Xref: utzoo comp.lang.misc:3499 comp.arch:11463
Newsgroups: comp.lang.misc,comp.arch
Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: Fast conversions, another urban myth?
Message-ID: <1989Sep22.201906.10618@utzoo.uucp>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
References: <832@dms.UUCP> <688@UALTAVM.BITNET> <9dAz02zs58y201@amdahl.uts.amdahl.com> <27935@winchester.mips.COM> <136@bbxsda.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 22 Sep 89 20:19:06 GMT

In article <136@bbxsda.UUCP> scott@bbxsda.UUCP (Scott Amspoker) writes:
>...do everything in C and require decimal arithmetic because of the
>business nature of our applications.  It is a constant disappointment
>when the scientific-oriented hardware industry forgets that some of
>us need to have 100 pennies == 1 dollar.  Interest calculations
>carried out to 3 or 4 decimal places need to round correctly.
>Converting to binary and back to decimal is not the answer...

Can you explain why binary integer arithmetic is less accurate than
decimal integer arithmetic for your applications?  Sounds like you're
confusing the decimal/binary choice with the integer/floating-point
choice; the two are orthogonal and independent.  (Yes, there are
decimal floating-point boxes in the world, e.g. in your pocket
calculator.)
-- 
"Where is D.D. Harriman now,   |     Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
when we really *need* him?"    | uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu