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Range errors can usually not be prevented, so the most reliable way to handle range errors is to detect when they have occurred and act accordingly. The following approach uses C99 standard functions for floating point errors when the C99 macro math_errhandling is defined and indicates that they should be used, otherwise it examines errno.

#include <math.h>
#if defined(math_errhandling) \
  && (math_errhandling & MATH_ERREXCEPT)
#include <fenv.h>
#endif

/* ... */

#if defined(math_errhandling) \
  && (math_errhandling & MATH_ERREXCEPT)
  feclearexcept(FE_ALL_EXCEPT);
#endif
errno = 0;

/* call the function */

#if !defined(math_errhandling) \
  || (math_errhandling & MATH_ERRNO)
if (errno != 0) {
  /* handle range error */
}
#endif
#if defined(math_errhandling) \
  && (math_errhandling & MATH_ERREXCEPT)
if (fetestexcept(FE_INVALID
               | FE_DIVBYZERO
               | FE_OVERFLOW
               | FE_UNDERFLOW) != 0) {
  /* handle range error */
}
#endif

See FLP03-C. Detect and handle floating point errors for more details on how to detect floating point errors.

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The exact treatment of error conditions from math functions is quite complicated.  C99 Section 7.12.1 defines the following behavior for floating point overflow \[[ISO/IEC 9899:1999|AA. C References#ISO/IEC 9899-1999]\]

A floating result overflows if the magnitude of the mathematical result is finite but so large that the mathematical result cannot be represented without extraordinary roundoff error in an object of the specified type. If a floating result overflows and default rounding is in effect, or if the mathematical result is an exact infinity from finite arguments (for example log(0.0)), then the function returns the value of the macro HUGE_VAL, HUGE_VALF, or HUGE_VALL according to the return type, with the same sign as the correct value of the function; if the integer expression math_errhandling & MATH_ERRNO is nonzero, the integer expression errno acquires the value ERANGE; if the integer expression math_errhandling & MATH_ERREXCEPT is nonzero, the ''divide-by-zero'' floating-point exception is raised if the mathematical result is an exact infinity and the ''overflow'' floating-point exception is raised otherwise.

It is best not to check for errors by comparing the returned value against HUGE_VAL or 0 for several reasons:

• These are in general valid (albeit unlikely) data values.
• Making such tests requires detailed knowledge of the various error returns for each math function.
• There are three different possibilities, -HUGE_VAL, 0, and HUGE_VAL, and you must know which are possible in each case.
• Different versions of the library have differed in their error-return behavior.

It is also difficult to check for math errors using {{errno}} because an implementation might not set it. For real functions, the programmer can tell whether the implementation sets {{errno}} by checking whether {{math_errhandling & MATH_ERRNO}} is nonzero. For complex functions, the C99 Section 7.3.2 simply states "an implementation may set {{errno}} but is not required to" \[[ISO/IEC 9899:1999|AA. C References#ISO/IEC 9899-1999]\].

The System V Interface Definition, Third Edition (SVID3) provides more control over the treatment of errors in the math library. The user can provide a function named matherr that is invoked if errors occur in a math function. This function can print diagnostics, terminate the execution, or specify the desired return-value. The matherr() function has not been adopted by C99, so its use is not generally portable.

The following error handing template uses C99 standard functions for floating point errors when the C99 macro math_errhandling is defined and indicates that they should be used, otherwise it examines errno.

#include <math.h>
#if defined(math_errhandling) \
  && (math_errhandling & MATH_ERREXCEPT)
#include <fenv.h>
#endif

/* ... */

#if defined(math_errhandling) \
  && (math_errhandling & MATH_ERREXCEPT)
  feclearexcept(FE_ALL_EXCEPT);
#endif
errno = 0;

/* call the function */

#if !defined(math_errhandling) \
  || (math_errhandling & MATH_ERRNO)
if (errno != 0) {
  /* handle range error */
}
#endif
#if defined(math_errhandling) \
  && (math_errhandling & MATH_ERREXCEPT)
if (fetestexcept(FE_INVALID
               | FE_DIVBYZERO
               | FE_OVERFLOW
               | FE_UNDERFLOW) != 0) {
  /* handle range error */
}
#endif

See FLP03-C. Detect and handle floating point errors for more details on how to detect floating point errors

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Error Checking and Detection

The exact treatment of error conditions from math functions is quite complicated.  C99 Section 7.12.1 defines the following behavior for floating point overflow \[[ISO/IEC 9899:1999|AA. C References#ISO/IEC 9899-1999]\]

A floating result overflows if the magnitude of the mathematical result is finite but so large that the mathematical result cannot be represented without extraordinary roundoff error in an object of the specified type. If a floating result overflows and default rounding is in effect, or if the mathematical result is an exact infinity from finite arguments (for example log(0.0)), then the function returns the value of the macro HUGE_VAL, HUGE_VALF, or HUGE_VALL according to the return type, with the same sign as the correct value of the function; if the integer expression math_errhandling & MATH_ERRNO is nonzero, the integer expression errno acquires the value ERANGE; if the integer expression math_errhandling & MATH_ERREXCEPT is nonzero, the ''divide-by-zero'' floating-point exception is raised if the mathematical result is an exact infinity and the ''overflow'' floating-point exception is raised otherwise.

It is best not to check for errors by comparing the returned value against HUGE_VAL or 0 for several reasons:

• These are in general valid (albeit unlikely) data values.
• Making such tests requires detailed knowledge of the various error returns for each math function.
• There are three different possibilities, -HUGE_VAL, 0, and HUGE_VAL, and you must know which are possible in each case.
• Different versions of the library have differed in their error-return behavior.

It is also difficult to check for math errors using {{errno}} because an implementation might not set it. For real functions, the programmer can tell whether the implementation sets {{errno}} by checking whether {{math_errhandling & MATH_ERRNO}} is nonzero. For complex functions, the C99 Section 7.3.2 simply states "an implementation may set {{errno}} but is not required to" \[[ISO/IEC 9899:1999|AA. C References#ISO/IEC 9899-1999]\].

The System V Interface Definition, Third Edition (SVID3) provides more control over the treatment of errors in the math library. The user can provide a function named matherr that is invoked if errors occur in a math function. This function can print diagnostics, terminate the execution, or specify the desired return-value. The matherr() function has not been adopted by C99, so its use is not generally portable.

sqrt(x)

Noncompliant Code Example

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