Document: N1045

Date: 2003-11-29

Defect Report #29y

Submitter: Fred Tydeman (USA)
Submission Date: 2003-11-29
Source: WG 14
Reference Document:
Version: 1.0
Date: 2003-11-29
Subject: May FE_* floating-point exception flags have bits in common?

Summary

May the floating-point exception flags of 7.6 Floating-point environment <fenv.h>, paragraph 5, have bits in common, e.g., the AND between two of the FE_* macros be nonzero?

Details from C99+TC1

  #define FE_INVALID   0x8001
  #define FE_DIVBYZERO 0x8002
  #define FE_OVERFLOW  0x8004
  #define FE_UNDERFLOW 0x8008
  #define FE_INEXACT   0x8010

That is, there is a bit in common to at least two of the macros, in this case, it is common to all five macros. This is allowed by the current C99 wording. That bit here could mean: any floating-point exception is raised.

Clive Feather scanned through Annex B, and concluded that this is really the only case of flags being allowed to have common bits, which could be why we haven't spotted this condition before now.

Does this cause any problems?

Yes. Consider the example code in 7.6.2.5:

  if (set_excepts & FE_INVALID) f();
  if (set_excepts & FE_OVERFLOW) g();

Suppose that just FE_DIVBYZERO is raised, e.g., set_excepts is 0x8002. Then, both of the above tests would report true (which is wrong), and both f() and g() would be called.

I know of two solutions:

1. Require that there be no bits in common to any of these FE_* floating-point exception macros. One way is to change the last sentence of paragraph 5 of 7.6 to be:

   The defined macros expand to integer constant expressions with values such that bitwise ORs of all combinations of the macros result in distinct values, and furthermore, bitwise ANDs of all combinations of the macros result in zero.

   
   

   In addition, we could add a footnote to that sentance along the lines of:

   The macros should be distinct powers of two.

   
   
   

   Possible problem: This could break existing implementations. Anyone know of an implementation that would break?

   All feedback I have received says this is what we "designed" and is the only sane solution; it is also what people expect.

2. Add another macro, such as FE_EXP_MASK, that is the OR of all these macros, but without any of the bits in common. In this case, it would be 0x001f. If we choose this solution, then we will need to redo the examples that test the floating-point exception flags. For example, in 7.6.2.5, the tests would become:

   
     if (set_excepts & FE_INVALID & FE_EXP_MASK) f();
     if (set_excepts & FE_OVERFLOW & FE_EXP_MASK) g();
   
   

   
   

   Possible problem: This would require existing user programs to be recoded.

   Many of us do not like this solution, and if it were allowed, would be very bad news.

Suggested Technical Corrigendum

Change the last sentence of paragraph 5 of 7.6 Floating-point environment <fenv.h> to be:

The defined macros expand to integer constant expressions with values such that bitwise ORs of all combinations of the macros result in distinct values, and furthermore, bitwise ANDs of all combinations of the macros result in zero.

In addition, add a footnote to that sentance along the lines of:

The macros should be distinct powers of two.

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