C++ function argument, int short

Question

When I only use short integers in my program, is it better to use:

void printVars(int x1, int x2, int x3)

or

void printVars(short int x1, short int x2, short int x3)

as argument for my functions?

Thank you in advance.

Answer 1

If you are 100% sure you will never use bigger integers than short int, it's better to use it as it might save 2 bytes (in most of the cases, on most systems, but not necessarily). It's indeed always a good idea to not use more resources than you need. The difference would probably be negligible with most applications though.