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Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python?

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Date Mon, 1 Jun 2015 19:45:31 +1000
Subject Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python?
From Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com>
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On Mon, Jun 1, 2015 at 5:58 PM, Laura Creighton <lac@openend.se> wrote:
> If you are giving a talk about Decimal -- and trying to stamp out the
> inappropriate use of floats you have to first inform people that
> what they learned as 'decimals' as children was not floating point,
> despite the fact that we write them the same way.
>
> If I ever get the time machine, I am going back in time and demand that
> floating point numbers be expressed as 12345:678 instead of 12345.678
> because it would save so much trouble.  Never has the adage 'It's not
> what you don't know, that bites you.  It's what you know that ain't so.'
> been more apt.

While I agree that there are problems with conflating float with "real
number", I don't know that decimal.Decimal is actually going to solve
that either; and using a colon as the decimal separator won't solve
anything (the world already has two - "." in the US and "," in Europe
- and adding a third with the same semantics of separating the
greater-than-unit from the sub-unit digits won't instantly give new
meaning to the way numbers are handled), so I would be whacking you
over the head when you invent that time machine XKCD 716 style.

decimal.Decimal() has its own peculiarities, ways in which it isn't
the same as real numbers, so what's really needed is a talk about both
of them (and fractions.Fraction for completeness) and how they all
have their uses. People need to grok that what computers do with
numbers is never quite what they're used to from grade school
(although it can be close; bignum integer arithmetic is pretty
reliable).

ChrisA

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What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Mike Driscoll <kyosohma@gmail.com> - 2015-05-29 09:01 -0700
  Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Joel Goldstick <joel.goldstick@gmail.com> - 2015-05-29 12:08 -0400
    Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Mike Driscoll <kyosohma@gmail.com> - 2015-05-29 09:55 -0700
  Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2015-05-30 02:09 +1000
    Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Mike Driscoll <kyosohma@gmail.com> - 2015-05-29 09:57 -0700
      Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2015-05-30 03:08 +1000
      Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? random832@fastmail.us - 2015-05-31 23:18 -0400
      Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2015-06-01 13:43 +1000
      Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Laura Creighton <lac@openend.se> - 2015-06-01 09:58 +0200
        Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2015-06-01 12:36 +0300
          Zero [was Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python?] Steven D'Aprano <steve@pearwood.info> - 2015-06-01 22:07 +1000
            Re: Zero [was Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python?] Laura Creighton <lac@openend.se> - 2015-06-01 14:52 +0200
            Re: Zero [was Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python?] Dave Farrance <DaveFarrance@OMiTTHiSyahooANDTHiS.co.uk> - 2015-06-01 13:56 +0100
              Re: Zero [was Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python?] Skip Montanaro <skip.montanaro@gmail.com> - 2015-06-01 08:14 -0500
                Re: Zero [was Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python?] Dave Farrance <df@see.replyto.invalid> - 2015-06-01 15:39 +0100
              Re: Zero [was Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python?] Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2015-06-01 18:35 +0100
              Re: Zero [was Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python?] Terry Reedy <tjreedy@udel.edu> - 2015-06-01 17:32 -0400
            Re: Zero [was Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python?] Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2015-06-01 16:18 +0300
              Re: Zero [was Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python?] random832@fastmail.us - 2015-06-01 09:32 -0400
        Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Dave Farrance <DaveFarrance@OMiTTHiSyahooANDTHiS.co.uk> - 2015-06-01 11:44 +0100
          Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2015-06-01 13:54 +0300
        Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Rustom Mody <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2015-06-01 22:33 -0700
      Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2015-06-01 19:45 +1000
      Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Laura Creighton <lac@openend.se> - 2015-06-01 12:28 +0200
        Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2015-06-01 14:22 +0100
      Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2015-06-01 11:34 +0100
      Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2015-06-01 20:36 +1000
      Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Laura Creighton <lac@openend.se> - 2015-06-01 13:00 +0200
      Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Laura Creighton <lac@openend.se> - 2015-06-01 13:24 +0200
        Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2015-06-01 14:57 +0300
          Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-06-01 13:27 +0100
          Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? MRAB <python@mrabarnett.plus.com> - 2015-06-01 13:27 +0100
          Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Laura Creighton <lac@openend.se> - 2015-06-01 17:07 +0200
            Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? alister <alister.nospam.ware@ntlworld.com> - 2015-06-01 15:26 +0000
              Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Laura Creighton <lac@openend.se> - 2015-06-01 17:51 +0200
              Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? MRAB <python@mrabarnett.plus.com> - 2015-06-01 18:06 +0100
                Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2015-06-01 20:14 +0300
            Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-06-01 16:42 +0100
              Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2015-06-01 17:02 +0000
                Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2015-06-01 18:45 +0100
                Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2015-06-01 18:23 +0000
        Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-06-01 13:24 +0100
      Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2015-06-01 23:52 +1000
        Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-06-01 16:17 +0100
          Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2015-06-02 02:10 +1000
            Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Rustom Mody <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2015-06-01 21:46 -0700
  Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Skip Montanaro <skip.montanaro@gmail.com> - 2015-05-29 11:39 -0500
    Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Mike Driscoll <kyosohma@gmail.com> - 2015-05-29 09:58 -0700
  Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2015-05-30 02:50 +1000
  Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Todd <toddrjen@gmail.com> - 2015-05-29 19:02 +0200
  Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? sohcahtoa82@gmail.com - 2015-05-29 10:03 -0700
    Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Ethan Furman <ethan@stoneleaf.us> - 2015-05-29 10:17 -0700
      Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? sohcahtoa82@gmail.com - 2015-05-29 14:06 -0700
        Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Jason Swails <jason.swails@gmail.com> - 2015-05-29 17:28 -0400
        Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Ethan Furman <ethan@stoneleaf.us> - 2015-05-29 14:39 -0700
        Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Ethan Furman <ethan@stoneleaf.us> - 2015-05-29 14:44 -0700
    Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2015-05-29 20:24 +0300
  Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Todd <toddrjen@gmail.com> - 2015-05-29 19:03 +0200
  Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Steven D'Aprano <steve@pearwood.info> - 2015-05-30 03:55 +1000
    Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Mike Driscoll <kyosohma@gmail.com> - 2015-05-29 13:38 -0700
  Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Sturla Molden <sturla.molden@gmail.com> - 2015-05-30 12:15 +0000
  Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? jonathon <jonathon.blake@gmail.com> - 2015-05-30 19:32 +0000
  Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2015-05-31 08:24 +1000
  Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? "C.D. Reimer" <chris@cdreimer.com> - 2015-05-30 18:28 -0700
  Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Rustom Mody <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2015-05-30 20:30 -0700
    Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2015-05-31 14:25 +1000
      Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Rustom Mody <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2015-05-30 21:46 -0700
        Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2015-05-31 14:58 +1000
          Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Rustom Mody <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2015-05-30 22:18 -0700
  Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Gene Heskett <gheskett@wdtv.com> - 2015-06-01 09:49 -0400
  Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Denis McMahon <denismfmcmahon@gmail.com> - 2015-06-01 15:30 +0000
  Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2015-06-01 20:33 -0400
  Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Gene Heskett <gheskett@wdtv.com> - 2015-06-01 23:30 -0400

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