Re: ts_rank error/result of '1e-020'

On 07/10/11 10:56, Henry Drexler wrote:
>
>
> On Thu, Oct 6, 2011 at 4:37 PM, Gavin Flower
> <GavinFlower(at)archidevsys(dot)co(dot)nz <mailto:GavinFlower(at)archidevsys(dot)co(dot)nz>>
> wrote:
>
> On 07/10/11 01:40, Henry Drexler wrote:
>
> I have a workaround to the error/result, but am wondering what
> the result of ts_rank of '1e-020' represents?
>
> Here is the original:
>
> select
> ts_rank(to_tsvector('a_a_do_ug_read_retreqmon_ptam'),to_tsquery('a_a_do_ug_read_retrmso.com_ptam'))
>
>
> I get essentialy the same result with pg 9.1.1
>
> ----------------
> 9.99999968e-21
> (1 row)
>
> gavin=>
>
>
> I am also on "PostgreSQL 9.1.1"
>
> Thanks for posting the 9.99999968e-21, I did not realize it was
> using notation to represent a number, I thought it was an error code.
> That is good news - thank you for taking the time ans showing me your
> result - that solves it.

You're welcome.

It is amazing how 'trivial' things can have such significant effects - I
once took a few hours to spot an extra ';' in a short C program that
wasn't doing what it was meant to do!

In postgresql.conf I have:
extra_float_digits = 3 # min -15, max 3
the default is zero.

This might explain the difference in output.