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al_fixed(3)		   Library Functions Manual		   al_fixed(3)

NAME
       al_fixed	- Allegro 5 API

SYNOPSIS
	      #include <allegro5/allegro.h>

	      typedef int32_t al_fixed;

DESCRIPTION
       A fixed point number.

       Allegro	provides  some	routines for working with fixed	point numbers,
       and defines the type al_fixed to	be a signed 32-bit integer.  The  high
       word  is	 used  for the integer part and	the low	word for the fraction,
       giving a	range of -32768	to 32767 and an	accuracy of about four or five
       decimal places.	Fixed point numbers can	be assigned, compared,	added,
       subtracted,  negated and	shifted	(for multiplying or dividing by	powers
       of two) using the normal	integer	operators, but you should take care to
       use the appropriate conversion routines when mixing  fixed  point  with
       integer	 or   floating	 point	 values.    Writing   fixed_point_1  +
       fixed_point_2 is	OK, but	fixed_point + integer is not.

       The only	advantage of fixed point math routines is that you  don't  re-
       quire  a	floating point coprocessor to use them.	 This was great	in the
       time period of i386 and i486 machines, but stopped being	so useful with
       the coming of the Pentium class of processors.  From  Pentium  onwards,
       CPUs have increased their strength in floating point operations,	equal-
       ing  or even surpassing integer math performance.  However, many	embed-
       ded processors have no FPUs so fixed point maths	can  still  be	useful
       there.

       Depending on the	type of	operations your	program	may need, using	float-
       ing  point  types may be	faster than fixed types	if you are targeting a
       specific	machine	class.

Allegro	reference manual					   al_fixed(3)

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