From: Hal Fulton <hal9000@...>
Date: 2004-10-30T14:30:17+09:00
Subject: Re: Rounding error, (100.0 * 9.95).to_i == 994

trans. (T. Onoma) wrote:
> Honestly, you're way overstating this and undervaluing the problem. Many 
> persons have wasted hour upon hour compensating for this. This whole thread 
> kept going b/c of an overlooked rounding error, that could have easily 
> propagated into live code and been a real headache for someone --what value 
> do you put on all those efforts?

I'm not overstating or undervaluing anything.

Floating point arithmetic is a perfectly good tool with its limitations. Any
good craftsman knows the limitations of his tools. Too often nowadays we find
craftsmen who do not know those limitations. As for valuing efforts -- I value
efforts more highly when people understand the tools they are using and thus
use them appropriately. In those cases, the headaches you describle will not
happen.

End of thread for me.


Hal Fulton