Re: [pg_gen] what was the "issue" with the 8.3.2 bundle ?

Tom Lane wrote:
> spellberg_robert <emailrob(at)emailrob(dot)com> writes:
>
>>i was wondering: what was it ?
>>further, is this, per_chance, described, in excruciating detail,
>> in a location where i did not tread ?
>
>
> Did you read the 8.3.3 release notes?
>
> http://www.postgresql.org/docs/8.3/static/release-8-3-3.html
>
> regards, tom lane

hi, tom ---

no. i hadn't.
i just did.

at the risk of ridicule, i don't read release notes online.
i read them when i unpack a tarball.

the first place i tried was the -bugs list for jun_11, the ftp date for 8.3.3.
then, i worked back in time for a couple of weeks.
not finding anything there, i tried -general.

at that point,
i decided the better course of valor was to ask someone to point the way.
otherwise, i would have tried another list.
i had a feeling it would be someplace "obvious".

per mr. marlowe's suggestion, i was perusing -hackers.
i had just found your original post of jun_06 when your e_mail arrived.

i thank you and him.

while i was reading -hackers, i came across justin's post of jun_07.
i've dealt with this aggravation.
i don't consider myself to be qualified to post to -hackers, yet,
so, i'll toss my two u_s_a_denominated copper pieces into this ring.

physically, regardless of currency, money is an integer thing.
use a floating_point representation --only-- for intermediate results
that involve log [ or trig, etc. ] calculations
[ e. g., in a present_value analysis ].
once you have the final answer, convert it into an integer.
in usa terms, the unit may be dollars, centi_dollars or micro_dollars,
as three examples, according to your application.
what is important is that it be stored as an integer.
then, you may safely add thousands of them in a loop.

floating_point round_off error has been a pet peeve of mine for decades.

hope this helps.

rob