples (decimal = MSB, LSB):
  * ''0.0'' = ''0x00'', ''0x00''
  * ''1.0'' = ''0x01'', ''0x00''
  * ''1.5'' = ''0x01'', ''0x80''
  * ''127.3'' = ''0x7F'', ''0x4D'' - notice how the actual precise decimal number ''127 + 77/256'' is not **exactly** ''127.3'' but is an approximation of the precise decimal value of ''127.30078125''
  * ''-1'' - unrepresentable
  * ''256'' = ''0xFF'', ''0xFF'' - once again, the actual decimal number is "very close" and is in fact ''255.99609375''