[boost] [format] - exponential format, NaN and infinity

From: frederic.bron_at_[hidden]
Date: 2007-03-14 11:57:35

This is about output of real values (float, double, ...) in exponential 
format and output of not a number and infinity.
My concern is that in C++, the output differs from one compiler/machine to 
another. It would be very nice if boost::format could garantee the same 
output on every computer. For example, the following code gives the 
following output on various machines (using boost 1.33.1):

        std::cout << format("%1% ") % 1e12  ;
        std::cout << format("%1% ") % 
std::numeric_limits<double>::quiet_NaN() ;
        std::cout << format("%1% ") % 
std::numeric_limits<double>::infinity() ;
        std::cout << format("%1%") % 
(-std::numeric_limits<double>::infinity()) ;

The output on cygwin (compiled with g++ 3.4.4) is:
1e+12 nan inf -inf

The output on windows (compiled with g++ 3.4.4 on cygwin with flag 
-mno-cygwin) is:
1e+012 1.#QNAN 1.#INF -1.#INF

The output on Tru64 (compiled with g++ 3.4.4) is:
1e+12 NaNQ INF -INF

This makes difficult to check if the programs do the same on various 
machines as soon as tests include output of numbers.

Here, I cite section 7.19.6.1 The fprintf function of standard 
"Programming languages — C" ISO/IEC 9899:1999(E):

The effect of the printf function in C is descibed as:

A double argument representing an infinity is converted in one of the 
styles
[-]inf or [-]infinity — which style is implementation-defined. A
double argument representing a NaN is converted in one of the styles
[-]nan or [-]nan(n-char-sequence) — which style, and the meaning of
any n-char-sequence, is implementation-defined.

A double argument representing a floating-point number is converted in the
style [-]d.ddd e±dd, ... The exponent always contains at least two digits,
and only as many more digits as necessary to represent the exponent.

Could we have the same in C++:
1. 2 digit in the exponent and more only if needed
2. a standard format for not a number and infinity: nan and inf. (They are 
roughtly implementation defined in C!)

In the C++ standard "Programming languages — C++" ISO/IEC 14882:2003(E), 
the only reference to printf is in 27.8.2 C Library files where we can 
find the list of functions in cstdio.
Also using cout, there is no description of how to handle NaN, infinity 
and the number of digits in the exponents.
The function should be described in the previous C standard "Programming 
languages – C" ISO/IEC 9899:1990 which I do not have.

Thanks,

F. Bron

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