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

[Steven G. Kargl]

Yes, the Fortran standard defines the functions
in class inquiry function in the specification 
of those functions.  What I find as circular in
the definition you suggested is that "inquiry
function" is defined in terms of itself.

"An inquiry function is in the class inquiry function."

This isn't too informative.

-- 
steve


On Fri, Nov 22, 2019 at 02:33:18PM -0800, Robert Corbett wrote:
> It is not at all circular.  Every
> specification of an intrinsic
> function or a function in an
> intrinsic module explicitly
> specifies the class of the
> function.
> 
> Bob Corbett
> 
> > On Nov 22, 2019, at 2:07 PM, Steven G. Kargl <kargl at troutmask.apl.washington.edu> wrote:
> > 
> > Yes, that would work although it does seem a bit circular.
> > 
> > -- 
> > steve
> > 
> >> On Fri, Nov 22, 2019 at 01:31:25PM -0800, Robert Corbett wrote:
> >> 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
> >> 
> > 
> > -- 
> > Steve
> 

-- 
Steve