From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: ** X-Spam-Status: No, score=2.1 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_40,INVALID_MSGID, REPLYTO_WITHOUT_TO_CC autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: fac41,dad65365cb2b3396,start X-Google-Attributes: gidfac41,public X-Google-Thread: 109fba,dad65365cb2b3396,start X-Google-Attributes: gid109fba,public X-Google-Thread: 106c43,dad65365cb2b3396,start X-Google-Attributes: gid106c43,public X-Google-Thread: 1014db,dad65365cb2b3396,start X-Google-Attributes: gid1014db,public X-Google-Thread: 103376,dad65365cb2b3396,start X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public From: cjames3@ibm.net (The Rt Rev'd Colin James III, KOTM 1/96) Subject: The disturbing myth of Eiffel portability Date: 1996/11/15 Message-ID: <3294e64b.74799475@news2.ibm.net>#1/1 X-Deja-AN: 196736944 content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii organization: CEC Services, LLC mime-version: 1.0 reply-to: cjames3@ibm.net (The Rt Rev'd Colin James III, KOTM 1/96) newsgroups: comp.lang.eiffel,comp.lang.ada,comp.lang.c,comp.lang.c++,comp.lang.object Date: 1996-11-15T00:00:00+00:00 List-Id: It is common knowledge that the same ANSI C source code when compiled by different ANSI C compilers produces executables which when run yield different, inconsistent floating point results. This is due to the fact that the runtime floating point packages of ANSI C compilers vary as to word size and are not required to conform to strict standards, other than weasel words, as are Ada compilers. Eiffel emits ANSI C code. Therefore Eiffel is in fact not truly portable and can in fact yield different numerical results according to platform. That begs the following question: how can the largest Eiffel project of over 700,000 lines of code (the CALfp bank's derivatives' program) expect to be taken seriously if the source code when compiled on different platforms could produce inconsistent and erroneous results. In other words, the reason that banks generally have learned to avoid C due to floating point problems is not solved at all but rather propagated and worsened by the questionable strategic decision to adopt Eiffel. That fact may of course explain why no other famous banks with both US _and_ European computer operations have jumped on the Eiffel bandwagon and predictably would not, such as the perfect example of CitiCorp which had the first GE bank computers about 1962. Don Knuth tried to get around the floating point problem in the 1960's by suggesting in Volumes 1 and 2 of his opus to use scaled integers. It's too bad that the immature project weenies choose not to read that classic anymore these days and thus don't know the meaning of integer math. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Re-usable, patented financial software for business and banks Colin James III, Principal Scientist www.cec-services.com CEC Services, LLC, 1613 Morning Dr, Loveland, CO 80538-4410 Telephone lines: Voice 970.622.0466; Facsimile: 970.622.0177 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~