Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!ll-xn!mit-eddie!bu-cs!celtics!roger
From: roger@celtics.UUCP (Roger Klorese)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: Bug converting unsigned to double in BSD 4.[23]
Message-ID: <1058@celtics.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 25-Nov-86 10:22:10 EST
Article-I.D.: celtics.1058
Posted: Tue Nov 25 10:22:10 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 25-Nov-86 21:11:36 EST
References: <213@cartan.Berkeley.EDU> <618@hadron.UUCP> <295@hao.UUCP>
Organization: Celerity Computing (Eastern Region), Framingham, MA
Lines: 23
To: bu-cs!mit-eddie!genrad!decvax!linus!philabs!micomvax!musocs!mcgill-vision!mouse

In-Reply-To: <562@mcgill-vision.UUCP>

Cc:

Bcc:


In article <562@mcgill-vision.UUCP> you write:
>In article <295@hao.UUCP>, woods@hao.UUCP (Greg Woods) writes:
>> On a VAX, and every machine I've worked on EXCEPT the ISI-68K, the
>> first 32 bits of a double form a float.
>And it has led to some of the *sloppiest* code, just because some
>machines will let you get away with it....
>> Not true on the 68000.  

Or on any other IEEE-conforming floating-point implementation.  The IEEE
formats call for eight bits of exponent on floats, and eleven on doubles.
Any piece of code depending on this silly coincidence on the VAX and other
very common but non-compliant architectures is askin' fer it.

-- 
===================================
"Speak for the company?!   Gee, I have a hard enough time speaking for myself!"

====================  Roger B.A. Klorese
|    ///==\\       |  Celerity Computing (Eastern Region)
|   ///            |  40 Speen St., Framingham, MA 01701  +1 617 872-1552
|   \\\            |  
|    \\\==//       |  celerity!rklorese@sdcsvax.ARPA (sdcsvax!celerity!rklorese)
====================  celtics!roger@seismo.CSS.GOV   (seismo!celtics!roger)