Q: Why aren't the sizes of the standard types precisely defined?
A: Though C is considered relatively low-level as high-level languages go, it does take the position that the exact size of an object (i.e. in bits) is an implementation detail. (The only place where C lets you specify a size in bits is in bit-fields within structures; see questions 2.25 and 2.26.) Most programs do not need precise control over these sizes; many programs that do try to achieve this control would be better off if they didn't.
Type int is supposed to represent a machine's natural word size. It's the right type to use for most integer variables; see question 1.1 for other guidelines. See also questions 12.42 and 20.5.
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