Re: Ada decimal types

["Randy Brukardt" <randy@rrsoftware.com>]

"REH" <me@you.com> wrote in message
news:sKG6g.6427$TT.4592@twister.nyroc.rr.com...
> > I would use a fixed point type, not a decimal type.
> A decimal type is a fixed pointed type.  I don't want to use a binary
fixed
> point because it would change the precision.  Currently any value of
> microsecond granularity can be represented.  If I use a binary fixed
point,
> that would change.

Decimal fixed point types have different rules for rounding in operations
like "*" and "/" than regular ("ordinary") fixed point does. Be sure that
that behavior doesn't matter to your application. Otherwise, there is no
difference between a decimal fixed point and an ordinary fixed point with an
appropriate small clause:

    type Mission_Time_Type is delta 1.0e-6 range 0.0 .. (2.0**32) - 1.0;
    for Mission_Time_Type'Small use 1.0e-6;

Ada 95 compilers *could* reject the above, but since they have to implement
it anyway to support decimal types, there is no good reason to do so.

                                 Randy.