--- a/IEEEFloat.st	Thu Dec 05 14:48:44 2019 +0100
+++ b/IEEEFloat.st	Thu Dec 05 15:02:09 2019 +0100
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+"{ Encoding: utf8 }"
+
 "{ Package: 'stx:libbasic2' }"
 
 "{ NameSpace: Smalltalk }"
@@ -405,6 +407,7 @@
             1 to:nBytes-1 do:[:i |
                 (self basicAt:i) = (anIEEEFloat basicAt:i) ifFalse:[^ false].
             ].
+            "/ care for negative zero
             (self basicAt:nBytes) = (anIEEEFloat basicAt:nBytes) ifFalse:[
                 ((self basicAt:nBytes) bitAnd:16r7F) == 0 ifTrue:[
                     ((anIEEEFloat basicAt:nBytes) bitAnd:16r7F) == 0 ifTrue:[
@@ -447,18 +450,38 @@
 !
 
 lessFromIEEEFloat:anIEEEFloat
-    |m1 m2 nM1 nM2 e1 e2|
+    |m1 m2 nM1 nM2 e1 e2 meNegative mySize myByte otherByte isLess|
 
-    self negative = anIEEEFloat negative ifFalse:[
+    meNegative := self negative.
+    meNegative = anIEEEFloat negative ifFalse:[
         ^ anIEEEFloat negative
     ].
 
-    anIEEEFloat basicSize == self basicSize ifTrue:[
+    "/ same sized floats can be compared easily
+    "/ (but care for the negative 0)
+    mySize := self basicSize.
+    mySize == anIEEEFloat basicSize ifTrue:[
         anIEEEFloat exponentSize == exponentSize ifTrue:[
-            self basicSize to:1 by:-1 do:[:i |
-                (anIEEEFloat basicAt:i) < (self basicAt:i) ifTrue:[^ true].
-                (anIEEEFloat basicAt:i) > (self basicAt:i) ifTrue:[^ false].
+            "/ ignore the sign bit
+            myByte := (self basicAt:mySize) bitAnd:16r7F.
+            otherByte := (anIEEEFloat basicAt:mySize) bitAnd:16r7F.    
+            otherByte < myByte ifTrue:[
+                ^ meNegative not
+            ].
+            otherByte > myByte ifTrue:[
+                ^ meNegative
             ].
+            mySize-1 to:1 by:-1 do:[:i |
+                myByte := self basicAt:i.
+                otherByte := anIEEEFloat basicAt:i.
+                otherByte < myByte ifTrue:[
+                    ^ meNegative not
+                ].
+                otherByte > myByte ifTrue:[
+                    ^ meNegative
+                ].
+            ].
+            "/ same
             ^ false.
         ].
     ].
@@ -482,8 +505,31 @@
 
     e1 := anIEEEFloat exponent.
     e2 := self exponent.
-    e1 = e2 ifTrue:[^ m1 < m2].
-    ^ e1 < e2.
+    isLess := e1 = e2 ifTrue:[m1 < m2] ifFalse:[e1 < e2].
+    meNegative ifTrue:[^ isLess not].
+    ^ isLess.
+
+    "
+     self assert:(1.0 asIEEEFloat < 2.0 asIEEEFloat).
+     self assert:(1.0 asIEEEFloat < 1.0 asIEEEFloat) not.
+     self assert:(1.0 asIEEEFloat < 0.0 asIEEEFloat) not.
+     self assert:(1.0 asIEEEFloat < -0.0 asIEEEFloat) not.
+
+     self assert:(-1.0 asIEEEFloat < 2.0 asIEEEFloat).
+     self assert:(-1.0 asIEEEFloat < 1.0 asIEEEFloat).
+     self assert:(-1.0 asIEEEFloat < 0.0 asIEEEFloat).
+     self assert:(-1.0 asIEEEFloat < -0.0 asIEEEFloat).
+
+     self assert:(1.0 asIEEEFloat < -2.0 asIEEEFloat) not.
+     self assert:(1.0 asIEEEFloat < -1.0 asIEEEFloat) not.
+     self assert:(1.0 asIEEEFloat < 0.0 asIEEEFloat) not.
+     self assert:(1.0 asIEEEFloat < -0.0 asIEEEFloat) not.
+
+     self assert:(-1.0 asIEEEFloat < -2.0 asIEEEFloat) not.
+     self assert:(-1.0 asIEEEFloat < -1.0 asIEEEFloat) not.
+     self assert:(-1.0 asIEEEFloat < 0.0 asIEEEFloat).
+     self assert:(-1.0 asIEEEFloat < -0.0 asIEEEFloat).
+    "
 !
 
 productFromIEEEFloat:anIEEEFloat