Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!ngstl1.csc.ti.com!hyde
From: hyde@ngstl1.csc.ti.com (Clint Hyde 343-7709 Strong Typing is for people with Weak Memories!)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ti.explorer
Subject: here's something interesting...
Message-ID: <8906161732.AA11529@ti.com>
Date: 16 Jun 89 17:23:04 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Distribution: inet
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 15



it seems that referencing MOST-POSITIVE-SINGLE-FLOAT or
MOST-NEGATIVE-SINGLE-FLOAT is OK, but actually working with the value
directly bombs the reader.

(format t "~S" MOST-POSITIVE-SINGLE-FLOAT)
(format t "~S" 3.4028237e38)

one could try the same thing using READ-FROM-STRING, or anything that
involves the lisp reader having to parse the number directly.

how is this possible?

 -- clint