• Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
programming forums Java Mobile Certification Databases Caching Books Engineering Micro Controllers OS Languages Paradigms IDEs Build Tools Frameworks Application Servers Open Source This Site Careers Other Pie Elite all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
Marshals:
  • Campbell Ritchie
  • Jeanne Boyarsky
  • Ron McLeod
  • Paul Clapham
  • Liutauras Vilda
Sheriffs:
  • paul wheaton
  • Rob Spoor
  • Devaka Cooray
Saloon Keepers:
  • Stephan van Hulst
  • Tim Holloway
  • Carey Brown
  • Frits Walraven
  • Tim Moores
Bartenders:
  • Mikalai Zaikin

Confusion about floating point value sets

 
Ranch Hand
Posts: 84
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator


4.2.3 Floating-Point Types, Formats, and Values - JLS
Every implementation of the Java programming language is required to support two
standard sets of floating-point values, called the float value set and the double value
set. In addition, an implementation of the Java programming language may support
either or both of two extended-exponent floating-point value sets, called the floatextended-
exponent value set and the double-extended-exponent value set. These
extended-exponent value sets may, under certain circumstances, be used instead
of the standard value sets to represent the values of expressions of type float or
double (§5.1.13, §15.4).



What are the value sets talking here... ? Where they have been specified ? ...in JLS ? Please help me to understand this...
Thank you.
 
Bartender
Posts: 10780
71
Hibernate Eclipse IDE Ubuntu
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator

Ranjith Suranga wrote:What are the value sets talking here... ? Where they have been specified ? ...in JLS ? Please help me to understand this...


I'm not exactly sure, but I suspect that it may be referring to 'denormal' or 'subnormal' values; which are part of the IEEE 754 standard.

To be honest, I've never delved into the JLS as deeply as you seem to be.

Winston
 
Master Rancher
Posts: 4806
72
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator

Ranjith Suranga wrote:What are the value sets talking here... ? Where they have been specified ? ...in JLS ?


The are being defined in the JLS, in the section you're quoting from. If you look at the actual JLS entry that you quoted, you see that the four terms (e.g. "float value set") are all in italics the first time they are used. In the JLS, that indicates that they are in the process of defining a new term - the term in italics. You need to read the rest of 4.2.3 carefully to see how those four terms are defined.
 
Ranji Sura
Ranch Hand
Posts: 84
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator

Mike Simmons wrote:
The are being defined in the JLS, in the section you're quoting from. If you look at the actual JLS entry that you quoted, you see that the four terms (e.g. "float value set") are all in italics the first time they are used. In the JLS, that indicates that they are in the process of defining a new term - the term in italics. You need to read the rest of 4.2.3 carefully to see how those four terms are defined.



Dear sir.. I have read it.. but I can't point out this... could you please point this out for me... ?
 
Bartender
Posts: 4568
9
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Look at the paragraph after the one you quoted, and Table 4.1
 
Mike Simmons
Master Rancher
Posts: 4806
72
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
[responding to Ranjith before I saw Matthew's response, which is basically the same thing]

JLS 4.2.3 is all about these four value sets. It's all part of the definition. I suppose if I had to pick out one part that is most critical, it's this:

The finite nonzero values of any floating-point value set can all be expressed in the form s · m · 2^(e - N + 1)[...]


combined with table 4.1, which tells you what the values are for N, K, Emax, and Emin, for each of the four value sets being defined. They're defining all four value sets simultaneously.
 
Ranji Sura
Ranch Hand
Posts: 84
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
It is extremely thank you to both of you Mike Simmons, Matthew Brown. Thank you sir... once again. I got it...
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic