From: Bil Kleb <W.L.Kleb@...>
Date: 2002-02-01T23:14:47+09:00
Subject: Re: smallest non-zero number (and other limits)

ts wrote:
> 
>  Well, you have the comments of matz about this
> 
> >  If we can provide portable default definition of these
> 
>  Any idea how to do this ?

ANSI-compliant C compilers *have to* provide a float.h, viz,

  http://www.cs.bsu.edu/homepages/peb/cplusplus/float.html

and since Ruby has to be compiled for each type of machine
via a C compiler...

Admittedly there might be some non-ANSI-compliant C compilers
out there which might not have this header.  These could be
detected^[*] and the Float class constants depreciated
(simply not set?) accordingly.  However, I would not be
surprised if the machine running such an ancient compiler
(pre 1978 or so?) did not use punch cards which would
diminish the Ruby experience anyway...  ;)

--
Bil

*via adding float.h to autoconf's AC_CHECK_HEADERS macro
in configure.in