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RE: large and small numbers in xsl

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> Can XSL handle large and small numbers
Yes
> specified in 1e-157 or 1.1e+12 notation.
No

> Results of numerical comparisons (greater than, less than) seem
> pretty random using this format.
1.1e+12 is not a number in XSLT so if you do a numeric comparison it is
treated as NaN; all less than and greater than comparisons with NaN yield
false.  
> 
> The xpath recomendation states that all numbers are treated as
> double-precision 64-bit format IEEE 754 value and points to a 
> description of this that I can't totally get to grips with.

I found the description in the Java Language Spec reasonably penetrable,
though as with SQL three-valued logic, some operations have results that
defy one's previous expectations.

Mike Kay


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