Path: csiph.com!x330-a1.tempe.blueboxinc.net!usenet.pasdenom.info!aioe.org!feeder.news-service.com!newsfeed.xs4all.nl!newsfeed6.news.xs4all.nl!xs4all!post.news.xs4all.nl!not-for-mail
Return-Path: <rosuav@gmail.com>
X-Original-To: python-list@python.org
Delivered-To: python-list@mail.python.org
X-Spam-Status: OK 0.002
X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 1.00; '*S*': 0.00; 'plenty': 0.04; 'encoded': 0.05; 'happily': 0.07; '32-bit': 0.09; 'bind': 0.09; 'integer,': 0.09; 'examples': 0.12; 'am,': 0.13; 'wrote:': 0.15; 'from:addr:rosuav': 0.16; 'from:name:chris angelico': 0.16; 'rantingrick': 0.16; 'received:209.85.213.174': 0.16; 'received :mail-yx0-f174.google.com': 0.16; 'subject:Convert': 0.16; "subject:' ": 0.16; 'header:In-Reply-To:1': 0.22; 'pieces': 0.23; '(in': 0.26; 'sort': 0.28; 'sat,': 0.28; 'message- id:@mail.gmail.com': 0.28; 'example': 0.30; 'fairly': 0.30; 'usually': 0.33; 'to:addr:python-list': 0.34; 'decide': 0.34; 'there': 0.34; 'reasons': 0.34; 'someone': 0.34; 'quite': 0.34; 'numbers.': 0.35; 'bigger': 0.37; 'but': 0.37; 'received:google.com': 0.38; 'received:209.85': 0.38; 'subject:: ': 0.38; 'something': 0.38; 'common': 0.39; 'to:addr:python.org': 0.39; 'received:209': 0.40; 'july': 0.64; 'serial': 0.71; '22nd': 0.84; '2011.': 0.86
DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=mime-version:in-reply-to:references:date:message-id:subject:from:to :content-type; bh=mZfyHX+dWbTbzp2drHoqPaDxbmkC7le58Bu6+aMfZ7Q=; b=LEyAa5dD17JcohAxkOrBi0GFX5WlrY5jZNYIot5hOx4DIMZAVW19Cu5VA3YLc4YvMl NlDVYmypiMcpJ7YJwGCvEQw5kKoJzaLA7J6lv1Dxmz/0ajj0/jN8oihj+ew3WpOImYXb cyKG1CcJ5YSefHTQS3cAS2WZwLHxvHFQ0T+W8=
MIME-Version: 1.0
In-Reply-To: <a62defdf-e88b-485e-9f7b-47b47624024d@12g2000yqr.googlegroups.com>
References: <j08rn1$mep$1@dough.gmane.org> <mailman.1317.1311241673.1164.python-list@python.org> <4e281f97$0$16404$426a74cc@news.free.fr> <j09c5r$sna$1@reader1.panix.com> <mailman.1333.1311278441.1164.python-list@python.org> <fc7c6c59-d1ae-4e01-8f62-369f0db1d167@a31g2000vbt.googlegroups.com> <87vcuusd0j.fsf@xemacs.org> <a62defdf-e88b-485e-9f7b-47b47624024d@12g2000yqr.googlegroups.com>
Date: Sat, 23 Jul 2011 06:06:32 +1000
Subject: Re: Convert '165.0' to int
From: Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com>
To: python-list@python.org
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
X-BeenThere: python-list@python.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.12
Precedence: list
List-Id: General discussion list for the Python programming language <python-list.python.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://mail.python.org/mailman/options/python-list>, <mailto:python-list-request@python.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-list>
List-Post: <mailto:python-list@python.org>
List-Help: <mailto:python-list-request@python.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list>, <mailto:python-list-request@python.org?subject=subscribe>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.python
Message-ID: <mailman.1388.1311365195.1164.python-list@python.org>
Lines: 16
NNTP-Posting-Host: 2001:888:2000:d::a6
X-Trace: 1311365195 news.xs4all.nl 23943 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:42271
X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl
Xref: x330-a1.tempe.blueboxinc.net comp.lang.python:10150

On Sat, Jul 23, 2011 at 5:32 AM, rantingrick <rantingrick@gmail.com> wrote:
> That's nine-quadrillion people! Only for galactic measurements or
> microscopic reasons would you need such large numbers.
>

Never decide that "nobody would need numbers bigger than X". Someone
will. One common thing to do with big numbers is to use the pieces
separately; although I would never recommend floating point for
encoded numbers like that. But I quite happily treat BIND serial
numbers as straightforward integers, and they're usually something
like 2011072203 for the 3rd change on the 22nd of July 2011. That's a
fairly small example (in fact, BIND requires that serial numbers fit
inside a 32-bit integer, IIRC), but there are plenty of other examples
of numbers that get big fast because of that sort of thing.

ChrisA