degrees and radians.

[Robert George Mayer]

Jim Richardson wrote:
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> I am trying to get the math module to deal with degrees rather than
> radians. (that it deals with radians for the angular functions like
> sin() isn't mentioned in the docs, which was sort of an eyeopener :)  I
> can't find any info on doing this. I can convert from-to degrees in the
> code calling the function, but that's a bit clunky. Any pointers to an
> FM to R? :)
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> --
> Jim Richardson
>         Anarchist, pagan and proud of it
> http://www.eskimo.com/~warlock
> Linux, from watches to supercomputers, for grandmas and geeks.

Jim -

All the math routines I have ever dealt with use radians.  In
30 years of dealing with this, in Fortran, C, C++ and Python, I
have found what works best for me is to use exclusively radians
internally and convert only where the user will see it - at the
GUI and with any text (not binary) files.  (I think that this
works well, but may not be as natural with a command line program,
where the interface between the user and the program is so simple
to begin with.)  In other words, I just consider the degrees/radians
conversion to be part of the interface between the user and the
program internals.

I find that it help to curse the Babylonian astronomers while
putting all the conversions in place.

- BOB