From: dxforth@gmail.com   
      
   On 15/04/2025 12:14 am, Hans Bezemer wrote:   
   > ...   
   > BTW, the standard (section A.12.3.7, A.12.6.1.0558, 12.3.7) requires the   
   trailing E.   
   >   
   > As far as the embedded decimal point goes:   
   >   
   > "The Technical Committee has more than once received the suggestion that the   
   text interpreter in Standard Forth systems should treat numbers that have an   
   embedded decimal point, but no exponent, as floating-point numbers rather than   
   double cell numbers.   
    This suggestion, although it has merit, has always been voted down because it   
   would break too much existing code; many existing implementations put the full   
   digit string on the stack as a double number and use other means to inform the   
   application of    
   the location of the decimal point."   
   >   
   > In short: !!WE DON'T WANNA BREAK EXISTING CODE!!   
   >   
   > On the other hand, "TC reply to Q0004":   
   >   
   > Q: Will a number with an *embedded* decimal point be converted to a   
   double-cell number in a Standard Forth system?   
   >   
   > A: Not necessarily. A Standard System is permitted, *but not required,* to   
   convert digit strings with embedded periods as double numbers. Consequently, a   
   Standard Program cannot rely on any particular interpretation of such digit   
   strings.   
      
   AFAIR Forth-83 and prior never specified what form a double number should take   
   i.e.   
   there was no 'standard code' to break.  One could say Forth-94 was setting a   
   standard   
   where none previously existed.   
      
   --- SoupGate-DOS v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)