Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!van-bc!rsoft!mindlink!a684
From: a684@mindlink.UUCP (Nick Janow)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.forth
Subject: Re: ANS FORTH TECHNICAL COMMITTEE
Message-ID: <2962@mindlink.UUCP>
Date: 27 Aug 90 17:56:24 GMT
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada
Lines: 18


ForthNet@willett.pgh.pa.us (B.RODRIGUEZ2 [Brad R.]) writes:

> This proposal [floating point] seems to guarantee that anyone wishing to
> write a "Standard" application using floating-point will have to write
> everything twice.  Then, of course, at the beginning of your standard program
> you can test the environment and decide which copy of the application to run.

Nope, it means that you have to write all your floating point code under the
restrictions of both (separate FP stack and single data stack).  I wasn't happy
to see the restrictions, but after a _loooong_ discussion, it seemed like the
best compromise.  Hopefully, by the time the standard is reviewed again (5
yrs?), the majority of stack machines (RTXn000?) will have separate FP stacks
and we can drop the coding restrictions.

If anyone wants the standard to be separate FP stack only, all you have to do
is come up with an argument that will convince the ANS committee to choose that
method.  Good luck (you'll need it).  :-)