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If a floating-point value is to be demoted to a floating-point value of a smaller range and precision or to an integer type, or if an integer type is to be converted to a floating-point type, the value must be represented in the new type.

Section Subclause 6.3.1.4 of the C Standard [ISO/IEC 9899:2011] says,

When a finite value of real floating type is converted to an integer type other than _Bool, the fractional part is discarded (i.e., the value is truncated toward zero). If the value of the integral part cannot be represented by the integer type, the behavior is undefined.

When a value of integer type is converted to a real floating type, if the value being converted can be represented exactly in the new type, it is unchanged. If the value being converted is in the range of values that can be represented but cannot be represented exactly, the result is either the nearest higher or nearest lower representable value, chosen in an implementation-defined manner. If the value being converted is outside the range of values that can be represented, the behavior is undefined.

And section subclause 6.3.1.5 says,

When a value of real floating type is converted to a real floating type, if the value being converted can be represented exactly in the new type, it is unchanged. If the value being converted is in the range of values that can be represented but cannot be represented exactly, the result is either the nearest higher or nearest lower representable value, chosen in an implementation-defined manner. If the value being converted is outside the range of values that can be represented, the behavior is undefined.

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This rule does not apply to demotions of floating-point types on implementations that support signed infinity, such as IEEE 754, as all numbers are representable.

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Code Block
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langc
float f_a;
int i_a;

/* initializeInitialize float f_a */

i_a = f_a; /* Undefined if the integral part of f_a > INT_MAX */

...

Code Block
bgColor#ccccff
langc
float f_a;
int i_a;

/* initializeInitialize float f_a */

if (f_a > (float) INT_MAX || f_a < (float) INT_MIN) {
  /* Handle error */
} else {
  i_a = f_a;
}

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This noncompliant code example contains conversions that may be outside of the range of the demoted types:

Code Block
bgColor#FFCCCC
langc
long double big_d;
double d_a;
double d_b;
float f_a;
float f_b;

/* initializationsInitializations */

f_a = (float)d_a;
f_b = (float)big_d;
d_b = (double)big_d;

As a result of these conversions, it is possible that d_a is outside the range of values that can be represented by a float or that big_d is outside the range of values that can be represented as either a float or a double. If this is the case, the result is undefined.

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Tool

Version

Checker

Description

Compass/ROSE

 

 

Can detect some violations of this rule. However, it does not flag implicit casts, only explicit ones

Coverity

Include Page
Coverity_V
Coverity_V

MISRA_CAST

Can detect instances where implicit float conversion is involved: implicitly converting a complex expression with integer type to floating type, implicitly converting a double expression to narrower float type (may lose precision), implicitly converting a complex expression from float to double, implicitly converting from float to double in a function argument, and so on

Fortify SCA

5.0

 

Can detect violations of this rule with CERT C Rule Pack

PRQA QA-C
Include Page
PRQA_V
PRQA_V

4450
4451
4452
4453
4454

Partially implemented

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[IEEE 754]IEEE 754-1985 Standard for Binary Floating-Point Arithmetic
[ISO/IEC 9899:2011]Section Subclause 6.3.1.4, "Real Floating and Integer"
Section Subclause 6.3.1.5, "Real Floating Types"

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