A decimal floating-point literal is a C floating-point literal written with decimal digits and optionally a fractional part and decimal exponent.
A decimal floating-point constant is a C numerical literal written with decimal digits and optionally a decimal point or exponent. In scientific notation, mEe means m × 10^e. section 5.3
Scientific notation
The literal 1.7E-13 represents 1.7 × 10^-13. The exponent remains a decimal number even when the significand uses another floating-point notation. section 5.3
How Modern C, Third Edition covers it
How deep it goes
Defines decimal-point and exponent notation, without detailing floating-point evaluation or representation.
Examples
Uses 1.7E-13 for scientific notation and 0.2F, 0.2, and 0.2L for typed forms.
What you can do after
Evaluate/understand decimal floating-point syntax and interpret an exponent as a power of ten.
How it connects
Contrasts decimal floating-point literals with hexadecimal floating-point literals and integer literals.
Modern CA decimal floating-point constant is a C floating-point literal written with decimal digits whose effective value may differ from its written mathematical value.
literalkind of · A literal is a language construct that directly denotes a fixed value or specifies an exact value permitted by a type.
decimal integer constantcontrasts with · A decimal integer constant is a C integer literal written using decimal digits and subject to the language's decimal type-selection rules.
floating-point constantkind of · A floating-point constant is source-code numeric literal syntax that denotes a value in a floating-point type.
This explainer was generated by Manning's knowledge graph from the text of Modern C, Third Edition. The section links point to the parts of the book it draws on.
