Universal polyfill for Math.fround, does not depend on Float32Array.

fround.js

// NOTE: This implementation is incorrect (it doesn't break ties to even).  See comments below for discussion.

Math.fround = Math.fround || function(arg) {
  arg = Number(arg);
  // Return early for ±0 and NaN.
  if (!arg) return arg;
  var sign = arg < 0 ? -1 : 1;
  if (sign < 0) arg = -arg;
  // Compute the exponent (8 bits, signed).
  var exp = Math.floor(Math.log(arg) / Math.LN2);
  var powexp = Math.pow(2, Math.max(-126, Math.min(exp, 127)));
  // Handle subnormals: leading digit is zero if exponent bits are all zero.
  var leading = exp < -127 ? 0 : 1;
  // Compute 23 bits of mantissa, inverted to round toward zero.
  var mantissa = Math.round((leading - arg / powexp) * 0x800000);
  if (exp > 0 && mantissa <= -0x800000) return sign * Infinity;
  return sign * powexp * (leading - mantissa / 0x800000);
};

fround_test.js

it('should handle terminating numbers', function() {                                                                                                                     [5/32762]
  // These cases all have terminating binary representations (i.e. integers
  // or rationals with powers of two in the denominator).
  assertPositiveZero(Math.fround(0));
  assertNegativeZero(Math.fround(-0));
  assertEquals(1, Math.fround(1));
  assertEquals(-1, Math.fround(-1));
  assertEquals(0.5, Math.fround(0.5));
  assertEquals(0.25, Math.fround(0.25));
  assertEquals(-0.75, Math.fround(-0.75));
  assertEquals(3, Math.fround(3));
  assertEquals(-20.375, Math.fround(-20.375));
  assertEquals(101.3125, Math.fround(101.3125));
  assertEquals(1 << 22, Math.fround(1 << 22));
});

it('should handle large numbers', function() {
  assertEquals(1 << 30, Math.fround(1 << 30));
  assertEquals(2 ** 127, Math.fround(2 ** 127));
  assertEquals(-(2 ** 127), Math.fround(-(2 ** 127)));
  assertEquals(1.875 * (2 ** 127), Math.fround(1.875 * (2 ** 127)));
  assertEquals(-1.9375 * (2 ** 127), Math.fround(-1.9375 * (2 ** 127)));
  assertEquals('a', Infinity, Math.fround(2 ** 128));
  assertEquals(-Infinity, Math.fround(-(2 ** 128)));
  const maxFloat = 3.4028234663852886e38;
  assertEquals(maxFloat, Math.fround(3.4028235e38));
  assertEquals(Infinity, Math.fround(3.4028236e38));
  assertEquals('b', Infinity, Math.fround(Infinity));
  assertEquals(-maxFloat, Math.fround(-3.4028235e38));
  assertEquals(-Infinity, Math.fround(-3.4028236e38));
  assertEquals(-Infinity, Math.fround(-Infinity));
});

it('should handle small numbers', function() {
  // Smallest normal float32
  assertEquals(1.015625 * 2 ** -126, Math.fround(1.015625 * 2 ** -126));
  assertEquals(-1.015625 * 2 ** -126, Math.fround(-1.015625 * 2 ** -126));
  // Subnormal numbers
  assertEquals(1.015625 * 2 ** -127, Math.fround(1.015625 * 2 ** -127));
  assertEquals(1.875 * 2 ** -128, Math.fround(1.875 * 2 ** -128));
  // Numbers exactly between two floats round toward zero
  const minFloat = 2 ** -149;
  assertEquals(12 * minFloat, Math.fround(12.5 * minFloat));
  assertEquals(13 * minFloat, Math.fround(12.5 * (1 + EPSILON) * minFloat));
  assertEquals(-12 * minFloat, Math.fround(-12.5 * minFloat));
  assertEquals(-13 * minFloat, Math.fround(-12.5 * (1 + EPSILON) * minFloat));
  // Smallest non-zero float32
  assertEquals(minFloat, Math.fround(minFloat));
  assertEquals(-minFloat, Math.fround(-minFloat));
  assertEquals(minFloat, Math.fround((1 + EPSILON) / 2 * minFloat));
  assertEquals(-minFloat, Math.fround(-(1 + EPSILON) / 2 * minFloat));
  assertPositiveZero(Math.fround(minFloat / 2));
  assertNegativeZero(Math.fround(-minFloat / 2));
  // Edge cases around mantissa === -0x800000
  assertEquals(2 ** -125, Math.fround(2 ** -125));
  assertEquals(2 ** -124, Math.fround(2 ** -124));
});

it('should handle non-numbers', function() {
  assertEquals(1, Math.fround(noCheck('1')));
  assertExactlyNaN(Math.fround(noCheck([1, 2])));
  assertExactlyNaN(Math.fround(noCheck('a')));
  assertExactlyNaN(Math.fround(NaN));
});

I don't fully understand the difference with the subnormals, nor why it should or shouldn't affect the results - I've long since paged this arcana out of my brain.

