Why is this code giving me a strange output

Question

The method below was written to make a String version of a number, I know there are already methods that do this, such as String.valueOf(), Double.toString(), or even just "" + someNumber.

private static String numToString(double i) {
           String revNumber = "";
           boolean isNeg = false;
           if (i == 0) { //catch zero case
               return "0";
           } 

           if (i < 0) {
               isNeg = true;
           }

           i = Math.abs(i);
           while (i > 0) { //loop backwards through number, this loop 
               //finish, otherwise, i would not get any output in 'main()'
               revNumber += "" + i % 10; //get the end
               i /= 10; //slice end
           }

           String number = ""; //reversed
           for (int k = revNumber.length() - 1; k >= 0; k--) {
               number += revNumber.substring(k, k + 1);
           }

           revNumber = null; //let gc do its work

           return isNeg ? "-" + number : number; //result expression to add "-" 
           //if needed.
       }

Although the above method should only be used for ints (32-bit), I made it accept a double (64-bit) argument and I passed a double argument, without a decimal, the output results are the same if I pass an int into the method as well, or with a decimals, etc...

Test:

public static void main(String[] args) {
   double test = -134; //Passing double arg
   System.out.println(numToString(test)); //results
}

Result: (Maximum memory results for double?):

-323-E5.1223-E33.1123-E43.1023-E43.1913-E43.1813-E43.1713-E43.1613-E43.1513-E43.1413-E43.1313-E43.1213-E43.1113-E43.1013-E43.1903-E43.1803-E999999999999933.1703-E999999999999933.1603-E999999999999933.1503-E999999999999933.1403-E9899999999999933.1303-E999999999999933.1203-E999999999999933.1103-E8899999999999933.1003-E9899999999999933.1992-E999999999999933.1892-E999999999999933.1792-E999999999999933.1692-E999999999999933.1592-E999999999999933.1492-E999999999999933.1392-E999999999999933.1292-E999999999999933.1192-E999999999999933.1092-E999999999999933.1982-E999999999999933.1882-E1999999999999933.1782-E999999999999933.1682-E999999999999933.1582-E999999999999933.1482-E999999999999933.1382-E999999999999933.1282-E1999999999999933.1182-E1999999999999933.1082-E2999999999999933.1972-E2999999999999933.1872-E3999999999999933.1772-E2999999999999933.1672-E1999999999999933.1572-E2999999999999933.1472-E999999999999933.1372-E999999999999933.1272-E1999999999999933.1172-E2999999999999933.1072-E2999999999999933.1962-E1999999999999933.1862-E999999999999933.1762-E999999999999933.1662-E999999999999933.1562-E999999999999933.1462-E999999999999933.1362-E999999999999933.1262-E999999999999933.1162-E999999999999933.1062-E999999999999933.1952-E999999999999933.1852-E999999999999933.1752-E999999999999933.1652-E999999999999933.1552-E999999999999933.1452-E999999999999933.1352-E999999999999933.1252-E999999999999933.1152-E999999999999933.1052-E9899999999999933.1942-E9899999999999933.1842-E999999999999933.1742-E999999999999933.1642-E999999999999933.1542-E999999999999933.1442-E999999999999933.1342-E999999999999933.1242-E999999999999933.1142-E9899999999999933.1042-E999999999999933.1932-E8899999999999933.1832-E9899999999999933.1732-E8899999999999933.1632-E8899999999999933.1532-E8899999999999933.1432-E999999999999933.1332-E9899999999999933.1232-E8899999999999933.1132-E7899999999999933.1032-E8899999999999933.1922-E8899999999999933.1822-E7899999999999933.1722-E6899999999999933.1622-E5899999999999933.1522-E5899999999999933.1422-E6899999999999933.1322-E6899999999999933.1222-E6899999999999933.1122-E7899999999999933.1022-E7899999999999933.1912-E7899999999999933.1812-E8899999999999933.1712-E8899999999999933.1612-E7899999999999933.1512-E7899999999999933.1412-E6899999999999933.1312-E6899999999999933.1212-E7899999999999933.1112-E7899999999999933.1012-E7899999999999933.1902-E7899999999999933.1802-E6899999999999933.1702-E7899999999999933.1602-E7899999999999933.1502-E8899999999999933.1402-E8899999999999933.1302-E8899999999999933.1202-E8899999999999933.1102-E7899999999999933.1002-E7899999999999933.1991-E9899999999999933.1891-E9899999999999933.1791-E8899999999999933.1691