# Float Arithmetic: Return A Fixnum When Float == Fixnum **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [December 1, 2009, 9:45am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/float-arithmetic-return-a-fixnum-when-float-fixnum/179655 "2009-12-01T09:45:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MaggotChild](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@MaggotChild](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/MaggotChild)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 9:45am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/float-arithmetic-return-a-fixnum-when-float-fixnum/179655/1 "2009-12-01T09:45:55Z")
> > j = 5/2.0 > > =\> 2.5 I’m fine with this > > j = 4/2.0 > > =\> 2.0 Useless precision -for me. I want 2! > > j == j.to\_i ? j.to\_i : j > > =\> 2 Is there a “better” way? ---
**Author:** ![MaggotChild](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@MaggotChild](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/MaggotChild)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 2:52pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/float-arithmetic-return-a-fixnum-when-float-fixnum/179655/2 "2009-12-01T14:52:52Z")
MaggotChild wrote: > > > j = 5/2.0 > > > =\> 2.5 > > I’m fine with this > > > > j = 4/2.0 > > > =\> 2.0 > > Useless precision -for me. I want 2! The notation is misleading. It’s not a question of precision, but of type. You can think of 2.0 as 2:Float, not 2 to 2 significant figures. > > > j == j.to\_i ? j.to\_i : j > > > =\> 2 > > Is there a “better” way? Why even bother? Best, – Marnen Laibow-Koser [http://www.marnen.org](http://www.marnen.org) removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid ---
**Author:** ![MaggotChild](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@MaggotChild](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/MaggotChild)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 3:15pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/float-arithmetic-return-a-fixnum-when-float-fixnum/179655/3 "2009-12-01T15:15:48Z")
Marnen Laibow-Koser wrote: > MaggotChild wrote: > > > > > j = 5/2.0 > > > > =\> 2.5 > > > > I’m fine with this > > > > > > j = 4/2.0 > > > > =\> 2.0 > > > > Useless precision -for me. I want 2! > > The notation is misleading. It’s not a question of precision, but of > type. You can think of 2.0 as 2:Float, not 2 to 2 significant figures. > > > > > j == j.to\_i ? j.to\_i : j > > > > =\> 2 > > > > Is there a “better” way? > > Why even bother? > > Best, > – > Marnen Laibow-Koser > [http://www.marnen.org](http://www.marnen.org) > removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid It occurs to me that you may also want to play with Rational. Best, – Marnen Laibow-Koser [http://www.marnen.org](http://www.marnen.org) removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid ---
**Author:** ![MaggotChild](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@MaggotChild](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/MaggotChild)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 5:26pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/float-arithmetic-return-a-fixnum-when-float-fixnum/179655/4 "2009-12-01T17:26:59Z")
MaggotChild wrote: > On Dec 1, 5:52�am, Marnen Laibow-Koser [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > > > The notation is misleading. �It’s not a question of precision, but of > > type. �You can think of 2.0 as 2:Float, not 2 to 2 significant figures. > > Yes, I do, but when it comes to printing, Float does not. You can always redefine Float.to\_s. Changing the underlying type, though, is probably a poor idea. > > > > > j == j.to\_i ? j.to\_i : j > > > > > =\> 2 > > > > > Is there a “better” way? > > > > Why even bother? > > OCD Apply your OCD in the right places, though! 🙂 Best, – Marnen Laibow-Koser [http://www.marnen.org](http://www.marnen.org) removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid ---
**Author:** ![MaggotChild](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@MaggotChild](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/MaggotChild)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 5:20pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/float-arithmetic-return-a-fixnum-when-float-fixnum/179655/5 "2009-12-01T17:20:41Z")
On Dec 1, 5:52 am, Marnen Laibow-Koser [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > The notation is misleading. It’s not a question of precision, but of > type. You can think of 2.0 as 2:Float, not 2 to 2 significant figures. Yes, I do, but when it comes to printing, Float does not. > > > > j == j.to\_i ? j.to\_i : j > > > > =\> 2 > > > Is there a “better” way? > > Why even bother? OCD ---
**Author:** ![MaggotChild](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@MaggotChild](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/MaggotChild)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 9:24pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/float-arithmetic-return-a-fixnum-when-float-fixnum/179655/6 "2009-12-01T21:24:46Z")
Marnen Laibow-Koser wrote: > > > > =\> 2 > > > > removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid > > > > Ugly, but what the hey: j = 2.0 sprintf(’%g’, j) --\> “2” j = 2.50000001 sprintf(’%g’, j) --\> “2.5” Works on integers, too: j = 2 sprintf(’%g’, j) --\> “2” Glen ---
**Author:** ![MaggotChild](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@MaggotChild](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/MaggotChild)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2009, 5:30am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/float-arithmetic-return-a-fixnum-when-float-fixnum/179655/7 "2009-12-02T05:30:31Z")
On Dec 1, 12:24 pm, “Glen F. Pankow” [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > j = 2.50000001 > sprintf(‘%g’, j) → “2.5” > > Works on integers, too: > > j = 2 > sprintf(‘%g’, j) → “2” Ah, I knew it -a better way. And to think, it was with a printf format… All those years of C down the toilet