fp-model, fp

Controls the semantics of floating-point calculations.

IDE Equivalent

Windows: None

Linux: Floating Point > Floating Point Model

Mac OS: Floating Point > Floating Point Model

Architectures

IA-32, IntelŪ EM64T, IntelŪ ItaniumŪ architecture

Syntax

Linux and Mac OS: -fp-model keyword
Windows:  /fp:keyword

Arguments

keyword Specifies the semantics to be used. Possible values are:
  precise Enables value-safe optimizations on floating-point data.
  fast[=1|2] Enables more aggressive optimizations on floating-point data.
  strict Enables precise and except, disables contractions, and enables pragma stdc fenv_access.
  source Rounds intermediate results to source-defined precision and enables value-safe optimizations.
  double Rounds intermediate results to 53-bit (double) precision and enables value-safe optimizations.
  extended Rounds intermediate results to 64-bit (extended) precision and enables value-safe optimizations.
  [no-]except (Linux and Mac OS) or
except[-]
(Windows)
Determines whether floating-point exception semantics are used.

Default

-fp-model fast=1 or
/fp:fast=1
The compiler uses more aggressive optimizations on floating-point calculations. However, if you specify -O0 (Linux and Mac OS) or /Od (Windows), the default is -mp (Linux and Mac OS) or /Op (Windows).

Description

This option controls the semantics of floating-point calculations.

The keywords can be considered in groups:

You can use more than one keyword. However, the following rules apply:

Option Description
-fp-model precise or /fp:precise Tells the compiler to strictly adhere to value-safe optimizations when implementing floating-point calculations. It disables optimizations that can change the result of floating-point calculations, which is required for strict ANSI conformance. These semantics ensure the accuracy of floating-point computations, but they may slow performance.

The compiler assumes the default floating-point environment; you are not allowed to modify it.

Intermediate results are computed with the precision shown in the following table:

  Windows Linux Mac OS
IA-32 architecture Double Extended Extended
IntelŪ EM64T architecture Source Source N/A
ItaniumŪ architecture Extended Extended N/A
 
Floating-point exception semantics are disabled by default. To enable these semantics, you must also specify -fp-model except or /fp:except.

For information on the semantics used to interpret floating-point calculations in the source code, see precise in Examples.
-fp-model fast[=1|2] or /fp:fast[=1|2] Tells the compiler to use more aggressive optimizations when implementing floating-point calculations. These optimizations increase speed, but may alter the accuracy of floating-point computations.

Specifying fast is the same as specifying fast=1. fast=2 may produce faster and less accurate results.

Floating-point exception semantics are disabled by default and they cannot be enabled because you cannot specify fast and except together in the same compilation. To enable exception semantics, you must explicitly specify another keyword (see other keyword descriptions for details).

For information on the semantics used to interpret floating-point calculations in the source code, see fast in Examples.
-fp-model strict or /fp:strict Tells the compiler to strictly adhere to value-safe optimizations when implementing floating-point calculations and enables floating-point exception semantics. This is the strictest floating-point model.

The compiler does not assume the default floating-point environment; you are allowed to modify it.

Floating-point exception semantics can be disabled by explicitly specifying -fp-model no-except or /fp:except-.

For information on the semantics used to interpret floating-point calculations in the source code, see strict in Examples.
-fp-model source or /fp:source This option is similar to keyword precise, except intermediate results are rounded to the precision defined in the source code.
Intermediate expressions use the precision of the operand with higher precision, if any.
long double 64-bit precision 80-bit data type 15-bit exponent
double 53-bit precision 64-bit data type 11-bit exponent; on IA-32 Windows systems, the exponent may be 15-bit if an x87 register is used to hold the value.
float 24-bit precision 32-bit data type 8-bit exponent
 
The compiler assumes the default floating-point environment; you are not allowed to modify it.

For information on the semantics used to interpret floating-point calculations in the source code, see source in Examples.
-fp-model double or /fp:double This option is similar to keyword precise, except intermediate results are rounded as follows:
53-bit (double) precision
64-bit data type
11-bit exponent; on IA-32 Windows systems, the exponent may be 15-bit if an x87 register is used to hold the value.
 
The compiler assumes the default floating-point environment; you are not allowed to modify it.

For information on the semantics used to interpret floating-point calculations in the source code, see double in Examples.
-fp-model extended or /fp:extended This option is similar to keyword precise, except intermediate results are rounded as follows:
64-bit (extended) precision
80-bit data type
15-bit exponent
 
The compiler assumes the default floating-point environment; you are not allowed to modify it.

For information on the semantics used to interpret floating-point calculations in the source code, see extended in Examples.
-fp-model except or /fp:except Tells the compiler to use floating-point exception semantics.

Alternate Options

None

Examples

The included examples show:

Examples are provided for the following keywords:

-fp-model fast or /fp:fast

Example source code:

float t0, t1, t2;
...
t0 = 4.0f + 0.1f + t1 + t2;

When this option is specified, the compiler applies the following semantics:

Using these semantics, the following shows some possible ways the compiler may interpret the original code:

float t0, t1, t2;
...
t0 = (float)((double)t1 + (double)t2) + 4.1f;

 

float t0, t1, t2;
...
t0 = (t1 + t2) + 4.1f;

 

float t0, t1, t2;
...
t0 = (t1 + 4.1f) + t2;

 

-fp-model extended or /fp:extended
This setting is equivalent to -fp-model precise on IA-32 Linux systems and fp-model precise or /fp:precise on IntelŪ Itanium systems.

Example source code:

float t0, t1, t2;
...
t0 = 4.0f + 0.1f + t1 + t2;

When this option is specified, the compiler applies the following semantics:

Using these semantics, the following shows a possible way the compiler may interpret the original code:

float t0, t1, t2;
...
t0 = (float)(((long double)4.1f + (long double)t1) + (long double)t2);

 

-fp-model source or /fp:source
This setting is equivalent to -fp-model precise or /fp:precise on IntelŪ EM64T systems.

Example source code:

float t0, t1, t2;
...
t0 = 4.0f + 0.1f + t1 + t2;

When this option is specified, the compiler applies the following semantics:

Using these semantics, the following shows a possible way the compiler may interpret the original code:

float t0, t1, t2;
...
t0 = ((4.1f + t1) + t2);

 

-fp-model double or /fp:double
This setting is equivalent to -fp-model precise or /fp:precise on IA-32 Windows systems.

Example source code:

float t0, t1, t2;
...
t0 = 4.0f + 0.1f + t1 + t2;

When this option is specified, the compiler applies the following semantics:

Using these semantics, the following shows s a possible way the compiler may interpret the original code:

float t0, t1, t2;
...
t0 = (float)(((double)4.1f + (double)t1) + (double)t2);

 

-fp-model strict or /fp:strict

Example source code:

float t0, t1, t2;
...
t0 = 4.0f + 0.1f + t1 + t2;

When this option is specified, the compiler applies the following semantics:

Using these semantics, the following shows a possible way the compiler may interpret the original code:

float t0, t1, t2;
...
t0 = (float)((((long double)4.0f + (long double)0.1f) +
               (long double)t1) + (long double)t2);

See Also

mp compiler option

Op compiler option

mp1, Qprec compiler option

The MSDN article Microsoft Visual C++ Floating-Point Optimization, which discusses concepts that apply to this option.