Re: Many overlook the possibility sin(x,360.0) ?

[hreba <f_hreba@yahoo.com.br>]

On 05/01/2017 07:22 AM, reinert wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Not a big philosophical question, but:
>
> I have often seen in (others) Ada code that many prefer to use for example sin(x) where they first calculate x := rad_per_degree*degrees.
>
> Why they do not use sin(degrees,360.0) if they need to use degree. Are there a good reason? Using sin(x, 3600.0) seems to keep the code simpler. Sometimes I even use sin(x,period).
>
> reinert
>

For calculations inside a program, using the same unit all over is 
simpler, because you don't have to do any conversion again and again. 
Isn't a function with one parameter simpler than one with two, which 
would execute such a conversion at each call? So one would use meters 
(just an example) for all lengths inside a program, and convert them to 
other units (e.g. micrometers) only at the interface with humans, when 
necessary.

If one unit has an advantage over all others, such as radians have for 
the numerical calculation of trigonometric functions, you use that one, 
internally.
-- 
Frank Hrebabetzky		+49 / 6355 / 989 5070