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October 17, 2008 Re: CustomFloat | ||||
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Andrei Alexandrescu Wrote:
> I found myself in need for smaller and specialized floating point types, where I configure the exact configuration (sign, mantissa, exponent, bias). See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Half_precision for a half precision number slated for inclusion in IEEE 754r.
>
> Would it be interesting to add a CustomFloat template to phobos? I'm thinking along the lines of:
>
> template CustomFloat!(bool sign, uint mantissa,
> uint exponent, uint bias)
> {
> ...
> }
>
> So half-precision numbers are:
>
> alias CustomFloat!(true, 5, 10, 15) HalfFloat;
>
> There are quite a few details to kink out but this is definitely doable. Numbers like 24-bit floating point and even 8-bit floating point would be easy to support too. For now CustomFloat would be intended exclusively as a compact storage mechanism; only conversion to the standard floating points would be implemented. Later, maybe we can get to implement some operations natively at least on machines that support them in hardware. I wanted to gauge interest in the topic.
>
>
> Andrei
I've done some work on a set of decimal floating point numbers consistent with the new 754r decimal formats approved in June. Some of that work would be applicable here, I think.
It would probably make sense to add the decimal formats at the same time. Let me know if I can help.
Paul
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October 17, 2008 Re: CustomFloat | ||||
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Posted in reply to Paul D. Anderson | Paul D. Anderson Wrote: > Andrei Alexandrescu Wrote: > > > I found myself in need for smaller and specialized floating point types, where I configure the exact configuration (sign, mantissa, exponent, bias). See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Half_precision for a half precision number slated for inclusion in IEEE 754r. > > > > Would it be interesting to add a CustomFloat template to phobos? I'm thinking along the lines of: > > > > template CustomFloat!(bool sign, uint mantissa, > > uint exponent, uint bias) > > { > > ... > > } > > > > So half-precision numbers are: > > > > alias CustomFloat!(true, 5, 10, 15) HalfFloat; > > > > There are quite a few details to kink out but this is definitely doable. Numbers like 24-bit floating point and even 8-bit floating point would be easy to support too. For now CustomFloat would be intended exclusively as a compact storage mechanism; only conversion to the standard floating points would be implemented. Later, maybe we can get to implement some operations natively at least on machines that support them in hardware. I wanted to gauge interest in the topic. > > > > > > Andrei > > I've done some work on a set of decimal floating point numbers consistent with the new 754r decimal formats approved in June. Some of that work would be applicable here, I think. > > It would probably make sense to add the decimal formats at the same time. Let me know if I can help. > > Paul > Here's a link to info regarding the decimal formats: http://speleotrove.com/decimal/ |
October 17, 2008 Re: CustomFloat | ||||
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Posted in reply to Paul D. Anderson | Paul D. Anderson wrote:
> Andrei Alexandrescu Wrote:
>
>> I found myself in need for smaller and specialized floating point
>> types, where I configure the exact configuration (sign, mantissa,
>> exponent, bias). See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Half_precision
>> for a half precision number slated for inclusion in IEEE 754r.
>>
>> Would it be interesting to add a CustomFloat template to phobos?
>> I'm thinking along the lines of:
>>
>> template CustomFloat!(bool sign, uint mantissa, uint exponent, uint
>> bias) { ... }
>>
>> So half-precision numbers are:
>>
>> alias CustomFloat!(true, 5, 10, 15) HalfFloat;
>>
>> There are quite a few details to kink out but this is definitely
>> doable. Numbers like 24-bit floating point and even 8-bit floating
>> point would be easy to support too. For now CustomFloat would be
>> intended exclusively as a compact storage mechanism; only
>> conversion to the standard floating points would be implemented.
>> Later, maybe we can get to implement some operations natively at
>> least on machines that support them in hardware. I wanted to gauge
>> interest in the topic.
>>
>>
>> Andrei
>
> I've done some work on a set of decimal floating point numbers
> consistent with the new 754r decimal formats approved in June. Some
> of that work would be applicable here, I think.
>
> It would probably make sense to add the decimal formats at the same
> time. Let me know if I can help.
Sounds interesting, and thanks for the offer. I'd be glad to add decimal types too, in case there's enough interest. I think monetary calculations can be helped, and what don't we do nowadays to help people involved in monetary calculations? :o)
Andrei
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