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<a name="Byte-Order"></a>
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Previous: <a href="Target-Commands.html#Target-Commands" accesskey="p" rel="prev">Target Commands</a>, Up: <a href="Targets.html#Targets" accesskey="u" rel="up">Targets</a> [<a href="index.html#SEC_Contents" title="Table of contents" rel="contents">Contents</a>][<a href="Concept-Index.html#Concept-Index" title="Index" rel="index">Index</a>]</p>
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<a name="Choosing-Target-Byte-Order"></a>
<h3 class="section">19.3 Choosing Target Byte Order</h3>
<a name="index-choosing-target-byte-order"></a>
<a name="index-target-byte-order"></a>
<p>Some types of processors, such as the <acronym>MIPS</acronym>, PowerPC, and Renesas SH,
offer the ability to run either big-endian or little-endian byte
orders. Usually the executable or symbol will include a bit to
designate the endian-ness, and you will not need to worry about
which to use. However, you may still find it useful to adjust
<small>GDB</small>’s idea of processor endian-ness manually.
</p>
<dl compact="compact">
<dd><a name="index-set-endian"></a>
</dd>
<dt><code>set endian big</code></dt>
<dd><p>Instruct <small>GDB</small> to assume the target is big-endian.
</p>
</dd>
<dt><code>set endian little</code></dt>
<dd><p>Instruct <small>GDB</small> to assume the target is little-endian.
</p>
</dd>
<dt><code>set endian auto</code></dt>
<dd><p>Instruct <small>GDB</small> to use the byte order associated with the
executable.
</p>
</dd>
<dt><code>show endian</code></dt>
<dd><p>Display <small>GDB</small>’s current idea of the target byte order.
</p>
</dd>
</dl>
<p>If the <code>set endian auto</code> mode is in effect and no executable has
been selected, then the endianness used is the last one chosen either
by one of the <code>set endian big</code> and <code>set endian little</code>
commands or by inferring from the last executable used. If no
endianness has been previously chosen, then the default for this mode
is inferred from the target <small>GDB</small> has been built for, and is
<code>little</code> if the name of the target CPU has an <code>el</code> suffix
and <code>big</code> otherwise.
</p>
<p>Note that these commands merely adjust interpretation of symbolic
data on the host, and that they have absolutely no effect on the
target system.
</p>
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