python decimal infection?
John Baxter
jwbaxter at spamcop.net
Wed Jul 3 18:27:44 EDT 2002
In article <mailman.1025642885.1693.python-list at python.org>,
"Tim Peters" <tim at zope.com> wrote:
> [Thinkit]
> > How much has the cancer known as decimal infected python?
> > Decimal is evil.
>
> Indeed, Python uses base-3 arithmetic exclusively, in honor of the Holy
> Trinity.
I wonder where this puts the old Librascope RPC-9000 (ca 1960) which
used BCD coded in binary excess 3 (that is, 0 == 0011, 1 == 0100,etc,
with three non-digits at each end).
The advantage is that a complement is simply a bit flip; there were
signals named III and III-bar (sorry, this medium doesn't allow the
overbar) running everywhere around the machine, since a+b is straight
add plus III-bar, etc). Odd machine in other ways, too:
magneto-strictive delay line memory. "Mass" storage an endless loop
35mm sprocket-feed magnetic tape, etc, etc. And no Python interpreter.
--John
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