All computers do not store the bytes that comprise a multi-byte value in the same order. Consider a 16-bit internet that is made up of 2 bytes. Two ways to store this value −
Little Endian − In this scheme, low-order byte is stored on the starting address (A) and high-order byte is stored on the next address (A + 1).
make most sense from an addressing/computetational standpoint
Big Endian − In this scheme, high-order byte is stored on the starting address (A) and low-order byte is stored on the next address (A + 1).