[J3] Revision of "inquiry function" definition is needed

[Robert Corbett]

A better definition might be

An intrinsic function or function
in an intrinsic module whose
class is Inquiry function.

Bob Corbett

> On Nov 22, 2019, at 12:31 PM, Steven G. Kargl via J3 <j3 at mailman.j3-fortran.org> wrote:
> 
>> On Fri, Nov 22, 2019 at 02:59:15PM -0500, Vipul Parekh wrote:
>> On Fri, Nov 22, 2019 at 1:51 PM Steven G. Kargl via J3
>> <j3 at mailman.j3-fortran.org> wrote:
>>> 
>>> ..
>>> IEEE_SUPPORT_DENORMAL is a "function in an intrinsic module" and
>>> 17.11.49 (page 460) indicates "Class. Inquiry function".  In the
>>> above valid Fortran code, the inquiry function has no arguments,
>>> so does it have a result?
>>> ..
>> 
>> For the purposes of such a consideration, this function should perhaps
>> be viewed as having a dummy argument X which shall be of type real. It
>> may be a scalar or an array?
>> 
>>    IEEE_SUPPORT_DENORMAL (X)
>> 17
>> 18 1 Description. Query subnormal number support.
>> 19 2 Class. Inquiry function.
>> 20 3 Argument. X shall be of type real. It may be a scalar or an array.
>> 21 4 Result Characteristics. Default logical scalar.
>> 22 5 Result Value.
>> 23   Case (i): IEEE_SUPPORT_DENORMAL (X) has the value true if
>> IEEE_SUPPORT_DATATYPE (X) has
>> 24             the value true and the processor supports arithmetic
>> operations and assignments with subnormal
>> 25             numbers (biased exponent e = 0 and fraction f ?= 0, see
>> ISO/IEC/IEEE 60559:2011, 3.2) for real
>> 26             variables of the same kind type parameter as X;
>> otherwise, it has the value false.
>> 
>> Vipul Parekh
> 
> Yes, I know the intent of 17.11.49 when IEEE_SUPPORT_DENORMAL() is
> invoked without its optional argument.  The point is that by definition
> (see 3.89) it seems that IEEE_SUPPORT_DENORMAL() is not an inquiry
> function because it does not have one or more arguments.  The definition
> provides no leeway for missing optional arguments.
> 
> Perhaps, a better definition is along the lines
> 
>  inquiry function
>  intrinsic function, or function in an intrinsic module, whose result
>  is a characteristic of the processor, and if one (or more) argument
>  is present, then the result depends on the properties of one or more of
>  its arguments instead of their values
> 
> 
> -- 
> Steve