Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!akgua!mcnc!ecsvax!bet
From: bet@ecsvax.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.lang.c
Subject: Re: i = i * f  *vs*  i *= f (Not a bug)
Message-ID: <2310@ecsvax.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 15-Apr-84 16:03:13 EST
Article-I.D.: ecsvax.2310
Posted: Sun Apr 15 16:03:13 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 15-Apr-84 23:47:20 EST
Lines: 14


What we have here is a type conversion problem. When i = i * f is evaulated,
the "i" on the right side of the assignment is promoted to float, the
expression is evaluated, and the result is converted back to integer for
the assignment. When i *= f is evaluated, the right side of the assignment
operator is evaluated, just as before: it is the float. It is then converted
to integer for the assignment operation: 0.2 goes to 0 in any reasonable
conversion. BEWARE incautious mixed types: they ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS bite
back. C is perhaps as benign as any environment I know. Look at PL/I for
crissakes. If ANY numeric value gets converted to fixed decimal, you stand a
good chance of getting badly burnt. Literal numeric constants (as I recall)
default to fixed decimal. OUCH!!!
					Bennett Todd
					...{decvax,ihnp4,akgua}!mcnc!ecvax!bet