From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.9 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00 autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 107f24,626a0a064b320310 X-Google-Attributes: gid107f24,public X-Google-Thread: f4fd2,626a0a064b320310 X-Google-Attributes: gidf4fd2,public X-Google-Thread: 10259a,626a0a064b320310 X-Google-Attributes: gid10259a,public X-Google-Thread: 103d24,626a0a064b320310 X-Google-Attributes: gid103d24,public X-Google-Thread: 114809,626a0a064b320310 X-Google-Attributes: gid114809,public X-Google-Thread: 103376,ea8ea502d35ca2ce X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-Thread: 1164ba,626a0a064b320310 X-Google-Attributes: gid1164ba,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 2001-05-30 15:00:12 PST Path: archiver1.google.com!newsfeed.google.com!sn-xit-03!supernews.com!logbridge.uoregon.edu!newsfeed.cwix.com!feed.news.qwest.net!dfw-peer.news.verio.net!news.verio.net!crtntx1-snh1.gtei.net!cambridge1-snf1.gtei.net!news.gtei.net!bos-service1.ext.raytheon.com!bos-service2.ext.raytheon.com.POSTED!not-for-mail Sender: jk@sysengr.res.ray.com Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada,comp.lang.lisp,comp.lang.smalltalk,comp.lang.basic,comp.lang.functional,comp.lang.scheme,comp.lang.perl Subject: Re: Beginner's Language? References: <9cukad$nn68@news-dxb> <9d6b6e$1bt$1@nh.pace.co.uk> <87snihxiwc.fsf@frown.here> <9dbi83$sji$1@nh.pace.co.uk> <87heyu7cqd.fsf@frown.here> <9dc20p$hh15e$1@ID-37382.news.dfncis.de> <9dclnt$9ic1@news.cis.okstate.edu> <3B02C05B.BA4B63C6@raytheon.com> <8766ei7fct.fsf@deneb.enyo.de> From: Johan Kullstam Message-ID: User-Agent: Gnus/5.0808 (Gnus v5.8.8) Emacs/20.7 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Date: 30 May 2001 17:56:34 -0400 NNTP-Posting-Host: 138.125.142.46 X-Complaints-To: news@ext.ray.com X-Trace: bos-service2.ext.raytheon.com 991259970 138.125.142.46 (Wed, 30 May 2001 17:59:30 EDT) NNTP-Posting-Date: Wed, 30 May 2001 17:59:30 EDT Organization: Raytheon Company Xref: archiver1.google.com comp.lang.ada:7899 comp.lang.lisp:10999 comp.lang.smalltalk:10334 comp.lang.functional:5971 comp.lang.scheme:4071 comp.lang.perl:3057 Date: 2001-05-30T17:56:34-04:00 List-Id: Florian Weimer writes: > stephan@pcrm.win.tue.nl () writes: > > > COBOL has lots of interesting numerical types, such as fixed-precision > > decimal numbers. Very useful for counting beans. > > Well, fixed point decimal numbers are extremely useful, and many > people actually need them. Just try to implement the ECB currency > conversion guidelines in a language without fixed-point decimal > support, and you'll see what I mean. > > Just my EUR .0000010100011110101110000101000111101011100001... you can always do fixed point with integers. for example, to do dollars to two decimal places, just count pennies instead of dollars. other than a little notational convenience, i've never understood what the big deal was with fixed point. -- J o h a n K u l l s t a m [kullstam@ne.mediaone.net] sysengr