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Date:	Mon, 14 Feb 2005 21:26:18 PST8
From:	Benedict G. Archer <bga0@sbcglobal.net >
Reply-To:	scoug-programming@scoug.com
To:	scoug-programming@scoug.com
Subject:	SCOUG-Programming: Open Source Object Rexx

two cents from a lurker: As much of this discussion mentions both APL and
PL/I, it might be of interest that Kenneth Iverson, the inventor of APL
(died recently), created a revision of APL called J around 1990. J
supports exact calculations using a syntax for a rational number,
numerator r denominator. The operator that creates the exact
representation of a decimal (or any base) value is 'x:'. For example,

17%83 yields 0.204819 (the divide operator in J is %)
x: 17%83 gives 17r83
and
x: 13 + 17%83 gives 1096r83
x: 13 + 0.204819 gives 5220261405187r395330023470
and
x: (11%3) * (4%7) gives 44r21 (some parens are needed)

another syntax for exact calculations appends an x, e.g.,
44%21 gives 2.09524...
44%21x gives 44r21

I think Maple also supports exact calculations, and suspect Mathematica
probably does too.

J is free for non-comercial use (www.jsoftware.com), but unfortunately, J
is not available for OS/2. (I have it on a Mac.) It is available for all
Windows versions and Linux, and has an alternate Java GUI. Perhaps this
could be a good candidate for Odinizing.

an erstwhile SCOUGite

--
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Benedict G. Archer
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