Data Representation

All values in Z-talk are called z-values. Z-value is 32- or 64-bit word. Integers and special values are embedded into z-values. Last bit 1 indicates that z-value is an embedded integer. If last two bits are 00 the value is interpreted as a pointer to an obj structure. Finally if the last two bits are 10, the and the other bits form a small integer then it's a special value. Otherwise resetting these bits with give you a C-pointer to a non garbage-collected memory.