03/06/84	exponent_control

Syntax:  exponent_control -control_args


Function:	 controls the behavior of the system in the event of a
computational overflow or underflow.


Control arguments:
-restart STRs, -rt STRs
   specifies that overflow or underflow or both are to be automatically
   restarted with defined results.  STRs can be either or both of the
   strings "overflow" or "underflow."
-fault STRs, -flt STRs
   specifies that overflow or underflow or both are to cause the normal
   fault conditions.
-overflow_value STR, -ovfv STR
   specifies the value to be returned for an overflowing computation.
   STR must be specified.  If -overflow_value is omitted, the largest
   possible floating point value is used.
-print, -pr
   prints the current behavior with respect to exponent errors and the
   current overflow value.


Notes: By default Multics signals fault conditions on computational
overflows and underflows (see the Programmer's Reference Manual, Order
No. AG91, for more information on faults and other unusual conditions).

This command only affects the system's handling of exponent overflow
and underflow when the overflow or underflow condition is raised.  In
certain cases, the error condition is raised instead.  This command
does not affect the system's handling of the cases in which the error
condition is raised.


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Historical Background

This edition of the Multics software materials and documentation is provided and donated
to Massachusetts Institute of Technology by Group BULL including BULL HN Information Systems Inc. 
as a contribution to computer science knowledge.  
This donation is made also to give evidence of the common contributions of Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
Bell Laboratories, General Electric, Honeywell Information Systems Inc., Honeywell BULL Inc., Groupe BULL
and BULL HN Information Systems Inc. to the development of this operating system. 
Multics development was initiated by Massachusetts Institute of Technology Project MAC (1963-1970),
renamed the MIT Laboratory for Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence in the mid 1970s, under the leadership
of Professor Fernando Jose Corbato. Users consider that Multics provided the best software architecture 
for managing computer hardware properly and for executing programs. Many subsequent operating systems 
incorporated Multics principles.
Multics was distributed in 1975 to 2000 by Group Bull in Europe , and in the U.S. by Bull HN Information Systems Inc., 
as successor in interest by change in name only to Honeywell Bull Inc. and Honeywell Information Systems Inc. .

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Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute these programs and their documentation for any purpose and without
fee is hereby granted,provided that the below copyright notice and historical background appear in all copies
and that both the copyright notice and historical background and this permission notice appear in supporting
documentation, and that the names of MIT, HIS, BULL or BULL HN not be used in advertising or publicity pertaining
to distribution of the programs without specific prior written permission.
    Copyright 1972 by Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Honeywell Information Systems Inc.
    Copyright 2006 by BULL HN Information Systems Inc.
    Copyright 2006 by Bull SAS
    All Rights Reserved