[plt-scheme] Bit manipulation in PLT Scheme

On 10/03/06, Danny Yoo <dyoo at hkn.eecs.berkeley.edu> wrote:
> > My doubt is, isn't any number represented in MzScheme interpreted as a
> > big num be it either 1, 2 or 324234928340928343123? Or MzScheme is able
> > internally to represent 30000 inside an int since it checks there is no
> > need for a bignum?
>
> Chapter 12 of "Inside Mzscheme" suggests that the numbers handled by
> fixnums and bignums are disjoint:
>
> http://download.plt-scheme.org/doc/301/html/insidemz/insidemz-Z-H-12.html#node_chap_12
>
> It checks and does appear to do a scheme_bignum_normalize() which brings
> bignums back to fixnum status if it can fit.
>

"MzScheme supports integers of an arbitrary magnitude; when an integer
cannot be represented as a fixnum (i.e., 30 or 62 bits plus a sign
bit),..."

Does this mean that a fixnum length differs from 32 bit to 64 bit architecture?
How can I know when I have a 30 or 62 bit fixnum then?

>
> Best of wishes!
>
>
>


--
Paulo Jorge Matos - pocm at sat inesc-id pt
Web: http://sat.inesc-id.pt/~pocm
Computer and Software Engineering
INESC-ID - SAT Group