Re: type declaration and storage requirements

[Jeffrey Carter <jrcarter@acm.org>]

Russ wrote:
> 
> Ada allows me to specify the number of digits and the range of a
> floating-point type, or the delta and range of a fixed-point type.
> This gives more control than, say, C/C++, which only allows me to
> specify single or double precision. What bothers me, however, is that
> I apparently need to do some homework of my own to determine if my
> declaration will require one or two words for storage (for a
> particular word size).

You should define your own types when the precision and range are
application defined and important, and the specific representation is
not.  "digits X" only specifies a minimum precision; the actual
representation may give you more. If the representation is important and
the precision is not, then you probably need the types defined in
package Interfaces.

-- 
Jeff Carter
"Oh Lord, bless this thy hand grenade, that with it thou
mayst blow thine enemies to tiny bits, in thy mercy."
Monty Python and the Holy Grail