bigfloat.js

A library for arbitrary precision decimal floating point arithmetic that can exactly represent all decimal fractions, unlike JavaScript's number data type which is 64-bit binary floating point.

Based on the original work by Douglas Crockford. This implementation is built upon the Google Chrome Labs' implementation of ECMAScript big integers: JSBI.

0.1 + 0.2 === 0.3;                     // false
bigfloat.evaluate("0.1 + 0.2 == 0.3"); // true

0.1 + 0.2;                      // 0.30000000000000004
bigfloat.evaluate("0.1 + 0.2"); // "0.3"

1 + Number.EPSILON / 2;                         // 1
bigfloat.evaluate(`1 + ${Number.EPSILON / 2}`); // "1.00000000000000011102230246251565"

It also understands scientific e-notation:

bigfloat.evaluate("1 + 2.220446049250313e-16"); // "1.0000000000000002220446049250313"

This library provides a set of functions for basic operations, and an evaluate() function that makes bigfloat operations behind the scenes. The first operation shown above can also be performed by making use of the other provided functions like this:

const { eq, add, BigFloat } = bigfloat;
eq(
  add(BigFloat("0.1"), BigFloat("0.2")),
  BigFloat("0.3")
); // true

You can also use the familiar Decimal.js API (partial implementation as of now):

import { Decimal } from "bigfloat.js";

new Decimal("2").sqrt().toString() // "1.4142"

• bigfloat.js
• Installation
• Importing the bigfloat module
• The bigfloat object
• Change precision
• evaluate(expression, precision)
• bigfloat(number) / make(number)
• string(bigfloat)
• Other useful functions
• Changelog

Installation

npm install bigfloat.js --save

Importing the bigfloat module

CommonJS:

const bigfloat = require("bigfloat.js").default;
const { Decimal } = require("bigfloat.js"); 

ESModules or TS:

import bigfloat, { Decimal } from "bigfloat.js";

The bigfloat object

interface BigFloat {
  coefficient: JSBI;
  exponent: number;
}

{
  coefficient: BigInt(522299),
  exponent: -4
}

The coefficient is a bigint that contains all of the digits that make up the number. The exponent is a number that indicates where to place the decimal point. This bigfloat object represents the decimal value 52.2299

Change precision

This function only takes negative integers. The default precision is -4.

bigfloat.string(bigfloat.sqrt(BigFloat("2"))); // 1.4142
bigfloat.set_precision(-10);
bigfloat.string(bigfloat.sqrt(BigFloat("2"))); // 1.4142135623

new Decimal(2).sqrt().toString(); // 1.4142
new Decimal(2).setPrecision(-10);
new Decimal(2).sqrt().toString(); // 1.4142135623

evaluate(expression, precision)

This function takes an expression in string form, and a negative integer for precision (default is -4) and returns a string:

bigfloat.evaluate("10 / 3", -5); // "3.33333"

Or a boolean:

bigfloat.evaluate(`4 >= ${Math.PI}`); // true

The tokens that make up the expression can be:

• Parenthesis: (,)
• Number: Decimal form or scientific e-notation
• Operator: Arithmetic +,-,/,,* Relational ===,==,!==,!=,<,>,<=,>=

It would be nice to have a transpiler that replaces JavaScript numbers and operators for bigfloat function calls, but it seemed to me very convenient to have this functionality available at runtime.

BigFloat(number) / make(number)

This function takes a number in a string or number form and returns a bigfloat object.

BigFloat(53.23);   // { coefficient: BigInt(5323), exponent: -2 }
make("12000"); // { coefficient: BigInt(12000), exponent: 0 }

string(bigfloat)

This function takes a bigfloat object and returns a string containing the decimal representation of the number. The conversion is exact.

bigfloat.string({ coefficient: BigInt(5323), exponent: -2 }); // "53.23"

Changelog

2.0.2

• Edit README.MD
• Change build process

2.0.1

• Add bundler for unpkg.

2.0.0

• TS rewrite.
• Added an exported Decimal class.
• Improved browser and legacy Node.js versions compatibility.

1.1.8

• Exponentiation operators(^, **) are now right-associative.

1.1.9

• Added a sqrt() function.

1.1.10

• Added an exponentiation() function.
• Exponentiation operations now support non-integer exponents.

1.2.0

• Added support for Node >= 7.0.0 and most web browsers.