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Re: [STDS-754] the use of "most significant"
Vincent Lefevre <vincent@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote on 01/04/2009 16:23:16:
...
So, shouldn't "The most significant two bits" be replaced by
"The two leading bits"? (The word "leading" is used in the
following, so that I think it is the correct one.)
...
I think the meaning is clear, so this is splitting hairs really -- but
agree the wording isn't perfect. I don't think 'leading' is any better,
either -- that implies a direction (being sent down a communication line,
the least-significant bits might be sent first, and so they 'lead'; also
consider big-endian and little-endian realizations). There is not
necessarily a precise way of saying what is intended in English. The
combination of using both ways of describing the bit(s) perhaps is useful
as it reinforces the likely intent.
By the way, just about every sentence in the standard could be argued
about like this -- and very probably has been, at length -- so it is not
very constructive or useful to go over it all again ... :-)
Mike
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