+/* Read/write "x" from/to "file" as bigendian representation of "size" bits.
+ * Only multiples of 8 allowed for "size". On failure, return 1, else 0.
+ *
+ * As of of now, all other read/write functions build on top of these. TODO:
+ * Consider externing these so-far internal functions and dropping the
+ * interfaces to them, instead relying on their internal validity checks.
+ * (Usage of padded memory copies instead of directly manipulating * x as is
+ * done in read_uint* would need to be added, though.)
+ */