--- a/Float.st	Wed Mar 20 16:01:14 2013 +0100
+++ b/Float.st	Wed Mar 20 16:01:25 2013 +0100
@@ -419,25 +419,34 @@
 !
 
 readBinaryIEEEDoubleFrom:aStream into:aFloat
-    "read the receivers value from the binary stream, aStream,
-     interpreting the next bytes as an IEEE formatted 8-byte float"
+    "read the receiver's value from the binary stream, aStream,
+     interpreting the next bytes as an IEEE formatted 8-byte float.
+     The bytes are read in the nativ byte order (i.e.lsb on intel)"
+
+    ^ self readBinaryIEEEDoubleFrom:aStream into:aFloat MSB:(UninterpretedBytes isBigEndian)
+!
+
+readBinaryIEEEDoubleFrom:aStream into:aFloat MSB:msb
+    "read the receiver's value from the binary stream, aStream,
+     interpreting the next bytes as an IEEE formatted 8-byte float.
+     If msb is true, the stream bytes are most-significant-first."
 
     "
      this implementation is wrong: does not work on non-IEEE machines
      (to date all machines where ST/X is running on use
-      IEEE float format. Need more here, when porting ST/X to 370's)
+      IEEE float format. Will need more here, when porting ST/X to 370's)
     "
     self isIEEEFormat ifFalse:[self error:'unsupported operation'].
 
-    UninterpretedBytes isBigEndian ifFalse:[
-	"swap the bytes"
-	8 to:1 by:-1 do:[:i |
-	    aFloat basicAt:i put:(aStream next)
-	].
-	^ self
+    (UninterpretedBytes isBigEndian == msb) ifFalse:[
+        "swap the bytes"
+        8 to:1 by:-1 do:[:i |
+            aFloat basicAt:i put:(aStream next)
+        ].
+        ^ self
     ].
     1 to:8 do:[:i |
-	aFloat basicAt:i put:aStream next
+        aFloat basicAt:i put:aStream next
     ]
 
     "not part of libboss, as this is also used by others (TIFFReader)"
@@ -622,7 +631,6 @@
     "
 ! !
 
-
 !Float class methodsFor:'queries'!
 
 exponentCharacter
@@ -657,6 +665,11 @@
      machine).
      Machines with non-IEEE format are VAXed and IBM370-type systems
      (among others). Today, most systems use IEEE format floats."
+%{
+#ifdef __s390__
+    RETURN(false);
+#endif
+%}.
 
     ^ true "/ this may be a lie
 !
@@ -695,7 +708,6 @@
     ^ 2 "must be careful here, whenever ST/X is used on VAX or a 370"
 ! !
 
-
 !Float methodsFor:'arithmetic'!
 
 * aNumber
@@ -865,6 +877,40 @@
     ^ aNumber quotientFromFloat:self
 !
 
+abs
+    "return the absolute value of the receiver
+     reimplemented here for speed"
+
+%{  /* NOCONTEXT */
+
+    OBJ newFloat;
+    double val =__floatVal(self);
+
+    if (val < 0.0) {
+	__qMKFLOAT(newFloat, -val);
+	RETURN ( newFloat );
+    }
+    RETURN (self);
+%}.
+
+    "
+     3.0 abs
+     -3.0 abs
+    "
+!
+
+negated
+    "return myself negated"
+
+%{  /* NOCONTEXT */
+    OBJ newFloat;
+    double rslt = - __floatVal(self);
+
+    __qMKFLOAT(newFloat, rslt);
+    RETURN ( newFloat );
+%}.
+!
+
 rem: aNumber
     "return the floating point remainder of the receiver and the argument, aNumber"
 
@@ -924,40 +970,6 @@
     ^ aNumber remainderFromFloat:self
 !
 
-abs
-    "return the absolute value of the receiver
-     reimplemented here for speed"
-
-%{  /* NOCONTEXT */
-
-    OBJ newFloat;
-    double val =__floatVal(self);
-
-    if (val < 0.0) {
-	__qMKFLOAT(newFloat, -val);
-	RETURN ( newFloat );
-    }
-    RETURN (self);
-%}.
-
-    "
-     3.0 abs
-     -3.0 abs
-    "
-!
-
-negated
-    "return myself negated"
-
-%{  /* NOCONTEXT */
-    OBJ newFloat;
-    double rslt = - __floatVal(self);
-
-    __qMKFLOAT(newFloat, rslt);
-    RETURN ( newFloat );
-%}.
-!
-
 uncheckedDivide:aNumber
     "return the quotient of the receiver and the argument, aNumber.
      Do not check for divide by zero (return NaN or Infinity).
@@ -1553,7 +1565,6 @@
     "Modified: / 16.11.2001 / 14:14:43 / cg"
 ! !
 
-
 !Float methodsFor:'printing & storing'!
 
 printString
@@ -1950,7 +1961,6 @@
     "
 ! !
 
-
 !Float methodsFor:'testing'!
 
 isFinite
@@ -2847,11 +2857,11 @@
 !Float class methodsFor:'documentation'!
 
 version
-    ^ '$Header: /cvs/stx/stx/libbasic/Float.st,v 1.187 2013-02-05 15:29:32 stefan Exp $'
+    ^ '$Header: /cvs/stx/stx/libbasic/Float.st,v 1.188 2013-03-20 15:01:25 cg Exp $'
 !
 
 version_CVS
-    ^ '$Header: /cvs/stx/stx/libbasic/Float.st,v 1.187 2013-02-05 15:29:32 stefan Exp $'
+    ^ '$Header: /cvs/stx/stx/libbasic/Float.st,v 1.188 2013-03-20 15:01:25 cg Exp $'
 ! !