-E7899999999999933.1591-E8899999999999933.1491-E8899999999999933.1391-E999999999999933.1291-E9899999999999933.1191-E9899999999999933.1091-E999999999999933.1981-E999999999999933.1881-E999999999999933.1781-E999999999999933.1681-E999999999999933.1581-E1999999999999933.1481-E999999999999933.1381-E999999999999933.1281-E1999999999999933.1181-E2999999999999933.1081-E999999999999933.1971-E1999999999999933.1871-E999999999999933.1771-E2999999999999933.1671-E3999999999999933.1571-E3999999999999933.1471-E2999999999999933.1371-E2999999999999933.1271-E2999999999999933.1171-E999999999999933.1071-E999999999999933.1961-E999999999999933.1861-E999999999999933.1761-E999999999999933.1661-E999999999999933.1561-E999999999999933.1461-E8899999999999933.1361-E8899999999999933.1261-E8899999999999933.1161-E7899999999999933.1061-E7899999999999933.1951-E7899999999999933.1851-E7899999999999933.1751-E7899999999999933.1651-E7899999999999933.1551-E6899999999999933.1451-E6899999999999933.1351-E6899999999999933.1251-E6899999999999933.1151-E6899999999999933.1051-E7899999999999933.1941-E6899999999999933.1841-E7899999999999933.1741-E7899999999999933.1641-E9899999999999933.1541-E999999999999933.1441-E999999999999933.1341-E999999999999933.1241-E999999999999933.1141-E999999999999933.1041-E999999999999933.1931-E9899999999999933.1831-E999999999999933.1731-E999999999999933.1631-E8899999999999933.1531-E9899999999999933.1431-E9899999999999933.1331-E8899999999999933.1231-E8899999999999933.1131-E8899999999999933.1031-E7899999999999933.1921-E7899999999999933.1821-E7899999999999933.1721-E6899999999999933.1621-E7899999999999933.1521-E7899999999999933.1421-E8899999999999933.1321-E7899999999999933.1221-E7899999999999933.1121-E8899999999999933.1021-E8899999999999933.1911-E9899999999999933.1811-E999999999999933.1711-E999999999999933.1611-E999999999999933.1511-E999999999999933.1411-E1999999999999933.1311-E2999999999999933.1211-E3999999999999933.1111-E2999999999999933.1011-E2999999999999933.1901-E3999999999999933.1801-E2999999999999933.1701-E2999999999999933.1601-E3999999999999933.1501-E2999999999999933.1401-E3999999999999933.1301-E3999999999999933.1201-E4999999999999933.1101-E5999999999999933.1001-E4999999999999933.199-E3999999999999933.189-E3999999999999933.179-E3999999999999933.169-E4999999999999933.159-E4999999999999933.149-E4999999999999933.139-E4999999999999933.129-E4999999999999933.119-E4999999999999933.109-E4999999999999933.198-E4999999999999933.188-E4999999999999933.178-E3999999999999933.168-E3999999999999933.158-E3999999999999933.148-E3999999999999933.138-E3999999999999933.128-E4999999999999933.118-E3999999999999933.108-E3999999999999933.197-E3999999999999933.187-E3999999999999933.177-E4999999999999933.167-E3999999999999933.157-E3999999999999933.147-E3999999999999933.137-E3999999999999933.127-E3999999999999933.117-E4999999999999933.107-E5999999999999933.196-E5999999999999933.186-E5999999999999933.176-E4999999999999933.166-E4999999999999933.156-E4999999999999933.146-E4999999999999933.136-E3999999999999933.126-E3999999999999933.116-E3999999999999933.106-E3999999999999933.195-E2999999999999933.185-E1999999999999933.175-E2999999999999933.165-E2999999999999933.155-E2999999999999933.145-E2999999999999933.135-E3999999999999933.125-E4999999999999933.115-E4999999999999933.105-E2999999999999933.194-E1999999999999933.184-E2999999999999933.174-E2999999999999933.164-E2999999999999933.154-E1999999999999933.144-E1999999999999933.134-E2999999999999933.124-E2999999999999933.114-E2999999999999933.104-E3999999999999933.193-E3999999999999933.183-E3999999999999933.173-E2999999999999933.163-E2999999999999933.153-E999999999999933.143-E2999999999999933.133-E2999999999999933.123-E2999999999999933.113-E3999999999999933.103-E3999999999999933.192-E3999999999999933.182-E3999999999999933.172-E3999999999999933.162-E4999999999999933.152-E4999999999999933.142-E5999999999999933.132-E6999999999999933.122-E7999999999999933.112-E6999999999999933.102-E6999999999999933.191-E7999999999999933.181-E8999999999999933.171-E8999999999999933.161-E8999999999999933.151-E9999999999999933.141-E8999999999999933.131-E8999999999999933.121-E43.111-E43.101-E43.19-E1000000000000043.18-E1000000000000043.17-E43.16-E43.15-E43.14-E43.143100.04310.0431.043.14000000000000004.30.4

