[boost] Boost.Preprocessor - High-Precision Arithmetic Query

From: Paul Mensonides (pmenso57_at_[hidden])
Date: 2002-10-19 02:23:10

Just a quick query about what you guys think should be done in overflow
situations with high-precision arithmetic in the preprocessor library.  I
have three options:

1) return a known (and detectable) error state
2) saturate at the greatest value
3) cause a glorious preprocessor failure

I don't like Option 1 very much because nobody is actually going to check
for overflow, and I can't afford the cost of doing the check inside the
implementation so I can propogate the error state.

Option 2 uses saturation arithmetic like the current library arithmetic
does.  (I.e. any attempt to increase above +9,999,999,999 results in
+9,999,999,999, and any attempt to decrease below -9,999,999,999 results
in -9,999,999,999.)

Option 3 is the most efficient and overflow currently won't happen unless an
attempt is made to go past positive or negative 9,999,999,999.

Thanks in advance for any comments.

Paul Mensonides