From eecd1dc6e076f517539ecb655bf35da3754f6237 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Raymond Hettinger Date: Tue, 10 Mar 2009 04:40:24 +0000 Subject: Clarify the meaning of normal and subnormal. --- Doc/library/decimal.rst | 10 +++++++--- 1 file changed, 7 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-) diff --git a/Doc/library/decimal.rst b/Doc/library/decimal.rst index 0a1bfee..a3db956 100644 --- a/Doc/library/decimal.rst +++ b/Doc/library/decimal.rst @@ -548,8 +548,11 @@ Decimal objects .. method:: is_normal() - Return :const:`True` if the argument is a *normal* finite number. Return - :const:`False` if the argument is zero, subnormal, infinite or a NaN. + Return :const:`True` if the argument is a *normal* finite non-zero + number with an adjusted exponent greater than or equal to *Emin*. + Return :const:`False` if the argument is zero, subnormal, infinite or a + NaN. Note, the term *normal* is used here in a different sense with + the :meth:`normalize` method which is used to create canonical values. .. versionadded:: 2.6 @@ -577,7 +580,8 @@ Decimal objects .. method:: is_subnormal() Return :const:`True` if the argument is subnormal, and :const:`False` - otherwise. + otherwise. A number is subnormal is if it is nonzero, finite, and has an + adjusted exponent less than *Emin*. .. versionadded:: 2.6 -- cgit v0.12