---
name: "ms_bigendianhost"
section: "3"
platform: "linux"
package: "libmseed-doc"
version: "2.19.8-1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/ms_bigendianhost"
---

# ms\_bigendianhost(3)

Determine host computer byte order

## NAME

ms\_bigendianhost - Determine host computer byte order

## SYNOPSIS

```
#include <libmseed.h>
int  ms_bigendianhost ();
```

## DESCRIPTION

**ms\_bigendianhost** is a run-time test of host computer byte order. It is assumed that there are only two possible byte orders: Most Significant Byte First (MSBF), i.e. big-endian, and Least Significant Byte First (LSBF), i.e. little-endian.  No middle-endian schemes are accounted for.

Binary quantities in SEED are commonly big-endian, but it is not necessarily so.

## RETURN VALUES

**ms\_bigendianhost** returns 1 if the host is big-endian and 0 if the host is little-endian.

## AUTHOR

```
Chad Trabant
IRIS Data Management Center
```