Re: Fw: Overflow and Inf
Dan Zuras wrote: (quoting from IEEE 754-2008)
> These are the only floating-point data represented.
Correct.
> Then as Michel points out, as a practical matter, there
> are decimal bit patterns which do not encode for anything
> within the set of represented floating-point data.
>
> This is of no significance.
>
> These bit patterns have no meaning.
Correct -- in 754-2008. I'm fully aware of that, and
thought I had said so.
> They are not available for any expansion of the set of
> represented floating-point values.
The only reason a revised 754-2015 would strenuously oppose
this is because it cannot be transferred to the BFP domain.
However, should Mike Cowlishaw's vision prevail, namely that
DFP would eventually displace BFP (which I doubt, personally),
that reason would go away.
Michel.
P.S. The practical implications of this sub-discussion are
probably nil for 1788 -- but I just wanted to mention it.
---Sent: 2010-09-29 20:19:11 UTC