std::numeric_limits<T>:: digits10

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Utilities library
General utilities
Relational operators (deprecated in C++20)
static const int digits10 ;
(until C++11)
static constexpr int digits10 ;
(since C++11)

The value of std:: numeric_limits < T > :: digits10 is the number of base-10 digits that can be represented by the type T without change, that is, any number with this many significant decimal digits can be converted to a value of type T and back to decimal form, without change due to rounding or overflow. For base- radix types, it is the value of digits() ( digits - 1 for floating-point types) multiplied by log 10 (radix) and rounded down.

Standard specializations

T value of std:: numeric_limits < T > :: digits10
/* non-specialized */ 0
bool 0
char std:: numeric_limits < char > :: digits * std:: log10 ( 2 )
signed char std:: numeric_limits < signed char > :: digits * std:: log10 ( 2 )
unsigned char std:: numeric_limits < unsigned char > :: digits * std:: log10 ( 2 )
wchar_t std:: numeric_limits < wchar_t > :: digits * std:: log10 ( 2 )
char8_t (since C++20) std:: numeric_limits < char8_t > :: digits * std:: log10 ( 2 )
char16_t (since C++11) std:: numeric_limits < char16_t > :: digits * std:: log10 ( 2 )
char32_t (since C++11) std:: numeric_limits < char32_t > :: digits * std:: log10 ( 2 )
short std:: numeric_limits < short > :: digits * std:: log10 ( 2 )
unsigned short std:: numeric_limits < unsigned short > :: digits * std:: log10 ( 2 )
int std:: numeric_limits < int > :: digits * std:: log10 ( 2 )
unsigned int std:: numeric_limits < unsigned int > :: digits * std:: log10 ( 2 )
long std:: numeric_limits < long > :: digits * std:: log10 ( 2 )
unsigned long std:: numeric_limits < unsigned long > :: digits * std:: log10 ( 2 )
long long (since C++11) std:: numeric_limits < long long > :: digits * std:: log10 ( 2 )
unsigned long long (since C++11) std:: numeric_limits < unsigned long long > :: digits * std:: log10 ( 2 )
float FLT_DIG ( 6 for IEEE float )
double DBL_DIG ( 15 for IEEE double )
long double LDBL_DIG ( 18 for 80-bit Intel long double ; 33 for IEEE quadruple)

Example

An 8-bit binary type can represent any two-digit decimal number exactly, but 3-digit decimal numbers 256..999 cannot be represented. The value of digits10 for an 8-bit type is 2 ( 8 * std:: log10 ( 2 ) is 2.41)

The standard 32-bit IEEE 754 floating-point type has a 24 bit fractional part (23 bits written, one implied), which may suggest that it can represent 7 digit decimals ( 24 * std:: log10 ( 2 ) is 7.22), but relative rounding errors are non-uniform and some floating-point values with 7 decimal digits do not survive conversion to 32-bit float and back: the smallest positive example is 8.589973e9 , which becomes 8.589974e9 after the roundtrip. These rounding errors cannot exceed one bit in the representation, and digits10 is calculated as ( 24 - 1 ) * std:: log10 ( 2 ) , which is 6.92. Rounding down results in the value 6.

Likewise, the 16-digit string 9007199254740993 does not survive text->double->text roundtrip, becoming 9007199254740992 : the 64-bit IEEE 754 type double guarantees this roundtrip only for 15 decimal digits.

See also

[static] (C++11)
number of decimal digits necessary to differentiate all values of this type
(public static member constant)
[static]
the radix or integer base used by the representation of the given type
(public static member constant)
[static]
number of radix digits that can be represented without change
(public static member constant)
one more than the smallest negative power of the radix that is a valid normalized floating-point value
(public static member constant)
one more than the largest integer power of the radix that is a valid finite floating-point value
(public static member constant)