[boost] Re: Extend numeric_limits<> integer traits?

From: Valentin Bonnard (Bonnard.V_at_[hidden])
Date: 1999-08-09 09:56:40

Beman Dawes wrote:

> At 12:24 PM 8/6/99 -0500, Ed Brey wrote:
> 
> >Email seemed somewhat boring, until Valentin Bonnard wrote:
> >>
> >>Beman Dawes wrote:

> >>> Now the 64-bit question:
> >>
> >>I would go as a far as 128 bits.
> >
> >My suspecion is that Beman's "64-bit question" is not a reference to
> >any current or future computer archetecture, but rather an
> >ever-so-clever reference to the "$64000 question" TV show that was
> >popular in the US long before I was born.  The idea stuck so well
> that
> >the term "$64000 question" is basically now a metaphore for any
> >important question.
> 
> Ed's right.  It was a (stupid) word play, not a proposal to add bits.

The term "$64000 question" wasn't part of my cultural background !

>  Although the question of whether boost should include support for
> "long long" is certainly a valid question.

If we extend/replace/rewrite inttypes.h/numeric_limits, we 
should certainly support long long if the implementation does.

A #define to know that would help.

> >>>    Is it worthwhile for boost to supply an
> extended_numeric_limits<>
> >>> class?
> >>>
> >>> To me, it seems more trouble that it is worth.  What do others
> think?
> >
> >It seems to me that
> boost::extended_numeric_limits<type>::constant_max is
> >an aweful lot of typing.  What do others think about calling the
> class
> >simply boost::numeric_limits?
> 
> Sounds OK to me.  Assuming boost::numeric_limits just extends
> std::numeric_limits without changing its existing functionality.

My xnumerical_limit class is limited to char, short, int, long, 
eventually long long, and their unsigned and signed variants.

OTOH std::numerical_limit applies to every types.

xnumerical_limit isn't a general purpose replacement for 
numerical_limit, just a small limited extention.

> Using the same name for something as the standard probably always
> adds some potential for confusion. 

Please note that Dietmar did that in the heaps library.

-- 
Valentin Bonnard