[erlang-patches] [patch] new float_to_list/2

[Lukas Larsson]

Hello Serge!

I think we have finally agreed how we want this functionality to work.

float_to_list/1 should be left as it is now for backwards compatibility.
float_to_list(1.0,[]) should give the same as float_to_list(1.0).
float_to_list(1.0,[{decimals,X}]) should use your faster implementation 
(with the optional compact option).
float_to_list(1.0,[{scientific,Y}]) should give the same as 
float_to_list(1.0) if Y is 20.

We would also like the string rendering part of sys_double_to_chars_fast 
to be put into erts/lib_src/common/erl_printf_format.c:fmt_double. This 
way other parts of the vm which print floats will benefit from your changes!

I hope our indecisiveness have not caused you to shy away from taking 
this feature into Erlang/OTP. If you have any further questions or 
ponderings just let me know.

Lukas

On 18/07/12 20:47, Serge Aleynikov wrote:
> On 7/18/2012 5:18 AM, Lukas Larsson wrote:
>> However, I would also like the fast functionality to be used by
>> float_to_list_1 as well, is possible to do this and stay backwards
>> compatible? Hopefully you just have to shift the comma and add e+XX at
>> the end of the optimized case and call sys_double_to_chars for the
>> unoptimized.
> See my comments below regarding 'scientific' option.  Since
> float_to_list_2 is a new function I would think that you are questioning
> the issue of backward compatibility only in terms of converting
> float_to_list_1 to use float_to_list_2 implementation.  However, I think
> that this will have adverse performance tax on float_to_list_2, which
> will diminish the benefit.  It's been a while however, since I wrote
> that patch, perhaps there's a way to retrofit scientific notation
> without a performance penalty.
>
> It's more than simple shifting of the comma, since there's also rounding
> involved.
>
> This case is easy:
>
> 4> float_to_list(1.01234).
> "1.01234000000000001762e+00"
> 5> float_to_list(1.01234, [{decimals, 20}]).
> "1.01234000000000001762"
>
> This case is a bit more complex (illustration of rounding impact):
>
> 7> float_to_list(10123412345.0123451234).
> "1.01234123450123443604e+10"
> 8> float_to_list(10123412345.0123451234, [{decimals, 20}]).
> "10123412345.01234436035156250000"
>
>> Also float_to_list(1.0) should return the same thing as
>> float_to_list(1.0,[]), otherwise the API will be inconsistent with how
>> other such APIs work.
> Actually if you trace this subject back there was another request that
> the default number of decimals is chosen to be consistent with what
> printf() does, so I changed the implementation to accommodate that request:
>
> Eshell V5.9  (abort with ^G)
> 1> float_to_list(1.0, []).
> "1.000000"
>
> Which is different from the default of float_to_list/1:
>
> 2> float_to_list(1.0).
> "1.00000000000000000000e+00"
>
> Maybe one could introduce a 'scientific' option to float_to_list/2, to
> use the float_to_list/1 implementation?
>
> Serge
>
>> On 24/05/12 16:02, Serge Aleynikov wrote:
>>> Henrik,
>>>
>>> Fetch:    git fetch https://github.com/saleyn/otp/tree/float_to_list_2
>>> Diff:    https://github.com/saleyn/otp/compare/float_to_list_2
>>>
>>> I added the definition for the new BIF to make the type checker happy:
>>> https://github.com/saleyn/otp/commit/f9ddbeda5426ca83cda03c06a9860220ea4a22c7
>>>
>>>
>>> Once you do the "otp_build tests", how do you execute all tests suites
>>> in $ERL_TOP or if possible only tests in a given SUITE?  I tried the
>>> following but all tests fail:
>>>
>>> [otp/erts/emulator/test]$ ../../../bin/erl -noshell -s test_server_ctrl
>>> run_test DIR "." -s erlang halt
>>>
>>> I did however run individual tests in bif_SUIT:types to make sure my
>>> patch didn't break anything.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Serge
>>>
>>> On 5/24/2012 5:17 AM, Henrik Nord wrote:
>>>> Hi again.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> This test is not passing: emulator/bif_SUIT:types
>>>>
>>>> No type information:
>>>>
>>>> [{erlang,float_to_list,2}]
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On 04/21/2012 07:19 AM, Serge Aleynikov wrote:
>>>>> git fetch https://github.com/saleyn/otp/tree/float_to_list_2
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