Re: print_npx_status_word

[Mark Kettenis <mark dot kettenis at xs4all dot nl>]

> Date: Sat, 16 Apr 2011 18:46:54 +0200
> From: "Baars, M.J." <mjbaars1977.gdb@gmail.com>
>
> >> When you look at the code in question more closely, you will see that it
> >> will present the content of the status word in more detail than the
> >> original function,
> > Which isn't necessarily a good thing.
> 
> I'll show you the difference in output after the 'info float' command.
> 
> original output:
> 
> Status Word:         0x0000
>                         TOP: 0
> 
> new and improved output:
> 
> status word              : 0x0000
>    exception flags        :
>    stack fault            : 0
>    error summary status   : 0
>    busy                   : 0
>    top of stack pointer   : 0
>    condition code         :
> 
> This will give you a much better overview of what is actually happing in 
> the numeric core, which is eventually what every programmer wants is 
> what I was always taught.

But it will add a lot of extra lines to the output of "info float"
such that it doesn't fit on a standard 24-line screen anymore.  The
current way of printing things is much more concise.  And your way of
printing things doesn't really add more information; it just uses more
words.  Admittedly to interpret the printed codes you probably need to
have the IA-32 Architecture Software Developer's manual at hand.  But
to be honest, if you're looking at the FPU at this detailed level you
probably already are reading that manual.