Decimal floating-point (DECFLOAT)

A decimal floating-point value is an IEEE 754r number with a decimal point. The position of the decimal point is stored in each decimal floating-point value.

The maximum precision is 34 digits.

The range of a decimal floating point number is either 16 or 34 digits of precision, and an exponent range of respectively 10^-383 to 10⁺³⁸⁴ or 10^-6143 to 10⁺⁶¹⁴⁴.

In addition to the finite numbers, decimal floating point numbers are able to represent one of the following named special values:

• Infinity - a value that represents a number whose magnitude is infinitely large.
• Quiet NaN - a value that represents undefined results which does not cause an invalid number condition.
• Signaling NaN - a value that represents undefined results which will cause an invalid number condition if used in any numerical operation.

When a number has one of these special values, its coefficient and exponent are undefined. The sign of an infinity is significant (that is, it is possible to have both positive and negative infinity). The sign of a NaN has no meaning for arithmetic operations. INF can be used in place of INFINITY.