Decimal Accuracy

[kolektiv]

Currently decimals may lose data when roundtripping between values representing number with > 128bit precision. The parser should potentially be changed to accomodate this, or potentially warn/throw.

[haf]

Example failing test that I got now that you removed the string-based serialisation:

Expected: {amount = 7922816247737080000M;
 currency = {name = "Lempira";
             code = HNL;
             symbol = "L";
             minorUnit = Some 2.0;};}
Actual: {amount = 7922816247737084945M;
 currency = {name = "Lempira";
             code = HNL;
             symbol = "L";
             minorUnit = Some 2.0;};}

[kolektiv]

Aha! Cool, good to have something concrete :) I'll take a look at this - if you've got a good fix idea I'm happy to try that too!

On 23 April 2015 at 12:57, Henrik Feldt notifications@github.com wrote:

Example failing test that I got now that you removed the string-based serialisation:

Expected: {amount = 7922816247737080000M; currency = {name = "Lempira"; code = HNL; symbol = "L"; minorUnit = Some 2.0;};} Actual: {amount = 7922816247737084945M; currency = {name = "Lempira"; code = HNL; symbol = "L"; minorUnit = Some 2.0;};}

— Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub https://github.com/xyncro/chiron/issues/31#issuecomment-95559650.

[haf]

I think a sane way would be to default Json.Number to decimal - better safe than sorry -- that way we have the basics down. Then provide FromJson that also accept strings, like I had in my PR. Then provide ToJson which check whether all the bits can accurately be represented; if they can; serialise to Number, otherwise to string. It's pretty hard to do the check-for-accuracy well because you'd have to know how the 64 bits are split between sign, exponent and mantissa if using floats and the 128 bits if using decimal.

I also think this library could be made better with a BigInt overload; with the same semantics as above.

[haf]

Here's another value that is invalid for my domain: 1.84467440694146E+19 from 18446744069414584320M

[haf]

Hi Andrew,

How was your weekend? Have you given this any more thought?

[kolektiv]

Hey, hectic, but home now! I've opened pr #35 which switches the underlying number type to decimal - I agree that's a sane default here.

The number/string switch I'm less sure of, to be honest. Although it would work, it feels somehow as if it breaks some promises in terms of how a serialization should work - and especially if i'm planning on doing things like supporting JSON Schema (I hope so at some point). It feels like if { Num = 35 } serializes to { "num": 35 } but { Num = 35xxxxxxxxx... } serializes to { "num": "35xxxx..." } that breaks some expectations.

It seems like it's only really an issue on the "from JSON" side (I think?). I'd almost rather something like a warning or failure happened when a genuinely too big JSON number came along. The string fix doesn't really change the fact that JSON created elsewhere could have numbers like that, so it doesn't feel like a total (in the mathematical, or loose) sense fix anyway...

I don't know though - would changing to decimal fix the actual problems you have now? Is there a better way of dealing with the edge cases if it doesn't? If it doesn't, perhaps that's what some thinking around further combinators might be useful...

[haf]

I think decimal solves my immediate problems.

From JSON yes; you might batch up a more total fix by supporting BigInt. We could file an issue about that?

Yes, FromJson is the most obvious culprit -- if you have a BigInt, it's already represented as accurately as can be.

Can you make the parser parse 'something else' if a really large number comes along? Like a state/count threaded through the number parser?

[kolektiv]

Cool, I've just merged that PR so a new package should be available shortly! I don't see any reason not to support BigInt as an option, I'll implement that.

In terms of parsing "alternatives", the number parser itself must be a parser for a single type - that type could be a union, but a union based on size seems like some complexity that would quickly get horrible! Worth having a think about though, and whether combinators plus a return of a parsed Choice2 or similar might be a possible approach...

[haf]

I've tested with the latest release and nicely enough, tests are passing :)

[kolektiv]

Cool! I'll close this for now and make sure to remember the relevant bits when looking at combinators...