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Groups > comp.lang.c > #43042

Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model

From Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org>
Newsgroups comp.lang.c
Subject Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model
Date 2014-04-17 08:16 -0700
Organization None to speak of
Message-ID <ln61m86l68.fsf@nuthaus.mib.org> (permalink)
References (6 earlier) <534E9A83.70101@verizon.net> <lnr44x6ywl.fsf@nuthaus.mib.org> <87vbu8a2n8.fsf@panda.goosenet.in> <lio73c$umb$1@speranza.aioe.org> <QRO3v.16209$5V5.7003@fx08.am4>

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"BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> writes:
> "glen herrmannsfeldt" <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> wrote in message
> news:lio73c$umb$1@speranza.aioe.org...
[...]
>> Is there a processor built in the last 50 years that doesn't use
>> all bits zero for floating point zero?
[...]
> That's easy enough to test for. Just put a range of checks at the start of
> an application, which determine whether in fact 0.0 floats or doubles, and
> null pointers, are all-bits-zero, if this is the assumption made in the rest
> of program.
>
> Then it can simply abort on any rogue machine (and maybe you can then decide
> to deal with that if you think it's worthwhile).

In principle, that could fail if all-bits-zero is a trap
representation for floating-point or pointer types.  For that matter,
it's conceivable that all-bits-zero could be a representation of
0.0 for some floating-point types but not for others; likewise for
pointer types.

Another problem is that if you write such checks, you have code in your
application that will never be executed (unless you somehow manage to
run it on an exotic system with non-zero representations for 0.0 and/or
NULL).  If you get the checking code wrong, you might never know.

It might be better just to document the assumption in a comment.

> Otherwise no point crippling the software on every other machine just in
> case.

Crippling?  I haven't found it particularly difficult to write code
that doesn't *care* whether all-bits-zero is a valid representation
for 0.0 or NULL.  Sure, it's sometimes convenient to be able to use
memset() to clear an array or structure that might contain data
of arbitrary types, but a { 0 } initializer will do the same thing
more portably.

I don't advocate going (very far) out of your way to allow for the
possibility that your code might run on some exotic, and perhaps
nonexistent, architecture.  What I do advocate is being aware of
the issues, and understanding the distinction between the guarantees
made by the C standard and the somewhat larger set of things you can
(reasonably) safely assume.

-- 
Keith Thompson (The_Other_Keith) kst-u@mib.org  <http://www.ghoti.net/~kst>
Working, but not speaking, for JetHead Development, Inc.
"We must do something.  This is something.  Therefore, we must do this."
    -- Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn, "Yes Minister"

