// * unsigned char is used for booleans (instead of the 'bool' type).
//   In C++ bool is a keyword while in C99 bool is a macro defined
//   in stdbool.h. It is possible for the two to be inconsistent.
//   For example, neither the C99 nor the C++11 standard force a byte
//   size on the bool type, so the macro defined in stdbool.h could
//   be inconsistent with the bool keyword in C++. Thus, the use