On 6/29/2014 2:30 PM, Russel Winder via Digitalmars-d wrote:
If D is a language that uses the underlying hardware representation then it cannot define the use of specific formats for hardware numbers. Thus, on hardware that provides IEEE754 format hardware float and double can map to the 32-bit and 64-bit IEEE754 numbers offered. However if the hardware does not provide IEEE754 hardware then either D must interpret floating point expressions (as per Java) or it cannot be ported to that architecture. cf. IBM 360.
That's correct. The D spec says IEEE 754.
PS Walter just wrote that the type real is not defined as float and double are, so it does have a Humpty Dumpty factor even if float and double do not.
It's still IEEE, just the longer lengths if they exist on the hardware. D is not unique in requiring IEEE 754 floats - Java does, too. So does Javascript.
