Re: [boost] [Soc 07] BigInt Alternate Projects -- SOC BigInt applicants please read!

From: james.jones_at_[hidden]
Date: 2007-03-27 15:00:07

From: Jeff Garland <jeff_at_[hidden]>
> Fixed Decimal
> 
> Introduction: Fixed Decimal types provide an alternative to floating 
> point types that are superior in their calculation properties. Robert 
> Klarer of IBM has proposed adding these types to C++ [in n2198 (pdf)] 
> and prior papers. This work is now on track to be included in C++0x. 
> Robert has an implementation of these types with a restrained license. 
> This project involves implementing the n2198 interfaces in a Boost library.
> 
> Goal: Platform independent code, docs and tests to Boost need to be 
> delivered with as much of 2198 as possible.
> 
> Requirements: Basic knowledge of C++ templates and a good understanding 
> of limits of computer computation systems. Extreme ability to focus on 
> details.
> 
> Notes: This project clearly involves much less 'interface design' since 
> the interface is already defined. However there is still tricky design 
> work to implement these types correctly. Some research on the best 
> approaches might be required.

I have done a lot of work on something very similar to this that I was hoping to propose fairly soon (next few weeks). The interface isn't quite N2198, but I'm not crazy about N2198 anyway (it isn't threadsafe, for example, AFAICT). I've been using the IEEE754r spec. Is it worthwhile at all to continue to work on a BOOST library for fixed decimal arithmetic without making it N2198 compliant?

There would probably be a way to make an N2198-compliant version of my code, if that were necessary.

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