GNU bug report logs - #30408
24.5; (format "%x" large-number) produces incorrect results

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Message #5 received at submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: David Sitsky <david.sitsky <at> gmail.com>
To: bug-gnu-emacs <at> gnu.org
Subject: 24.5; (format "%x" large-number) produces incorrect results
Date: Sat, 10 Feb 2018 17:22:53 +1100

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I wrote this originally on
https://emacs.stackexchange.com/questions/38710/why-does-format-x-some-large-number-produces-incorrect-results
and a poster recommended I mention this here.

I wanted the hexadecimal string for a large integer such as below:

(format "%x" 2738188573457603759)

This returns 2600000000f95c00 which is incorrect, it should be
2600000000f95caf.

The value of most-positive-fixnum on my box is 0x1fffffffffffffff which is
less than the number I'm supplying above.

As a user I'm a bit baffled what is happening. The manual indicates
integers larger than this range are converted to a floating-point number
which is a concern for precision but I suspect this is what is biting me
here?

I should have known there was an issue with this number since normally I
evaluate them directly using eval-last-sexp and it didn't show the
octal/hex variants.. :)

I wonder why Emacs Lisp doesn't support bignums by default, so precision
would not be an issue?

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