Nice find with the infinities. 2 ** -124 is also problematic. It looks like line 14 needs to also check exp > 0. I added a new revision and included your test case.

This polyfill is the first one that shows up on a Google search, and seems to be the one featured on MDN. Yet, it is incorrect, as it does not break ties to-even when rounding. The following test cases fail:

function assertExactEquals(expected, actual) {
  if (!Object.is(expected, actual)) {
    throw new Error(`expected ${expected} but got ${actual}`);
  }
}

it('some tests that fail', function() {
  function test(expected, value) {
    assertExactEquals(expected, Math.fround(value))
  }
  
  test(3.4000265159298767e-40, 3.400019509437555e-40) // even is upwards
  test(1.1754943508222875e-38, 1.1754942807573643e-38) // even is upwards (it's min-normal)
  test(3.40000057220459, 3.4000004529953003) // even is upwards
  test(Infinity, 3.4028235677973366e38)
});

Here is a correct implementation that rounds-to-nearest and breaks-ties-to-even. It is the implementation used by Scala.js:

Math.fround = Math.fround || function(v) {
  v = Number(v);
  if (!v) return v;
  var isNegative = v < 0;
  var av = isNegative ? -v : v;
  var absResult;
  if (av >= 3.4028235677973366e38) { // also handles the case av === Infinity
    absResult = Infinity;
  } else if (av >= 1.1754943508222875e-38) { // threshold for normal representations
    var e = Math.floor(Math.log(av) / 0.6931471805599453); // Math.LN2
    var twoPowE = Math.pow(2, e);
    var significand = av / twoPowE;
    /* Because of loss of precision in its computation (Math.log is not
     * guaranteed to return the best approximation), e might be 1 up or down,
     * which causes twoPowE and significand to be a factor 2 up or down.
     * We now adjust that so that significand is really in the range [1.0, 2.0).
     */
    if (significand < 1) {
      twoPowE = twoPowE / 2;
      significand = significand * 2;
    } else if (significand >= 2) {
      twoPowE = twoPowE * 2;
      significand = significand / 2;
    };
    // Round the significand to 23 bits of fractional part, and multiply back by twoPowE
    // Break ties to even
    // The constant is (min positive double value) / (1.0 / 2**23)
    absResult = ((significand * 4.144523e-317) / 4.144523e-317) * twoPowE;
  } else {
    // Round the value to a multiple of the smallest Float ULP
    // Break ties to even
    // The constant is (min positive double value) / (min positive float value)
    absResult = (av * 3.5257702653609953e-279) / 3.5257702653609953e-279;
  };
  return isNegative ? -absResult : absResult;
}

and here is the full tests of Scala.js, translated for the format above:

var FloatMin = 1.401298464324817e-45
var FloatMax = 3.4028234663852886e38

function assertExactEquals(expected, actual) {
  if (!Object.is(expected, actual))
    throw new Error(`expected ${expected} but got ${actual}`);
}

it('tests from Scala.js', function() {
  function test(expected, value) {
    assertExactEquals(expected, Math.fround(value))
  }
  
  // Values based on the limits of Doubles

  // Normal forms
  test(0.0, 2.2250738585072014e-308)  // smallest pos normal form
  test(Infinity, 1.7976931348623157e308)   // largest pos normal form
  test(1.879076684348498e23, 1.8790766677624812e23)    // an arbitrary pos normal form
  test(-0.0, -2.2250738585072014e-308) // smallest neg normal form
  test(-Infinity, -1.7976931348623157e308)  // largest neg normal form
  test(-1.879076684348498e23, -1.8790766677624812e23)   // an arbitrary neg normal form

  // Some corner cases of doubleToLongBits
  test(9.007199254740992e15, 9007199254740991.0)
  test(8.988465623066525e30, 8.988465674311579e+30)
  test(5.915260786662124e-27, 5.915260930833876e-27)
  test(4.450147769049213e-30, 4.450147717014403e-30)

  // Subnormal forms (they all underflow)
  test(0.0, 4.9e-324)                  // smallest pos subnormal form
  test(0.0, 2.225073858507201e-308)    // largest pos subnormal form
  test(0.0, 1.719471609939382e-308)    // an arbitrary pos subnormal form
  test(-0.0, -4.9e-324)                // smallest neg subnormal form
  test(-0.0, -2.225073858507201e-308)  // largest neg subnormal form
  test(-0.0, -1.719471609939382e-308)  // an arbitrary neg subnormal form

