# `stb` — Store Byte
> **Category:** [Memory](../categories/memory.md) · **Form:** [D](../forms/D.md) · **Opcode:** `0x98000000`
## Assembler Mnemonics
| Mnemonic | XML entry | Flags | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `stb` | `stb` | — | Store Byte |
| `stbu` | `stbu` | — | Store Byte with Update |
| `stbux` | `stbux` | — | Store Byte with Update Indexed |
| `stbx` | `stbx` | — | Store Byte Indexed |
## Syntax
```asm
stb [RS], [d]([RA0])
stbu [RS], [d]([RA])
stbux [RS], [RA], [RB]
stbx [RS], [RA0], [RB]
```
## Encoding
### `stb` — form `D`
- **Opcode word:** `0x98000000`
- **Primary opcode (bits 0–5):** `38`
- **Extended opcode:** —
- **Synchronising:** no
| Bits | Field | Meaning |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 0–5 | `OPCD` | primary opcode |
| 6–10 | `RT` | destination GPR (or RS when storing) |
| 11–15 | `RA` | source GPR (0 ⇒ literal 0 for RA0 forms) |
| 16–31 | `D/SI/UI` | 16-bit signed or unsigned immediate |
### `stbu` — form `D`
- **Opcode word:** `0x9c000000`
- **Primary opcode (bits 0–5):** `39`
- **Extended opcode:** —
- **Synchronising:** no
| Bits | Field | Meaning |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 0–5 | `OPCD` | primary opcode |
| 6–10 | `RT` | destination GPR (or RS when storing) |
| 11–15 | `RA` | source GPR (0 ⇒ literal 0 for RA0 forms) |
| 16–31 | `D/SI/UI` | 16-bit signed or unsigned immediate |
### `stbux` — form `X`
- **Opcode word:** `0x7c0001ee`
- **Primary opcode (bits 0–5):** `31`
- **Extended opcode:** `247`
- **Synchronising:** no
| Bits | Field | Meaning |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 0–5 | `OPCD` | primary opcode |
| 6–10 | `RT/FRT/VRT` | destination |
| 11–15 | `RA/FRA/VRA` | source A |
| 16–20 | `RB/FRB/VRB` | source B |
| 21–30 | `XO` | extended opcode (10 bits) |
| 31 | `Rc` | record-form flag |
### `stbx` — form `X`
- **Opcode word:** `0x7c0001ae`
- **Primary opcode (bits 0–5):** `31`
- **Extended opcode:** `215`
- **Synchronising:** no
| Bits | Field | Meaning |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 0–5 | `OPCD` | primary opcode |
| 6–10 | `RT/FRT/VRT` | destination |
| 11–15 | `RA/FRA/VRA` | source A |
| 16–20 | `RB/FRB/VRB` | source B |
| 21–30 | `XO` | extended opcode (10 bits) |
| 31 | `Rc` | record-form flag |
## Operands
| Field | Role | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `RS` | stb: read; stbu: read; stbux: read; stbx: read | Source GPR (alias for RD in some stores). |
| `RA0` | stb: read; stbx: read | Source GPR; when the encoded register number is 0 the operand is the literal 64-bit zero, **not** `r0`. |
| `d` | stb: read; stbu: read | 16-bit signed displacement (`d`) added to the base address register. |
| `RA` | stbu: read; stbu: write; stbux: read; stbux: write | Source GPR (`r0`–`r31`). |
| `RB` | stbux: read; stbx: read | Source GPR. |
## Register Effects
### `stb`
- **Reads (always):** `RS`, `RA0`, `d`
- **Reads (conditional):** _none_
- **Writes (always):** _none_
- **Writes (conditional):** _none_
### `stbu`
- **Reads (always):** `RS`, `RA`, `d`
- **Reads (conditional):** _none_
- **Writes (always):** `RA`
- **Writes (conditional):** _none_
### `stbux`
- **Reads (always):** `RS`, `RA`, `RB`
- **Reads (conditional):** _none_
- **Writes (always):** `RA`
- **Writes (conditional):** _none_
### `stbx`
- **Reads (always):** `RS`, `RA0`, `RB`
- **Reads (conditional):** _none_
- **Writes (always):** _none_
- **Writes (conditional):** _none_
## Status-Register Effects
_No condition-register or status-register effects._