This might work for int, but not sure this would work with doubles. How do you handle decimal points? — Rohit Vipin Mathews, Jul 21 '15 at 19:22
The point is, the unexpected results, also the loop ends, otherwise, not output would be shown. — TheArchon, Jul 21 '15 at 19:42

score 1 · Accepted Answer · edited May 23 '17 at 12:06

1

This is not because of the complier. It is happening because you are doing

i /= 10; //slice end

So when you do 13.4 after the first run it wont give you 1.34 it will give you something like 1.339999999999999999 which is 1.34.

Check Retain precision with double in Java for more details.

If you just want to reverse the number you can do

private static String numToString(double i) {
        String returnString = new StringBuilder(Double.toString(i)).reverse().toString();
        return i>=0?returnString:"-"+returnString.substring(0,returnString.length()-1);
}

edited May 23 '17 at 12:06

Community

1
1

answered Jul 21 '15 at 19:23

StackFlowed

6,664
1
29
45

That's probably true but doesn't have anything to do with the problem. The problem is that the break condition of the loop is `i > 0` which is (theoretically) never reached. It doesn't matter if the value becomes exactly 1.34 or 1.33999... because it's still > 0. – JJJ Jul 21 '15 at 19:27
This is not a problem *at all*: the value of `i` is used only in the `i % 10` operation which isn't affected. – JJJ Jul 21 '15 at 19:29
@Juhana please try this code with a breaking condition of i > 1 it will still be a problem ! I tried it and the output was -43.14000000000000004.30.4. Can you explain why this happens ? – StackFlowed Jul 21 '15 at 19:32
2

The loop breaks, otherwise, no output would be shown at all! – TheArchon Jul 21 '15 at 19:51

Adam · Answer 2 · 2015-07-21T20:09:34.550

for (; i > 0; ) { //loop backwards through number
    revNumber += "" + i % 10; //get the end
    i /= 10; //slice end
}

This loop never finishes until it breaks at a much later time than it should. i % 10 doesn't cut off the end of a double. It works well with an int but not with a double. Hence the 134->13.4->1.34->.134-> etc.... So you get an argumentoutofrange exception or something similar to that. Else the compiler just keeps doing it for the max memory that a double can handle.

Why is this code giving me a strange output

2 Answers2