[Python-Dev] Re: Decimal type question [Prothon] (original) (raw)

Andrew P. Lentvorski, Jr. bsder at mail.allcaps.org
Mon Aug 9 21:49:12 CEST 2004


On Aug 9, 2004, at 10:29 AM, Mark Hahn wrote:

3) A binary Float implemented with the hardware floating point with the constant/str form of +-NN.NN+-eNN such as 0e0, -123e0, 173.39e+3, 2.35e-78, etc.

Be careful defining string representations of numbers. It is a non-trivial problem to adhere to the correct internationalization standards.

There would be no automatic conversion except the / operator would convert from Int to Decimal

Int goes to the default type of float (which is currently binary FP) already upon using the / operator.

and the Math module would convert Int and Decimal values to Float for almost all functions (except simple ones like abs, min, max).

This is not necessarily a good idea. Exponentials are very useful in financial situations and want to be decimals, not binary floats, in those cases.

-a



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