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(as.info)Flonums

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Flonums
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   A "flonum" represents a floating point number.  The translation is
indirect: a decimal floating point number from the text is converted by
`as' to a generic binary floating point number of more than sufficient
precision.  This generic floating point number is converted to a
particular computer's floating point format (or formats) by a portion
of `as' specialized to that computer.

   A flonum is written by writing (in order)
   * The digit `0'.  (`0' is optional on the HPPA.)

   * A letter, to tell `as' the rest of the number is a flonum.  `e' is
     recommended.  Case is not important.

     On the H8/300, H8/500, Hitachi SH, and AMD 29K architectures, the
     letter must be one of the letters `DFPRSX' (in upper or lower
     case).

     On the ARC, the letter must be one of the letters `DFRS' (in upper
     or lower case).

     On the Intel 960 architecture, the letter must be one of the
     letters `DFT' (in upper or lower case).

     On the HPPA architecture, the letter must be `E' (upper case only).

   * An optional sign: either `+' or `-'.

   * An optional "integer part": zero or more decimal digits.

   * An optional "fractional part": `.' followed by zero or more
     decimal digits.

   * An optional exponent, consisting of:

        * An `E' or `e'.

        * Optional sign: either `+' or `-'.

        * One or more decimal digits.


   At least one of the integer part or the fractional part must be
present.  The floating point number has the usual base-10 value.

   `as' does all processing using integers.  Flonums are computed
independently of any floating point hardware in the computer running
`as'.