long double

[Henry Spencer]

In article <12661 at lanl.gov> jlg at lanl.gov (Jim Giles) writes:
>By the way, what _is_ "long double"?  I've never seen a C compiler which
>has such a thing.  The proposed ANSI standard mentions "long double",
>but doesn't require it to be more precise than double! ...

The proposed standard also doesn't require float to be less precise than
double.  The reason is the same:  the exact set of easily-supported sizes
is machine-specific.  Providing float lets the user get at a smaller type,
IF there is one.  Providing long double lets the user get at a larger
type, IF there is one.  Some machines have all three.  Many don't.
-- 
Mars in 1980s:  USSR, 2 tries, |     Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
2 failures; USA, 0 tries.      | uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry at zoo.toronto.edu