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Thread

Request for source code review of simple Ising model Udyant Wig <udyant@panda.goosenet.in> - 2014-04-10 23:38 +0530
  Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2014-04-10 13:30 -0700
    Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Udyant Wig <udyantw@gmail.com> - 2014-04-12 00:34 +0530
      Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2014-04-11 12:25 -0700
      Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Udyant Wig <udyantw@gmail.com> - 2014-04-16 01:12 +0530
        Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2014-04-16 01:33 +0100
          Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Udyant Wig <udyantw@gmail.com> - 2014-04-16 17:57 +0530
            Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2014-04-16 06:00 -0700
            Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2014-04-16 10:58 -0400
              Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2014-04-16 09:07 -0700
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2014-04-16 12:22 -0400
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2014-04-16 10:38 -0700
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2014-04-16 19:37 +0000
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Udyant Wig <udyantw@gmail.com> - 2014-04-17 12:00 +0530
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2014-04-17 09:32 +0000
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2014-04-17 12:24 +0100
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2014-04-17 08:16 -0700
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2014-04-17 04:41 -0700
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Les Cargill <lcargill99@comcast.com> - 2014-04-17 07:49 -0500
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2014-04-17 08:00 -0700
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2014-04-17 15:06 +0000
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2014-04-18 21:04 -0700
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2014-04-17 18:38 +0000
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2014-04-17 15:26 -0400
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2014-04-17 21:00 +0100
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2014-04-17 16:34 -0400
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2014-04-18 04:31 +0000
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2014-04-17 14:05 -0700
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2014-04-17 17:06 -0700
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2014-04-18 04:54 +0000
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2014-04-18 11:51 -0700
              Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Udyant Wig <udyantw@gmail.com> - 2014-04-17 11:42 +0530
            Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2014-04-16 16:54 +0100
              Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2014-04-16 15:22 -0700
              Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Udyant Wig <udyantw@gmail.com> - 2014-04-17 13:03 +0530
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2014-04-17 08:44 -0700
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2014-04-17 12:12 -0400
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Udyant Wig <udyantw@gmail.com> - 2014-04-18 12:38 +0530
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2014-04-18 03:11 -0700
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Udyant Wig <udyantw@gmail.com> - 2014-04-18 12:32 +0530
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2014-04-18 10:05 -0400
        Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Ike Naar <ike@iceland.freeshell.org> - 2014-04-16 07:10 +0000
        Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2014-04-17 13:10 -0400
          Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Udyant Wig <udyantw@gmail.com> - 2014-04-18 18:24 +0530
            Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2014-04-18 09:52 -0400
              Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Udyant Wig <udyantw@gmail.com> - 2014-04-18 20:04 +0530
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2014-04-18 11:00 -0400
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Udyant Wig <udyantw@gmail.com> - 2014-04-20 01:49 +0530
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2014-04-19 21:20 +0000
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Udyant Wig <udyantw@gmail.com> - 2014-04-20 11:11 +0530
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2014-04-20 09:06 -0400
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2014-04-20 10:50 -0400
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2014-04-21 09:14 -0700
              Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Ike Naar <ike@iceland.freeshell.org> - 2014-04-19 05:43 +0000
            Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Udyant Wig <udyantw@gmail.com> - 2014-04-18 19:47 +0530
            Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Udyant Wig <udyantw@gmail.com> - 2014-04-21 01:21 +0530
              Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2014-04-20 14:24 -0700
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Udyant Wig <udyantw@gmail.com> - 2014-04-21 10:40 +0530
              Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Udyant Wig <udyantw@gmail.com> - 2014-04-21 12:29 +0530
          Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2014-04-18 08:36 -0700
            Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2014-04-18 13:40 -0400
              Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2014-04-18 11:14 -0700
              Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2014-04-18 13:55 -0700
            Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Udyant Wig <udyantw@gmail.com> - 2014-04-19 01:25 +0530
              Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Udyant Wig <udyantw@gmail.com> - 2014-04-19 01:44 +0530
              Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2014-04-18 20:24 +0000
              Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2014-04-18 13:36 -0700
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Udyant Wig <udyantw@gmail.com> - 2014-04-19 20:18 +0530
              Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Richard <rgrdev_@gmail.com> - 2014-04-19 14:55 +0100
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Udyant Wig <udyantw@gmail.com> - 2014-04-20 02:10 +0530
            Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Ike Naar <ike@iceland.freeshell.org> - 2014-04-19 05:40 +0000
              Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2014-04-19 14:39 -0700
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2014-04-20 10:44 +1200
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2014-04-19 17:11 -0700
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Udyant Wig <udyantw@gmail.com> - 2014-04-20 11:24 +0530
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2014-04-19 17:19 -0700
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Ike Naar <ike@iceland.freeshell.org> - 2014-04-20 10:10 +0000
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2014-04-20 14:21 -0700
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Ike Naar <ike@iceland.freeshell.org> - 2014-04-20 22:18 +0000
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2014-04-20 19:27 -0700
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Ike Naar <ike@iceland.freeshell.org> - 2014-04-21 12:38 +0000
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Udyant Wig <udyantw@gmail.com> - 2014-04-21 18:12 +0530
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Ike Naar <ike@iceland.freeshell.org> - 2014-04-21 13:13 +0000
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Udyant Wig <udyantw@gmail.com> - 2014-04-21 19:46 +0530
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2014-04-21 09:06 -0700
                Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2014-04-21 00:26 +0200
        Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Udyant Wig <udyantw@gmail.com> - 2014-04-18 01:15 +0530
        Re: Request for source code review of simple Ising model Udyant Wig <udyantw@gmail.com> - 2014-04-20 11:46 +0530

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