Re: Number of bits in C99 float types?

Dom Fulton <wes104@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> writes:

> Thanks for the input, everyone. It's not quite what I was looking for,
> so perhaps I can restate the problem.
>
> I need to ex****t floating-point data from system A to system B. To do
> this, I need to know the characteristics of the data format on system
> A;

You are still a bit too close to your problem to explain all the
corners of it.  There is no obvious need to know this details you ask
for to ex****t data -- it is done all time simply by converting to
decimal and back.

Your problem may require either more speed or more accuracy (or both)
than this method is capable of.  If accuracy is the only problem
(i.e. you want to loose no more bits than you have to due any
difference in formats been A and B) then I think you can find a way
using frexp and scalbn (repeatedly) to construct a representation that
is ****table but loses no information.

If speed is the primary problem I suspect you will probably need
another route -- and it won't be ****table!.

-- 
Ben.