You're correct that ActionScript 3 has no 64-bit integer data type. JavaScript / ECMAScript has the same limitation. I'm afraid that if you need to store very large integers, you'll need to use a datatype like String or ByteArray. If you need to do arithmetic with these, you'll need to write your own AS3 routines or do the arithmetic on the server. - Gordon
________________________________ From: [email protected] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Adam Dorritie Sent: Wednesday, January 10, 2007 8:18 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [flexcoders] Re: 64-bit Integers On 1/9/07, michael_ramirez44 <[EMAIL PROTECTED] <mailto:michael_ramirez44%40yahoo.com> > wrote: > The 64-bit integer limitation is an Actionscript 3 limit not Flex. > The Number data type uses the 64-bit double-precision format as > specified by the IEEE Standard for Binary Floating-Point Arithmetic > (IEEE-754). This standard dictates how floating point numbers are > stored using the 64 available bits. One bit is used to designate > whether the number is positive or negative. Eleven bits are used for > the exponent, which is stored as base 2. The remaining 52 bits are > used to store the significand (also called the mantissa), which is > the number that is raised to the power indicated by the exponent. Michael, Thank you for providing that section of the manual for me to read. Although I had not read it before, I was familiar with the allocation of bits in the Number data type. My concern is that, in effect, what the Number data type provides for integers is a assurance of precision only up to the 52 bits provided for the significand (with a 53rd holding the sign).. As the manual states: When you store integer values with the Number data type, only the 52 bits of the significand are used. The Number data type uses these 52 bits and a special hidden bit to represent integers from -9,007,199,254,740,992 (-253) to 9,007,199,254,740,992 (253). Unfortunately, that leaves me a few bits short. It may be that internally AS handles these values in a way which renders my concern unnecessary, but I though I would ask.
