float

data type

Library: Floating point number support (OMFLOAT)
Import : omfloat.xmd


Purpose

The float opaque data type allows you to create and manipulate floating point numbers in an OmniMark program.

The OmniMark Floating Point dynamic link library file ("omfloat.dll" or "omfloat.so") creates the float data type. The related import file ("omfloat.xmd") defines the interface to that component. To use float data types in your program, you must import the omfloat.xmd module in your program using a statement like this:

     import "omfloat.xmd" unprefixed

Within your program, you create as many instances of the float data type as you require by declaring global and local variables of type "float". For example:

  
     import "omfloat.xmd" unprefixed
  
     global float my-float-1
     global float my-float-2
     
     process
        local float my-float-3
        local float my-float-4

Once you have declared your float variables, you can manipulate the values in them using the floating point arithmetic functions in the OmniMark Floating Point library.

The float data type is copyable. This means that when you set the value of one float variable to the value of another float variable, you end up with two variables having independent values that exist in independent external objects.

Since the float variable is copyable, any changes to the value of the original variable do not affect the value of the copy. If a variable is not copyable, changes made to the value of one variable affect the value of its copy, because both the original variable and the copy of that variable are actually pointing at the same external object.

Related Topics
Other Library Functions