Talk:Sparkline in unicode: Difference between revisions

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> ''derivation of <code>fencepost_size</code>, the task description leaves this entirely open''
> ''derivation of <code>fencepost_size</code>, the task description leaves this entirely open''


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The task description is not a contract or rigorous specification. Properties like usability, fidelity, proportionality are implied. You're free to disagree but you won't convince me or most other people.
The sole purpose of <code>fencepost_size</code> is to prevent the formula from returning 8. In IEEE754 64-bit floats (used by JavaScript, Perl, and many others) it can be about 15 orders of magnitude smaller than <code>max-min</code> before it fails. In 32-bit floats, about 7. Using larger values provides no benefits and (eventual) visible drawbacks, therefore larger values should not be used.


For comparison, the half-width bug is the equivalent of using <code>fencepost_size==(max-min)/8</code>. In other words, it's 14 orders of magnitude larger than what's needed, and it causes visible deformation of the graph.
The sole purpose of <code>fencepost_size</code> is to prevent the formula from returning 8. In IEEE754 64-bit floats (used by JavaScript, Perl, and many others) it can be about 15 orders of magnitude smaller than <code>max-min</code> before it fails. In 32-bit floats, about 7 orders of magnitude. Using larger values provides no benefits and (eventual) visible drawbacks, therefore larger values should be avoided.


For comparison, the half-width bug is the rough equivalent of <code>fencepost_size==(max-min)/8</code>. It's '''14 orders of magnitude''' larger than needed, and it causes visible deformation of the graph.
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The description is not a contract or rigorous specification. Properties like usability, fidelity, proportionality are implied. You're free to disagree but you won't convince me or most other people.


> ''as the over-lexicalising tone of your '''"absolutely definitely not [the half-width bug]"''' XYZ... inadvertently confirms :-)''
> ''as the over-lexicalising tone of your '''"absolutely definitely not [the half-width bug]"''' XYZ... inadvertently confirms :-)''
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