From: Bruno Haible
Subject: An ANSI CL inconsistency
Date: 
Message-ID: <62gcgn$9fb$1@nz12.rz.uni-karlsruhe.de>
What's the result of (format nil "~5,3F" 'a) according to ANSI CL?
"A" or "    A" ?

22.3.3.1 says:
  If arg is a complex number or some non-numeric object, then it is printed
  using the format directive ~wD, thereby printing it in decimal radix and
  a minimum field width of w.

So is seems "    A" would be correct.

But here is the description of ~D of 22.3.2.2:
  If arg is not an integer, it is printed in ~A format and decimal base.

This ignores the width, so it seems that "A" would be correct.

                       Bruno
From: Kent M Pitman
Subject: Re: An ANSI CL inconsistency
Date: 
Message-ID: <sfwzpo4w4ru.fsf@world.std.com>
······@ma2s2.mathematik.uni-karlsruhe.de (Bruno Haible) writes:

> What's the result of (format nil "~5,3F" 'a) according to ANSI CL?
> "A" or "    A" ?
> 
> 22.3.3.1 says:
> If arg is a complex number or some non-numeric object, then it is printed
> using the format directive ~wD, thereby printing it in decimal radix and
> a minimum field width of w.
> 
> So is seems "    A" would be correct.
> 
> But here is the description of ~D of 22.3.2.2:
> If arg is not an integer, it is printed in ~A format and decimal base.
> 
> This ignores the width, so it seems that "A" would be correct.

I didn't look this one up, but I'll take your word for the references.
I am not surprised if you say there's an inconsistency in the
cross-calling.  I'll make a note of this on my private list of issues
to raise if/when X3J13 opens things up for changes to be considered.