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Re: V3 PATCH: numeric_limits<> support, fix PR/3865


On Sun, Sep 01, 2002 at 03:09:04PM -0700, Richard Henderson wrote:
> > If we were to implement QNaNs, SNaNs as builtins, then there is no
> > reason we don't do it properly by handling the MIPS cas inside the
> > compiler and avoid the libstdc++/config/cpu quagmire.
> 
> Eh, sort-of.  While the interpretation of the string is in-the-end
> implementation defined, it is defined in terms of strtod.
> 
> At least glibc defines "" == NAN (c99 <math.h>) == the canonical QNaN.
> I assume all other implementations do the same here.
> 
> Getting the SNaN is harder.  The only other sequences that glibc 
> defines are strtol-parsable integers, which is dropped into the
> mantessa as-is.  For non-MIPS, that means "0" is easy.
> 
> I suppose we could define "snan" (case insensitive) to do what we
> want.  I'd bet that Uli would be willing to pick this up for glibc's 
> strtod implementation.  We'd probably be "inconsistent" with other
> libcs, but in an extremely minor way.

It might make sense to permit entry of infinity and NaN as hexadecimal
floating constants.  I could go two ways on that:

- Remove the code which prevents you from writing a NaN or infinite
  bit pattern as a bare hexadecimal floating constant:

  0x0.0p+1023  # infinity
  0x8.0p+1023  # quiet NaN (non-MIPS)
  0x4.0p+1023  # signaling NaN (non-MIPS)

- Define new syntax (staying within the grammar of a pp-number):

  0x0.0p+INF   # infinity
  0x0.0p+NAN   # qNaN
  0x0.0p+QNAN  # same
  0x0.0p+SNAN  # sNaN

In this scheme, the mantissa would be ignored in the first case and
splatted into the mantissa field in the latter three, except that you
couldn't touch the high bit.  I don't think any confusion arises with
type suffixes.  It has the advantage of allowing the same input to
work on MIPS and non-.

Actually I think you can get infinity right now by writing a hex
float constant that overflows, but only with warnings.

zw



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