Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll

From	Bartc <bc@freeuk.com>
Newsgroups	comp.lang.c
Subject	Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll
Date	2015-03-31 22:20 +0100
Organization	A noiseless patient Spider
Message-ID	<mff31k$t3$1@dont-email.me> (permalink)
References	(8 earlier) <551aec75.2399734@news.xs4all.nl> <mfer4g$t2o$1@dont-email.me> <551AF2FC.8080802@verizon.net> <mfeu1b$ulk$1@speranza.aioe.org> <551B09BE.5080109@verizon.net>

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On 31/03/2015 21:55, James Kuyper wrote:
> On 03/31/2015 03:54 PM, glen herrmannsfeldt wrote:
>> James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> wrote:
>>
>> (snip on base 4 and DNA)
>>
>>> I would expect genetic work to treat DNA as a nucleotide string, not a
>>> number. Is there any specifically numeric operation that it would be
>>> reasonable to perform on nucleotide strings, one that doesn't correspond
>>> to a generic string operation?
>>
>> Much is done using character strings, but, as with many other problems,
>> when you want to speed it up, you look for other ways of doing it.
>>
>> Often enough, they are stored in integer variables, and operated on
>> as one would base 4 numbers.
>
> I can imagine storing four base codes per byte, and I can imagine
> displaying them as strings with each pair of bits displayed as the
> corresponding element of "ACTG".
<snip>
> What I can't imagine is any meaningful use of addition, subtraction,
> multiplication or division on those "numbers". Except, of course,
> insofar as multiplication or division by powers of 2 would correspond to
> truncation or padding of the strings representing those base pairs. But
> that is NOT an example of a "numeric operation ... that doesn't
> correspond to a generic string operation".

Surely base-4-ness is only to do with printing or reading such integers 
as base 4? (So that the decimal value 123456 is printed as 132021000; 9 
2-bit base-4 digits, but which is still stored internally as the binary 
value 11110001001000000.)

You can then do all the normal operations on such binary values, even if 
some might have no meaning if this value did represent an ACGT sequence 
fragment. But many could: compare, shift and perhaps masking and or-ing. 
But as I said, base-4 doesn't really come into it.

It's not like working with base-10 (superimposed on the underlying 
binary, so effectively BCD) where many arithmetic ops will not work. But 
most of the time we do use base-10 to convert to/from textual 
representations without working /in/ base-10.

Or am I misunderstanding the whole thing?

-- 
Bartc

Thread

code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll jacob navia <jacob@jacob.remcomp.fr> - 2015-03-29 17:33 +0200
  code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll asetofsymbols@gmail.com - 2015-03-29 09:22 -0700
    Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Barry Schwarz <schwarzb@dqel.com> - 2015-03-29 15:12 -0700
      Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll asetofsymbols@gmail.com - 2015-03-29 23:07 -0700
  Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Barry Schwarz <schwarzb@dqel.com> - 2015-03-29 09:44 -0700
    Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll jacob navia <jacob@jacob.remcomp.fr> - 2015-03-29 19:05 +0200
      Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-03-29 12:15 -0700
  Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2015-03-30 02:01 +0100
    Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-03-29 19:48 -0700
      Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Barry Schwarz <schwarzb@dqel.com> - 2015-03-29 22:08 -0700
        Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2015-03-30 12:44 +0100
          Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Barry Schwarz <schwarzb@dqel.com> - 2015-03-30 09:04 -0700
            Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2015-03-30 21:00 +0100
        Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-03-30 08:24 -0700
      Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2015-03-30 07:21 -0700
  Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2015-03-30 18:02 +1300
    Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2015-03-30 08:03 +0100
      Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2015-03-30 20:33 +1300
        Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2015-03-30 20:35 +1300
  Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2015-03-30 07:27 -0700
  Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-03-30 09:08 -0700
  Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-03-30 09:29 -0700
  Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2015-03-30 15:16 -0500
    Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll jacob navia <jacob@jacob.remcomp.fr> - 2015-03-31 00:15 +0200
      Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2015-03-31 01:42 -0500
    Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-03-30 23:39 +0100
      Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2015-03-31 01:44 -0500
        Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-03-31 13:01 +0100
          Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2015-03-31 05:13 -0700
          Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-03-31 08:06 -0700
            Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-03-31 08:26 -0700
            Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2015-03-31 16:40 +0100
              Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2015-03-31 09:39 -0700
              Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2015-03-31 18:22 +0000
                Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2015-03-31 19:36 +0100
                Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-03-31 12:11 -0700
                Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2015-03-31 19:23 +0000
            Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-03-31 16:52 +0100
              Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2015-03-31 17:54 +0000
                Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll raltbos@xs4all.nl (Richard Bos) - 2015-03-31 18:51 +0000
                Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2015-03-31 20:05 +0100
                Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2015-03-31 15:18 -0400
                Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2015-03-31 20:49 +0100
                Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2015-03-31 13:06 -0700
                Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll raltbos@xs4all.nl (Richard Bos) - 2015-04-06 13:03 +0000
                Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-04-06 14:27 +0100
                Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2015-04-06 17:01 +0100
                Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2015-04-06 11:25 -0700
                Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2015-04-06 23:34 -0400
                Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2015-04-07 03:46 +0000
                Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2015-04-08 11:05 -0400
                Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2015-04-08 08:31 -0700
                Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2015-03-31 19:54 +0000
                Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2015-03-31 16:55 -0400
                Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-03-31 22:20 +0100
                Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-03-31 14:36 -0700
                Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2015-03-31 14:55 -0700
                Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-03-31 17:00 -0700
                Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-04-01 01:24 +0100
                Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2015-03-31 23:33 -0400
                Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2015-04-01 04:42 +0100
                Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-03-31 20:26 +0100
            Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2015-04-01 10:33 +1300
              Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2015-04-01 04:33 -0500
                Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-04-01 12:43 +0100
                Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2015-04-02 01:02 -0500
                Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll asetofsymbols@gmail.com - 2015-04-01 23:57 -0700
                Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2015-04-03 00:29 -0500
                Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2015-04-02 09:01 -0700
                Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-04-02 14:30 -0700
                Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2015-04-03 00:39 -0500
                Re: code for 32/64 bit strtoul strtol strtoull strtoll glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2015-04-01 15:55 +0000

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