numeric_limits

Numeric Limits Library

• Summary
• Data Type and Member Function Indexes
• Specializations
• Synopsis
• Description
• Interface
• Member Fields and Functions
• Example
• Warning
• See Also

A class for representing information about scalar types.

Member Functions
denorm_min () digits digits10 epsilon() has_denorm has_infinity has_quiet_NaN has_signaling_NaN infinity() is_bounded	is_exact is_iec559 is_integer is_modulo is_signed is_specialized max() max_exponent max_exponent10 min()	min_exponent min_exponent10 quiet_NaN () radix round_error () round_style signaling_NaN() tinyness_before traps

numeric_limits<float>
numeric_limits<double>
numeric_limits<long double>
numeric_limits<short>
numeric_limits<unsigned short>
numeric_limits<int>
numeric_limits<unsigned int>
numeric_limits<long>
numeric_limits<unsigned long>
numeric_limits<char>
numeric_limits<wchar_t>
numeric_limits<unsigned char>
numeric_limits<signed char>
numeric_limits<bool>

#include <limits>

template <class T>
class numeric_limits ;

numeric_limits is a class for representing information about scalar types. Specializations are provided for each fundamental type, both floating point and integer, including bool.

This class encapsulates information that is contained in the <climits> and <cfloat> headers, as well as providing additional information that is not contained in any existing C or C++ header.

Not all of the information provided by members is meaningful for all specializations of numeric_limits. Any value which is not meaningful for a particular type is set to 0 or false.

template <class T>
 class numeric_limits {

 public:

 // General -- meaningful for all specializations.

    static const bool is_specialized ;
    static T min ();
    static T max ();
    static const int radix ;
    static const int digits ;
    static const int digits10 ;
    static const bool is_signed ;
    static const bool is_integer ;
    static const bool is_exact ;
    static const bool traps ;
    static const bool is_modulo ;
    static const bool is_bounded ;

 // Floating point specific.

    static T epsilon ();
    static T round_error ();
    static const int min_exponent10 ;
    static const int max_exponent10 ;
    static const int min_exponent ;

    static const int max_exponent ;
    static const bool has_infinity ;
    static const bool has_quiet_NaN ;
    static const bool has_signaling_NaN ;
    static const bool is_iec559 ;
    static const bool has_denorm ;
    static const bool tinyness_before ;
    static const float_round_style round_style ;
    static T denorm_min ();
    static T infinity ();
    static T quiet_NaN ();
    static T signaling_NaN ();
 };

 enum float_round_style {
   round_indeterminate       = -1,
   round_toward_zero         =  0,
   round_to_nearest          =  1,
   round_toward_infinity     =  2,
   round_toward_neg_infinity =  3
 };

static T 
denorm_min ();

Returns the minimum denormalized value. Meaningful for all floating point types. For types that do not allow denormalized values, this method must return the minimum normalized value.

static const int 
digits ;

Number of radix digits which can be represented without change. For built-in integer types, digits will usually be the number of non-sign bits in the representation. For floating point types, digits is the number of radix digits in the mantissa. This member is meaningful for all specializations that declare is_bounded to be true.

static const int 
digits10 ;

Number of base 10 digits that can be represented without change. Meaningful for all specializations that declare is_bounded to be true.

static T 
epsilon ();

Returns the machine epsilon (the difference between 1 and the least value greater than 1 that is representable). This function is meaningful for floating point types only.

static const bool 
has_denorm ;

This field is true if the type allows denormalized values (variable number of exponent bits). It is meaningful for floating point types only.

static const bool 
has_infinity ;

This field is true if the type has a representation for positive infinity. It is meaningful for floating point types only. This field must be true for any type claiming conformance to IEC 559.

static const bool 
has_quiet_NaN ;

This field is true is the type has a representation for a quiet (non-signaling) "Not a Number". It is meaningful for floating point types only and must be true for any type claiming conformance to IEC 559.

static const bool 
has_signaling_NaN ;

