BUG: Double Data Type Does Not Display Small Values Correctly

SYMPTOMS

When the stored value is smaller than 10 to the minus (-)15th power, the new data type, known as double, is not displayed correctly in a table field.

Visual FoxPro should display numbers smaller than 10 to the -15th power. For example, the number 0.00000000000000009 (9 x 10 to the -17th power) should be displayed as 9.0000000000000E-17. You see this as .0000000000000000000 in a browse.

In Visual FoxPro versions 3.0 and 3.0b, values smaller than 10 to the -15th power are displayed as a string of zeros.

In Visual FoxPro 5.0, values between 10 to the -15th power and 10 to the -30th power are displayed as zeros. Values smaller than 10 to the -30th power are displayed correctly. For example, 9 x 10 to the -32nd power is displayed correctly as 9.0000000000000E-32.

Values between 10 to the -13th power and 10 to the -15th power may also appear incorrectly.

   CREATE TABLE dpt (dp B(18))     && Double data, 18 to right of decimal
   INSERT INTO dpt (dp) VALUES (9)
   BROWSE     &&; The data appears as a 9, a decimal, and 18 zeros
   REPLACE dp WITH dp/10**15  && 0. then 14 zeros followed by 9000
   REPLACE dp WITH dp/10      && 0. then 14 zeros followed by 1000
   REPLACE dp WITH 9          && Reset
   REPLACE dp WITH dp/10**31  && Correct in version 5, wrong in version 3.x
   REPLACE dp WITH dp/10**277 && Correct in version 5, zeros in version 3.x
   REPLACE dp WITH dp*10**308 && Restores 9.00000000000000000