Re: What is "complexifying" C?

From	David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no>
Newsgroups	comp.lang.c
Subject	Re: What is "complexifying" C?
Date	2015-03-20 10:18 +0100
Organization	A noiseless patient Spider
Message-ID	<megok4$7f0$1@dont-email.me> (permalink)
References	(9 earlier) <%dIOw.34716$Xj5.11604@fx26.iad> <cn1tsaF9khqU1@mid.individual.net> <3dingapi21g9aj30pel30s2288h02r5c0g@4ax.com> <cn24hhF9khqU2@mid.individual.net> <k4nngap5rqslntgg7djj2i5m5u4ni81k1b@4ax.com>

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On 20/03/15 09:40, Robert Wessel wrote:
> On Fri, 20 Mar 2015 21:37:04 +1300, Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Robert Wessel wrote:
>>> On Fri, 20 Mar 2015 19:43:21 +1300, Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Greg Martin wrote:
>>>>> On 2015-03-19, jacob navia <jacob@jacob.remcomp.fr> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Look at what happened with complex numbers. There are MANY ways of doing
>>>>>> a complex division, if you care about speed, or accuracy or robustness,
>>>>>> or other criteria. With the language solution you
>>>>>>
>>>>>> 1) Complexify enormously ALL the C implementations that have to add that
>>>>>> feature.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> 2) You tie the user to its implementation decisions. He/she can't change
>>>>>> the way a complex division is done.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Can you propose another solution?
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> You mean other then writing the code to do it? No.
>>>>>
>>>>> How does operator overloading remove the burden of writing the code? Or
>>>>> are you suggesting it's not possible for programmers to operate on
>>>>> complex numbers in C?
>>>>
>>>> His point was in a language with operating overloading (such as C++) you
>>>> don't have to change the core language in order to add new numeric
>>>> types, be they complex number of otherwise.
>>>>
>>>> The burden is removed from the language standard and implementation and
>>>> in the case of complex numbers, the user gets the flexibility of
>>>> choosing the underlying type and implementation.
>>>
>>>
>>> Although in the case of something like complex, I can't work up a lot
>>> of sympathy for the compiler implementers.  Or for that matter, adding
>>> bignum and decimal math.  Really, a few more data types in a language
>>> like C is just not a big deal.
>>
>> Until you want to use one of those type for complex numbers...
>
>
> I meant that the compiler implementers (all several dozen of them?)
> should not find implementing a few extra types (like complex)
> particularly onerous, and then I have no problem using them.
>

Compiler implementers (all several dozen of them) usually have more 
important things to do than implement complex number handling - if that 
can be done by less niche developers, such as library writers, then 
that's a better solution.

Some types, such as scaled integers, are best done by the compiler 
writers because on targets such as microcontrollers and DSP's the cpu 
often has special instructions to make this kind of thing much more 
efficient.

And bignum support is in a category of its own - that requires memory 
management of some sort to support arbitrary precision, and that's not 
something you want baked into the compiler.

