title: Are the offsets on MIPS branch instructions sign-extended?
body: <p>I'm working with binary MIPS instructions and I found <a href="http://www.mrc.uidaho.edu/mrc/people/jff/digital/MIPSir.html" rel="noreferrer">this helpful document</a>. However, I would need a clarification: all branch instructions have an immediate value. Is this immediate value sign-extended?</p>
  
  <p><em>Most</em> other immediates are, and if not that would mean a backwards jump is basically impossible, so I highly suspect that yes. However, I could not find another source that talks about the binary format of MIPS instruction to clarify.</p>