RE: [Re: RPGILE V4.3 Gotcha]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ray Peterson [mailto:rpeterso@witc.tec.wi.us]
> Sent: Tuesday, October 05, 1999 8:51 PM
> To: RPG400-L@midrange.com
> Subject: Re: [Re: RPGILE V4.3 Gotcha]
> 
> 

/*                     SNIP                                       */


> ... "Since float variables are intended to represent 
> "scientific" values, a
> numeric value stored in a float variable may not represent the exact
> same value as it would in a packed variable. Float should not be used
> when you need to represent numbers exactly to a specific number of
> decimal places, such as monetary amounts."
> 
> I'm trying to come up with a good example where FP would be 
> appropriate
> in our environment, and I'm not seeing any.  Perhaps someone else has
> an example they would share!
> 


In an acronym, ILE.  Floating point numbers are the "normal" decimal number
format in C (C on the 400 must support BCD, but I'm talking "regular"
library functions.)  If you look at the ILE math APIs you'll see all sorts
of float parameters.  Floats give you the chance to use APIs and things from
other languages that you couldn't touch before.  For a lot of business
programming, you'll probably never use floating point numbers.  I know I
haven't except in playing around with them.  
It's nice to know that they're there.
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