Storing a Single Byte

Loading and storing bytes is used for processing text and for low-level systems programs (such as assemblers and operating systems). Graphics programs, also, make frequent use of these operations. Both operations could be done using lw and sw along with bit manipulation instructions, but it is convenient and fast to have byte length load and store.

There is an instruction for storing a byte:

sb    t,off(b)   # The byte at off+b <-- low-order
                 # byte from register $t.
                 # b is a base register. 
                 # off is 16-bit two's complement.

There is no need for two "store byte" instructions. Whatever is in the low-order byte of the register is copied to memory. The rest of the register is ignored. Of course, the register does not change.