  // Values based on the limits of Floats

  // Around Float.MinPositiveValue.toDouble / 2.0
  test(0.0, 7.006492321624084e-46) // just below
  test(0.0, 7.006492321624085e-46) // Float.MinPositiveValue.toDouble / 2.0
  test(FloatMin, 7.006492321624087e-46) // just above

  // Around FloatMin
  test(FloatMin, 1.40129e-45)
  test(FloatMin, 1.401298464324812e-45)
  test(FloatMin, 1.401298464324832e-45)
  test(FloatMin, 1.40131e-45)

  // Around 3.4e-40f, which is a subnormal value
  test(3.39999848996059e-40, 3.39999848996058e-40)
  test(3.39999848996059e-40, 3.39999848996059e-40)
  test(3.39999848996059e-40, 3.3999984899606e-40)

  // Around 3.4000054964529118e-40, which is the midpoint between 3.4e-40f and 3.40001e-40f
  test(3.39999848996059e-40, 3.4000054964529114e-40)
  test(3.39999848996059e-40, 3.4000054964529118e-40) // even is downwards
  test(3.4000125029452334e-40, 3.400005496452912e-40)

  // Around 3.400019509437555e-40, which is the midpoint between 3.40001e-40f and 3.40003e-40f
  test(3.4000125029452334e-40, 3.4000195094375546e-40)
  test(3.4000265159298767e-40, 3.400019509437555e-40) // even is upwards
  test(3.4000265159298767e-40, 3.4000195094375554e-40)

  // Around 1.1754942807573643e-38, which is the midpoint between max-subnormal and min-normal
  test(1.1754942106924411e-38, 1.1754942807573642e-38)
  test(1.1754943508222875e-38, 1.1754942807573643e-38) // even is upwards (it's min-normal)
  test(1.1754943508222875e-38, 1.1754942807573644e-38)

  // Around 2.3509886e-38f, which is the max value with ulp == MinPosValue
  test(2.3509885615147286e-38, 2.3509885615147283e-38)
  test(2.3509885615147286e-38, 2.3509885615147286e-38)
  test(2.3509885615147286e-38, 2.3509885615147283e-38)

  // Around 2.3509887e-38f, which is the min value with ulp != MinPosValue
  test(2.350988701644575e-38, 2.3509887016445748e-38)
  test(2.350988701644575e-38, 2.350988701644575e-38)
  test(2.350988701644575e-38, 2.3509887016445755e-38)

  // Around 3.400000214576721, which is the midpoint between 3.4f and 3.4000003f (normals)
  test(3.4000000953674316, 3.4000002145767207)
  test(3.4000000953674316, 3.400000214576721) // even is downwards
  test(3.4000003337860107, 3.4000002145767216)

  // Around 3.4000004529953003, which is the midpoint between 3.4000003f and 3.4000006f (normals)
  test(3.4000003337860107, 3.4000004529953)
  test(3.40000057220459, 3.4000004529953003) // even is upwards
  test(3.40000057220459, 3.4000004529953007)

  // Around 3.4028235677973366e38, which is the midpoint between Float.MaxValue and Infinity
  test(FloatMax, 3.4028235677973362e38)
  test(Infinity, 3.4028235677973366e38)
  test(Infinity, 3.402823567797337e38)
});

it('tests from Scala.js no loss', function() {
  function test(value) {
    assertExactEquals(value, Math.fround(value))
  }

  // Specials
  test(+0.0)
  test(-0.0)
  test(Infinity)
  test(-Infinity)
  test(NaN)

  // Other corner cases

  test(FloatMin)
  test(-FloatMin)
  test(1.1754942106924411e-38) // max subnormal value
  test(-1.1754942106924411e-38)
  test(1.1754943508222875e-38) // min normal value
  test(-1.1754943508222875e-38)
  test(2.3509885615147286e-38) // max value with ulp == MinPosValue
  test(-2.3509885615147286e-38)
  test(2.350988701644575e-38) // min value with ulp != MinPosValue
  test(-2.350988701644575e-38)
  test(FloatMax)
  test(-FloatMax)

  // Some normal values

  test(3.4000000953674316)
  test(-3.4000000953674316)
  test(3.423000153928881e36)
  test(-3.423000153928881e36)

  // Some subnormal values

  test(3.39999848996059e-40)
  test(-3.39999848996059e-40)
  test(3.4191682529525537e-43)
  test(-3.4191682529525537e-43)
});

/cc @shicks

EDIT(sdh): avoided braceless wrapped ifs (see #gotofail vulnerability)

Thanks for finding that - I added a comment to the top of the gist to hopefully direct anyone to your comment.