## Operation (pseudocode)
```
EA <- (RA|0) + EXTS(d)
MEM(EA, 1) <- (RS)[56:63]
```
## C Translation Example
```c
/* C translation: the xenia-rs interpreter arm below in */
/* Implementation References is the authoritative semantic */
/* snapshot. Translate it line-by-line: */
/* - ctx.gpr[N] -> r[N] (or f[]/v[] for FPRs/VRs) */
/* - mem.read_u*/write_u* -> mem_read_u*_be / mem_write_u*_be */
/* - ctx.update_cr_signed(fld, v) -> update_cr_signed(fld, v) */
/* - ctx.xer_ca / xer_ov / xer_so -> xer.CA / xer.OV / xer.SO */
/* The Register Effects and Status-Register Effects tables above */
/* enumerate every side effect a faithful translation must emit. */
```
## Implementation References
**`stb`**
- xenia-canary XML: [`tools/ppc-instructions.xml` — search for `mnem="stb"`](../../xenia-canary/tools/ppc-instructions.xml)
- xenia-canary emit: [`src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_memory.cc:404`](../../xenia-canary/src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_memory.cc#L404)
- xenia-rs opcode: [`crates/xenia-cpu/src/opcode.rs:67`](../../xenia-rs/crates/xenia-cpu/src/opcode.rs#L67)
- xenia-rs decoder: [`crates/xenia-cpu/src/decoder.rs:361`](../../xenia-rs/crates/xenia-cpu/src/decoder.rs#L361)
- xenia-rs interpreter: [`crates/xenia-cpu/src/interpreter.rs:1327-1335`](../../xenia-rs/crates/xenia-cpu/src/interpreter.rs#L1327-L1335)
xenia-rs interpreter body (frozen snapshot)
```rust
PpcOpcode::stb => {
let ea = if instr.ra() == 0 { 0u64 } else { ctx.gpr[instr.ra()] };
let ea = ea.wrapping_add(instr.d() as i64 as u64) as u32;
if let Some(t) = ctx.reservation_table.as_ref().filter(|t| t.is_enabled()) {
if t.has_active_reservers() { t.invalidate_for_write(ea); }
}
mem.write_u8(ea, ctx.gpr[instr.rs()] as u8);
ctx.pc += 4;
}
```
**`stbu`**
- xenia-canary XML: [`tools/ppc-instructions.xml` — search for `mnem="stbu"`](../../xenia-canary/tools/ppc-instructions.xml)
- xenia-canary emit: [`src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_memory.cc:423`](../../xenia-canary/src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_memory.cc#L423)
- xenia-rs opcode: [`crates/xenia-cpu/src/opcode.rs:67`](../../xenia-rs/crates/xenia-cpu/src/opcode.rs#L67)
- xenia-rs decoder: [`crates/xenia-cpu/src/decoder.rs:362`](../../xenia-rs/crates/xenia-cpu/src/decoder.rs#L362)
- xenia-rs interpreter: [`crates/xenia-cpu/src/interpreter.rs:1336-1344`](../../xenia-rs/crates/xenia-cpu/src/interpreter.rs#L1336-L1344)
xenia-rs interpreter body (frozen snapshot)
```rust
PpcOpcode::stbu => {
let ea = ctx.gpr[instr.ra()].wrapping_add(instr.d() as i64 as u64) as u32;
if let Some(t) = ctx.reservation_table.as_ref().filter(|t| t.is_enabled()) {
if t.has_active_reservers() { t.invalidate_for_write(ea); }
}
mem.write_u8(ea, ctx.gpr[instr.rs()] as u8);
ctx.gpr[instr.ra()] = ea as u64;
ctx.pc += 4;
}
```
**`stbux`**
- xenia-canary XML: [`tools/ppc-instructions.xml` — search for `mnem="stbux"`](../../xenia-canary/tools/ppc-instructions.xml)
- xenia-canary emit: [`src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_memory.cc:433`](../../xenia-canary/src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_memory.cc#L433)
- xenia-rs opcode: [`crates/xenia-cpu/src/opcode.rs:67`](../../xenia-rs/crates/xenia-cpu/src/opcode.rs#L67)
- xenia-rs decoder: [`crates/xenia-cpu/src/decoder.rs:793`](../../xenia-rs/crates/xenia-cpu/src/decoder.rs#L793)
- xenia-rs interpreter: [`crates/xenia-cpu/src/interpreter.rs:1354-1362`](../../xenia-rs/crates/xenia-cpu/src/interpreter.rs#L1354-L1362)
xenia-rs interpreter body (frozen snapshot)
