Meaning of Float negativeZero is to represent a negative number so small
that we cannot represent it with smallest available Float...
That occurs after an underflow.
Like for example
-1.0e-300 * 1.0e-100
We know it is negative, but in the same time, we cannot distinguish it
from zero...
IEEE 754 decided that
(Float negativeZero = 0.0) = true
Rationale: there is no positiveZero, so there is no reason why
(-1.0e-300 * 1.0e-100 = 0.0) = false
while
(1.0e-300 * 1.0e-100 = 0.0) = true
A consequence of this in Squeak is:
Float negativeZero negative = false
As the name does not tell...
Tricky Float...
I will try to play with this logic:
One feature in IEEE is division by a negativeZero:
(1.0 / Float negativeZero)
is expected to produce a negative infinity.
So I expect a breach of logic with:
(1.0 / Float negativeZero) negative = true
Not in Squeak, we are saved by a ZeroDivide...
Sure I can make it with FloatArray:
(1.0 / (FloatArray with: Float negativeZero)) first negative = true
But there
- I find a bug (
http://bugs.squeak.org/view.php?id=6782)
- after correcting, still have a ZeroDivide.
Do I lack the plugin?
Locked
