Re: Exponential

[Scott Klement <klemscot@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Tue, 8 Aug 2000 jpcarr@TREDEGAR.COM wrote:

> 
> <SNIP>
> This is because floating point uses
> a binary representation and some decimal values can't be expressed
> exactly as binary numbers.
> <SNIP>
> Barbara Morris

I always pictured this as being the same concept as the fact that we can't
represent 1/3 exactly as a decimal number.  (But if you stored your
numbers in a Base 3 format (Trinary?), it'd be easy!)

> 
> I noticed that in their infinite wisdom the creators of the business
> language Java never included a "Decimal" variable? Is that right?  and if
> you wanted decimal (as uncommon as that is in the financial business world)
> you have to use a math library function involving Floating point.   Is that
> right?     I guess those people at Sun weren't propeller heads after all
> huh?   <VBG>   "Let them eat integers !"
> 
> This (if you are comically challenged) was a joke, so no flames.
> 
> John Carr

What a strange comment!   There are very few new or original ideas in the
actual programming language of Java.  Its almost a wholesale copy of C++,
with a few syntax changes to simplify coding.

I program in something like 20 different programming languages.  With the
single exception of RPG (okay, and CL, too!) NONE of those languages have
a "decimal" representation.  NONE.  (No, I don't do COBOL) 

The AS/400 is the only platform that I know of where the system itself can
do math without doing it in either integer or floating point logic.
Somehow, the AS/400 does packed as well.  (Which is very useful, but
bizarre..)

If you do need to work around this on a non-AS/400 platform, the 
workaround isn't that hard, though.  Just use an integer, and keep track
of the decimal places in a seperate variable.  When its time to display
the number, throw it into a character variable, and insert a decimal place
at the proper point. :) 


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