Thread

What is "complexifying"  C? jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2015-03-16 22:55 +0100
  Re: What is "complexifying"  C? Bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-03-16 22:55 +0000
    Re: What is "complexifying"  C? Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2015-03-16 16:41 -0700
      Re: What is "complexifying"  C? Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2015-03-17 00:05 +0000
      Re: What is "complexifying"  C? Bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-03-17 01:12 +0000
      Re: What is "complexifying"  C? Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2015-03-25 13:58 -0700
    Re: What is "complexifying"  C? jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2015-03-17 07:16 +0100
      Re: What is "complexifying"  C? Greg Martin <greg.at.softsprocket@dot.com> - 2015-03-17 13:50 +0000
        Re: What is "complexifying"  C? jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2015-03-17 14:59 +0100
          Re: What is "complexifying" C? jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2015-03-17 15:22 +0100
            Re: What is "complexifying" C? David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2015-03-17 16:16 +0100
          Re: What is "complexifying"  C? Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2015-03-17 14:39 +0000
          Re: What is "complexifying"  C? Greg Martin <greg.at.softsprocket@dot.com> - 2015-03-17 15:23 +0000
        Re: What is "complexifying"  C? Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2015-03-18 15:40 -0700
        Re: What is "complexifying"  C? Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2015-03-18 22:49 +0000
          Re: What is "complexifying"  C? Greg Martin <greg.at.softsprocket@dot.com> - 2015-03-19 13:55 +0000
            Re: What is "complexifying" C? Greg Martin <greg.at.softsprocket@dot.com> - 2015-03-19 15:37 +0000
              Re: What is "complexifying" C? jacob navia <jacob@jacob.remcomp.fr> - 2015-03-19 23:06 +0100
                Re: What is "complexifying" C? Greg Martin <greg.at.softsprocket@dot.com> - 2015-03-19 22:38 +0000
                Re: What is "complexifying" C? Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2015-03-20 19:43 +1300
                Re: What is "complexifying" C? jacob navia <jacob@jacob.remcomp.fr> - 2015-03-20 07:49 +0100
                Re: What is "complexifying" C? Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2015-03-20 02:29 -0500
                Re: What is "complexifying" C? Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2015-03-20 21:37 +1300
                Re: What is "complexifying" C? Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2015-03-20 03:40 -0500
                Re: What is "complexifying" C? David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2015-03-20 10:18 +0100
                Re: What is "complexifying" C? Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2015-03-21 00:19 -0500
                Re: What is "complexifying" C? Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2015-03-20 03:15 -0700
                Re: What is "complexifying" C? Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2015-03-22 13:51 +1300
                Re: What is "complexifying" C? Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2015-03-22 15:21 +1300
                Re: What is "complexifying" C? Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2015-03-22 00:57 -0700
                Re: What is "complexifying" C? Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2015-03-22 22:28 +1300
                Re: What is "complexifying" C? fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2015-03-22 02:59 -0700
                Re: What is "complexifying" C? Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2015-03-22 11:16 -0700
                Re: What is "complexifying" C? Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2015-03-23 07:25 +1300
                Re: What is "complexifying" C? Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2015-03-22 12:06 -0700
                Re: What is "complexifying" C? Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2015-03-23 17:01 +1300
                Re: What is "complexifying" C? Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2015-03-23 03:09 -0700
                Re: What is "complexifying" C? fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2015-03-23 01:42 -0700
                Re: What is "complexifying" C? Melzzzzz <mel@zzzzz.com> - 2015-03-22 19:32 +0100
                Re: What is "complexifying" C? Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2015-03-22 17:34 -0500
                Re: What is "complexifying" C? Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2015-03-22 20:07 -0400
                Re: What is "complexifying" C? Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2015-03-23 00:00 -0500
                Re: What is "complexifying" C? Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2015-03-23 18:04 +1300
                Re: What is "complexifying" C? Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2015-03-23 23:22 -0400
                Re: What is "complexifying" C? Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2015-03-22 14:54 -0400
                Re: What is "complexifying" C? Melzzzzz <mel@zzzzz.com> - 2015-03-23 00:35 +0100
                Re: What is "complexifying" C? Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2015-03-23 17:06 +1300
                Re: What is "complexifying" C? Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2015-03-23 17:25 +1300
                Re: What is "complexifying" C? Martin Shobe <martin.shobe@yahoo.com> - 2015-03-22 23:33 -0500
                Re: What is "complexifying" C? Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2015-03-23 18:01 +1300
                Re: What is "complexifying" C? James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2015-03-23 09:41 -0400
                Re: What is "complexifying" C? James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2015-03-23 10:23 -0400
                Re: What is "complexifying" C? Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2015-03-24 07:10 +1300
                Re: What is "complexifying" C? James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2015-03-23 14:57 -0400
                Re: What is "complexifying" C? David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2015-03-24 09:36 +0100
                Re: What is "complexifying" C? Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2015-03-24 08:42 +0000
                Re: What is "complexifying" C? David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2015-03-24 11:23 +0100
                Re: What is "complexifying" C? Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2015-03-24 10:52 +0000
                Re: What is "complexifying" C? raltbos@xs4all.nl (Richard Bos) - 2015-03-29 16:58 +0000
                Re: What is "complexifying" C? Melzzzzz <mel@zzzzz.com> - 2015-03-22 02:38 +0100
                Re: What is "complexifying" C? Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2015-03-22 09:11 -0400
                Re: What is "complexifying" C? Les Cargill <lcargill99@comcast.com> - 2015-03-20 06:30 -0500
                Re: What is "complexifying" C? Bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-03-20 10:31 +0000
                Re: What is "complexifying" C? Greg Martin <greg.at.softsprocket@dot.com> - 2015-03-20 13:49 +0000
                Re: What is "complexifying" C? Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2015-03-20 09:23 -0700
                Re: What is "complexifying" C? Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2015-03-21 08:28 +1300
                Re: What is "complexifying" C? Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2015-03-20 01:04 -0700
    Re: What is "complexifying"  C? Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-03-17 08:05 -0700
      Re: What is "complexifying"  C? jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2015-03-17 16:08 +0100
        Re: What is "complexifying"  C? Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-03-17 11:09 -0700
          Re: What is "complexifying"  C? jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2015-03-17 21:37 +0100
            Re: What is "complexifying"  C? Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2015-03-18 00:40 -0500
      Re: What is "complexifying"  C? Bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-03-17 15:34 +0000
    Re: What is "complexifying"  C? Bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-03-17 15:06 +0000
  Re: What is "complexifying" C? Melzzzzz <mel@zzzzz.com> - 2015-03-17 00:05 +0100
  Re: What is "complexifying" C? Greg Martin <greg.at.softsprocket@dot.com> - 2015-03-16 23:20 +0000
  Re: What is "complexifying"  C? Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2015-03-17 16:42 +1300
  Re: What is "complexifying"  C? Mark Storkamp <mstorkamp@yahoo.com> - 2015-03-17 08:59 -0500
    Re: What is "complexifying"  C? jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2015-03-17 15:18 +0100
    Re: What is "complexifying"  C? Bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-03-17 14:41 +0000
      Re: What is "complexifying"  C? Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2015-03-18 15:47 -0700
        Re: What is "complexifying"  C? Bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-03-19 00:26 +0000
          Re: What is "complexifying"  C? Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2015-03-19 03:23 -0700
            Re: What is "complexifying"  C? Bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-03-19 11:19 +0000

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