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| Contributions |
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| 2026-08-02 11:09:02  ruv  wrote:
| requestClarification - Inconsistent semantic description in `CELLS`
| see: https://forth-standard.org/standard/core/CELLS#contribution-444
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The text description in section [6.1.0890 `CELLS`](https://forth-standard.org/standard/core/CELLS) states:
  - > _n2_ is the size in address units of _n1_ cells.

But _n1_ can be a negative integer, such as  `-3`.  What does "the size of -3 cells" mean?

Another problem is that if we apply **2s-Complement [Wrap-Around](http://www.forth200x.org/twos-complement.html#:~:text=On%20integer%20overflow%20of%20single%2Dcell%20addition%20%28%2B%201%2B%20%2B%21%20cell%2B%20char%2B%20etc%2E%29%2C%20subtraction%20%28%2D%201%2D%20negate%20abs%29%2C%20multiplication%20%28%2A%20chars%20cells%20floats%20etc%2E%29%2C%202%2A%20and%20d%3Es%20the%20result%20is%20the%20exact%20result%20modulo%202%5En) Integers**  ([accepted in 2015](https://github.com/Forth-Standard/forth200x/blob/91f1ed9c756aac27f57e939c270b5f2c84262427/meetings/2015-notes#L56)), there will be no ambiguous condition on overflow.  Consequently, the phrase `max-int cells` is always valid, but it probably will not be evaluated to *the size* of max-int cells.


Another issue is that the stack diagram mentions only _n_ (signed integers), but `cells` actually applies to unsigned integers as well.

Thus, a more complete stack diagram is: `( n1 -- n2  ^^  u1 -- u2 )`, where the symbol "**^^**" denotes the intersection of the left left and right arrow types, that is, the arrow type that is the [*meet*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Join_and_meet#Definitions) of the other two arrow types.

A possible correct text description:
  - > _n2_ is _n1_ multiplied by the cell size in address units. _u2_ is _u1_ multiplied by the cell size in address units. If no overflow occurs, _u2_ is the size in address units of _u1_ cells.

A similar correction also applies to [6.1.0898 `CHARS`](https://forth-standard.org/standard/core/CHARS) (in current wording).