This field is true if the type has a representation for a signaling "Not a Number". It is meaningful for floating point types only, and must be true for any type claiming conformance to IEC 559.

static T 
infinity ();

Returns the representation of positive infinity, if available. This member function is meaningful for only those specializations that declare has_infinity to be true. Required for any type claiming conformance to IEC 559.

static const bool 
is_bounded ;

This field is true if the set of values representable by the type is finite. All built-in C types are bounded; this member would be false for arbitrary precision types.

static const bool 
is_exact ;

This static member field is true if the type uses an exact representation. All integer types are exact, but not vice versa. For example, rational and fixed-exponent representations are exact but not integer. This member is meaningful for all specializations.

static const bool 
is_iec559 ;

This member is true if and only if the type adheres to the IEC 559 standard. It is meaningful for floating point types only. Must be true for any type claiming conformance to IEC 559.

static const bool 
is_integer ;

This member is true if the type is integer. This member is meaningful for all specializations.

static const bool 
is_modulo ;

This field is true if the type is modulo. Generally, this is false for floating types, true for unsigned integers, and true for signed integers on most machines. A type is modulo if it is possible to add two positive numbers, and have a result that wraps around to a third number, which is less.

static const bool 
is_signed ;

This member is true if the type is signed. This member is meaningful for all specializations.

static const bool 
is_specialized ;

Indicates whether numeric_limits has been specialized for type T. This flag must be true for all specializations of numeric_limits. In the default numeric_limits<T> template, this flag must be false.

static T
max ();

Returns the maximum finite value. This function is meaningful for all specializations that declare is_bounded to be true.

static const int 
max_exponent ;

Maximum positive integer such that the radix raised to that power is in range. This field is meaningful for floating point types only.

static const int 
max_exponent10 ;

Maximum positive integer such that 10 raised to that power is in range. This field is meaningful for floating point types only.

static T 
min ();

Returns the minimum finite value. For floating point types with denormalization, min()must return the minimum normalized value. The minimum denormalized value is provided by denorm_min(). This function is meaningful for all specializations that declare is_bounded to be true.

static const int 
min_exponent ;

Minimum negative integer such that the radix raised to that power is in range. This field is meaningful for floating point types only.

static const int 
min_exponent10 ;

Minimum negative integer such that 10 raised to that power is in range. This field is meaningful for floating point types only.

static T 
quiet_NaN ();

Returns the representation of a quiet "Not a Number", if available. This function is meaningful only for those specializations that declare has_quiet_NaN to be true. This field is required for any type claiming conformance to IEC 559.

static const int 
radix ;

For floating types, specifies the base or radix of the exponent representation (often 2). For integer types, this member must specify the base of the representation. This field is meaningful for all specializations.

static T 
round_error ();

Returns the measure of the maximum rounding error. This function is meaningful for floating point types only.

static const float_round_style 
round_style ;

The rounding style for the type. Specializations for integer types must return round_toward_zero. This is meaningful for all floating point types.

static T 
signaling_NaN();

Returns the representation of a signaling "Not a Number", if available. This function is meaningful for only those specializations that declare has_signaling_NaN to be true. This function must be meaningful for any type claiming conformance to IEC 559.

static const bool 
tinyness_before ;

This member is true if tinyness is detected before rounding. It is meaningful for floating point types only.

static const bool 
traps ;

This field is true if trapping is implemented for this type. The traps field is meaningful for all specializations.

//
// limits.cpp
//
 #include <limits>


 int main() 
 {
    numeric_limits<float> float_info;
    if (float_info.is_specialized && float_info.has_infinity)
    {
      // get value of infinity 
      float finfinity=float_info.infinity(); 
    }
    return 0;
 }

The specializations for wide chars and bool will only be available if your compiler has implemented them as real types and not simulated them with typedefs.

IEEE Standard for Binary Floating-Point Arithmetic, 345 East 47th Street, New York, NY 10017

Language Independent Arithmetic (LIA-1)

©Copyright 1996, Rogue Wave Software, Inc.