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* update information on floating point (extended and single clarifications)

carl 23 years ago
parent
commit
7aa569d748
1 changed files with 11 additions and 8 deletions
  1. 11 8
      docs/prog.tex

+ 11 - 8
docs/prog.tex

@@ -3469,7 +3469,8 @@ value is stored as a 4 byte value (longword).
 Floating point type sizes and mapping vary from one
 Floating point type sizes and mapping vary from one
 processor to another. Except for the Intel 80x86
 processor to another. Except for the Intel 80x86
 architecture, the \var{extended} type maps to the IEEE
 architecture, the \var{extended} type maps to the IEEE
-double type.
+double type if a hardware floating point coprocessor
+is present.
 
 
 \begin{FPCltable}{lr}{Processor mapping of real type}{RealMapping}
 \begin{FPCltable}{lr}{Processor mapping of real type}{RealMapping}
 Processor & Real type mapping\\
 Processor & Real type mapping\\
@@ -3489,7 +3490,9 @@ point value.
 
 
 The \var{single} type occupies 4 bytes of storage space,
 The \var{single} type occupies 4 bytes of storage space,
 and its memory structure is the same as the IEEE-754 single
 and its memory structure is the same as the IEEE-754 single
-type.
+type. This type is the only type which is guaranteed to
+be available on all platforms (either emulated via software
+or directly via hardware).
 
 
 The memory format of the \var{single} format looks like
 The memory format of the \var{single} format looks like
 \begin{htmlonly}
 \begin{htmlonly}
@@ -3540,7 +3543,7 @@ like what is shown in \seefig{doubleformat}.
 
 
 
 
 On processors which do not support co-processor operations (and which have
 On processors which do not support co-processor operations (and which have
-the \{\$E-\} switch), the \var{double} type does not exist.
+the \{\$E+\} switch), the \var{double} type does not exist.
 
 
 
 
 
 
@@ -3551,11 +3554,11 @@ takes up 10 bytes of memory space. For more information
 on the extended type consult the Intel Programmer's reference.
 on the extended type consult the Intel Programmer's reference.
 
 
 For all other processors which support floating point operations,
 For all other processors which support floating point operations,
-the \var{extended} type is a nickname for the \var{double} type. 
-It has the same format and size as the \var{double} type. On
-processors which do not support co-processor operations (and which have
-the \{\$E-\} switch), the
-\var{extended} type does not exist.
+the \var{extended} type is a nickname for the type which supports
+the most precision, this is usually the \var{double} type. 
+On processors which do not support co-processor operations (and which have
+the \{\$E+\} switch), the \var{extended} type usually maps to the
+\var{single} type.
 
 
 \subsubsection{comp}
 \subsubsection{comp}