To: J3                                                     J3/18-188
From:  David Muxworthy
Subject:  Output of negative zero
Date: 2018-June-11

#Reference: 18-168 item GB028

DISCUSSION:
Subclause 13.7.2.1 has:
"On output ... the representation of a positive or zero
internal value in the field may be prefixed with a plus
sign".  "The representation of a negative internal value
in the field shall be prefixed with a minus sign."

These two statements are contradictory in the case of
a negative zero.

EDIT:
On page 271, subclause 13.7.2.1, paragraph 1, list item (3)
change "positive or zero" to "nonnegative" so that the
sentence:

"On output with I, F, E, EN, ES, EX, D, and G editing, the
representation of a positive or zero internal value in the
field may be prefixed with a plus sign, as controlled by the
S, SP, and SS edit descriptors or the processor."

becomes:

"On output with I, F, E, EN, ES, EX, D, and G editing, the
representation of a nonnegative internal value in the field
may be prefixed with a plus sign, as controlled by the S,
SP, and SS edit descriptors or the processor."