Time ordering of IEEE-754 exceptions

[Steve Stevenson]

David G Hough at validgh writes:
 > > From IEEE-754 7.0 Exceptions:  "For each type of 
 > > exception the implementation shall provide a status 
 > > flag that shall be set on any occurrence of the
 > > corresponding exception when no corresponding trap
 > > occurs."
 > > 
 > > The question the C committe has is:  Does the
 > > computing the default result (one event) and the 
 > > setting of the status flag (the second event) 
 > > happen at the same time?  Or, may the two events 
 > > be split in time and other events happen in between?
 > > 
 > > I assume that they happen at the same time and
 > > the the committee did not consider this issue.
 > 

David's answer (which I won't repeat) I think is quite good. My two
cents worth is related to a similar problem in another area having the
same problem: parsing. The only real requirement in putting out error
messages in parsers is to detect the error in the statement in error,
not somewhere else. Questions of simultaneity are, or should be, occur
below the realization of the program. "Just don't come back to me
until you have all the issues done." Completeness, not sequence, is the 
issue.