What is binary floating point number in SAP BC-ABA - ABAP Runtime Environment?

SAP Term: binary floating point number

• Component: BC-ABA

• Component Name: ABAP Runtime Environment

• Description: A numerical data type for the binary saving of numbers with mantissa andexponents or this type of saved number. The associated predefined ABAP type is f. The internal representation follows the IEEE-754 standard double precision and uses 1 bit for the sign, 11 bits for the binary exponent, and 52 bits for the mantissa. The output can handle decimal numbers with 16 decimal places. Due to the internal representation by binary fractions, not every decimal number in the value range can be represented exactly by a binary floating point number.

Smart SAP Assistant

• Key Concepts: 
  A binary floating point number is a type of number used in SAP software. It is a representation of a real number using two components: a mantissa and an exponent. The mantissa is the significant digits of the number, while the exponent is the power of 10 that the mantissa is multiplied by. 
  
  How to use it: 
  In SAP software, binary floating point numbers are used to represent real numbers. They are stored in memory as a combination of the mantissa and exponent components. When a binary floating point number is used in calculations, the mantissa and exponent are combined to form the real number. 
  
  Tips & Tricks: 
  When working with binary floating point numbers, it is important to remember that they are limited in precision. This means that some calculations may not be accurate due to rounding errors. It is also important to remember that binary floating point numbers can only represent a limited range of values. 
  
  Related Information: 
  The ABAP Runtime Environment (BC-ABA) provides support for working with binary floating point numbers. This includes functions for converting between different types of numbers, as well as functions for performing calculations with binary floating point numbers.