Business Segment Information for Continuing Operations (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
Jul. 31, 2015	Aug. 01, 2014	Jul. 31, 2015	Aug. 01, 2014
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales	$ 496,217	$ 506,309	$ 1,442,641	$ 1,503,110
Other income	0	0	12,744	0
Interest income	144	145	447	400
Interest expense	(10,618)	(7,865)	(25,023)	(24,924)
Loss on extinguishment of debt	0	(533)	(329)	(533)
Earnings from Continuing Operations Before Income Taxes	36,706	52,286	96,195	146,219
Avionics & Controls
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales	207,467	192,860	594,534	571,366
Sensors & Systems
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales	175,530	192,246	515,611	579,131
Advanced Materials
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales	113,220	121,203	332,496	352,613
Operating Segments
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment Earnings	71,225	76,681	173,423	219,674
Operating Segments \| Avionics & Controls
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment Earnings	23,473	30,902	52,024	81,952
Operating Segments \| Sensors & Systems
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment Earnings	23,356	18,055	55,491	61,811
Operating Segments \| Advanced Materials
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment Earnings	24,396	27,724	65,908	75,911
Corporate Non Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Corporate expense	$ (24,045)	$ (16,142)	$ (65,067)	$ (48,398)

The net result for the period of deducting operating expenses excluding corporate expense from operating revenues.

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Segment reporting information corporate expense.

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Difference between the fair value of payments made and the carrying amount of debt which is extinguished prior to maturity.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 470

-SubTopic 50

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Sum of operating profit and nonoperating income or expense before Income or Loss from equity method investments, income taxes, extraordinary items, and noncontrolling interest.

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-Publisher FASB

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-Topic 235

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

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-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(h)(1)(i))

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The amount of interest income and other income recognized during the period. Included in this element is interest derived from investments in debt securities, cash and cash equivalents, and other investments which reflect the time value of money or transactions in which the payments are for the use or forbearance of money and other income from ancillary business-related activities (that is, excluding major activities considered part of the normal operations of the business).

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Amount of the cost of borrowed funds accounted for as interest expense.

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The total amount of other operating income, the components of which are not separately disclosed on the income statement, from items that are associated with the entity's normal revenue producing operation.

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-Publisher FASB

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Total revenue from sale of goods and services rendered during the reporting period, in the normal course of business, reduced by sales returns and allowances, and sales discounts.

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Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

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