```rust
PpcOpcode::stbux => {
let ea = ctx.gpr[instr.ra()].wrapping_add(ctx.gpr[instr.rb()]) as u32;
if let Some(t) = ctx.reservation_table.as_ref().filter(|t| t.is_enabled()) {
if t.has_active_reservers() { t.invalidate_for_write(ea); }
}
mem.write_u8(ea, ctx.gpr[instr.rs()] as u8);
ctx.gpr[instr.ra()] = ea as u64;
ctx.pc += 4;
}
```
**`stbx`**
- xenia-canary XML: [`tools/ppc-instructions.xml` — search for `mnem="stbx"`](../../xenia-canary/tools/ppc-instructions.xml)
- xenia-canary emit: [`src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_memory.cc:443`](../../xenia-canary/src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_memory.cc#L443)
- xenia-rs opcode: [`crates/xenia-cpu/src/opcode.rs:67`](../../xenia-rs/crates/xenia-cpu/src/opcode.rs#L67)
- xenia-rs decoder: [`crates/xenia-cpu/src/decoder.rs:790`](../../xenia-rs/crates/xenia-cpu/src/decoder.rs#L790)
- xenia-rs interpreter: [`crates/xenia-cpu/src/interpreter.rs:1345-1353`](../../xenia-rs/crates/xenia-cpu/src/interpreter.rs#L1345-L1353)
xenia-rs interpreter body (frozen snapshot)
```rust
PpcOpcode::stbx => {
let ea = if instr.ra() == 0 { 0u64 } else { ctx.gpr[instr.ra()] };
let ea = ea.wrapping_add(ctx.gpr[instr.rb()]) as u32;
if let Some(t) = ctx.reservation_table.as_ref().filter(|t| t.is_enabled()) {
if t.has_active_reservers() { t.invalidate_for_write(ea); }
}
mem.write_u8(ea, ctx.gpr[instr.rs()] as u8);
ctx.pc += 4;
}
```
## Special Cases & Edge Conditions
- **Single-byte write.** Writes the low 8 bits of `RS` (`(RS)[56:63]` in IBM bit-numbering, equivalently `RS & 0xFF`) at `EA`. The xenia snapshot does `mem.write_u8(ea, ctx.gpr[instr.rs()] as u8)`, which casts the GPR's low byte directly.
- **No endian concerns.** A single byte has no endianness — the byte at `EA` is the byte you wrote.
- **`RA0` (non-update forms).** `RA = 0` in `stb` and `stbx` selects literal zero as base — useful for absolute writes. Update forms `stbu` / `stbux` invoke `RA = 0` as an invalid form (no `RA = RT` collision since the source is `RS`, not `RT`).
- **Update-form post-write.** `stbu` / `stbux` write the computed `EA` back to `RA` after the store. The order is store-then-update; if `RA = RS` the store is unaffected (the store reads `RS` first), but the new `RA` value reflects `EA`, not the original `RS`.
- **No alignment requirement.** Byte stores are intrinsically aligned. Xenon never raises alignment exceptions for byte writes.
- **Common in string and packed-bool code.** Compilers emit `stb` for `char *` writes, packed boolean array updates, and small enum stores.
- **Cache effects.** A `stb` to a cold cache line triggers a cache-line read-allocate (load the whole line, modify one byte, mark dirty). When writing many bytes sequentially, prefer one [`stw`](stw.md) or [`stvx`](stvx.md), or pre-clear the line with [`dcbz128`](dcbz.md).
## Related Instructions
- [`sth`](sth.md), [`stw`](stw.md), [`std`](std.md) — wider stores (half / word / doubleword).
- [`lbz`](lbz.md) — corresponding load (no `lba` exists).
- [`stmw`](stmw.md), [`stswi`](stswi.md), [`stswx`](stswx.md) — multi-word / string stores for bulk transfer.
- [`stwbrx`](stwbrx.md), [`sthbrx`](sthbrx.md) — byte-reversed wider stores (no byte-equivalent needed).
## IBM Reference
- [AIX 7.3 — `stb` (Store Byte)](https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/aix/7.3.0?topic=set-stb-store-byte-instruction)
- [AIX 7.3 — `stbu` (Store Byte with Update)](https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/aix/7.3.0?topic=set-stbu-store-byte-update-instruction)