strictfp may be a keyword in java used for restricting floating-point calculations and ensuring same result on every platform while performing operations within the floating-point variable.
Floating-point calculations are platform-dependent i.e. different output(floating-point values) is achieved when a category file is run on different platforms(16/32/64 bit processors). to unravel this sorts of issue, strictfp keyword was introduced in JDK 1.2 version by following IEEE 754 standards for floating-point calculations.
Important points:
In Java, the strictfp
keyword is used to ensure that floating-point calculations are performed consistently across different platforms. When the strictfp
keyword is used, the precision of the floating-point calculations is guaranteed to be the same on all platforms, regardless of differences in hardware or operating system.
The strictfp
keyword can be used in three contexts: with classes, with interfaces, and with methods. When used with a class or interface, it applies to all of the methods in that class or interface. When used with a method, it applies only to that method.
When a class or method is declared with the strictfp
keyword, the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) is required to use IEEE 754 arithmetic for all floating-point operations. This ensures that the results of floating-point calculations are predictable and consistent across different platforms.
It's important to note that using the strictfp
keyword can have a performance impact, as the JVM may need to perform additional operations to ensure strict floating-point precision. Therefore, it's generally recommended to use the strictfp
keyword only when necessary, such as in financial or scientific applications where precision is critical.