From: anton@mips.complang.tuwien.ac.at   
      
   albert@spenarnc.xs4all.nl writes:   
   >A forth that interprets e.g. 3.14 as a floating point number   
   >is as non-standard as a Forth that interprets 3.14 is a double.   
      
   Forth-94 and Forth-2012 do not standardize recognizing 3.14, so   
   standard systems are allowed to deal with "3.14" as they deem useful.   
   The possible options include recognizing "3.14" as a double-cell   
   integer, as a FP number, or not recognizing "3.14" and producing an   
   error message.   
      
   However, I think that recognizing "314." as a double-cell integer (as   
   required by these standards), but recognizing "3.14" as an FP number   
   is even more confusing and error prone than recognizing both as a   
   double-cell integer.   
      
   >How would a proposal like this fare:   
   >"   
   >    A double number is only recognized as it ends *and starts*   
   >    with a period.   
      
   Existing practice?  What's wrong with "#314."?   
      
   >    Recognizing a double if it ends only in a period becomes   
   >    obsolescent.   
   >"   
      
   That part may have an easier time.   
      
   - anton   
   --   
   M. Anton Ertl  http://www.complang.tuwien.ac.at/anton/home.html   
   comp.lang.forth FAQs: http://www.complang.tuwien.ac.at/forth/faq/toc.html   
        New standard: https://forth-standard.org/   
      EuroForth 2024: https://euro.theforth.net   
      
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