I get it. The question is not about what scaling factor is being
specified, or even the name of a specific measurement units designation,
but a more general-level question of what kind of name would one give to
the concept of a scaled number representation like "23.5K" or "23.6M",
if for example you were writing a computer output routine to print a
number in that format, rather than printing it as an integer format, or
a fixed point value format, or floating point value with exponent format.
Perhaps you could just call it a "scaled integer value" where "M" is an
indication of scaling factor, but I can't recall ever hearing someone
attempt to give such an external notation a formal name. The usage of
"M" in a context like "MB" is as a prefix, and the standards of which I
am aware only formally define its usage when combined with a unit of
measurement, not stand-alone. The latter format (45600000) I would
simply call "integer" or possibly "unscaled integer" if the other is
called "scaled". The term "scaled integer" does appear in the context
of some languages like COBOL, but it applies to the implied 10**n
multiplier in an internal data representation, not to scaling specific
to input or output of values.
One can certainly find examples of applications, particularly in the
interactive world, where output values are dynamically scaled so as to
display the most significant digits while still using a limited number
of characters as the values get increasingly large:
as in displaying "900 B" as "900 B", but "212,123 B" as "212.1 KB",
"616,212,123 B" as "616.2MB", etc.. It would make sense to be able to
generalize such a numeric format in the absence of a specific
measurement unit, but I'm not sure what I would call it other than
"dynamically scaled integer". There surely must a programming language
somewhere with direct support for such an output format. I'm just not
personally aware of any.
Joel C. Ewing
On 05/02/2013 12:34 PM, Charles Mills wrote:
Or phrasing the question differently:
consider the integer 45600000. It may be expressed as
4.56 x 10**7 or 4.56E7 in scientific notation; or as
45.6 x 10**6 in engineering notation; or as
45.6M in _______ notation; or as
45600000 in _________ notation.
Can anyone fill in those blanks?
Charles
-----Original Message-----
From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf
Of Charles Mills
Sent: Thursday, May 02, 2013 1:24 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: OT - What is the proper term for "K" notation?
No, no one is answering the question I tried to ask. Sorry if I was unclear.
I am NOT asking "what is the difference between kilo and kibi?" or "is it right to
refer to 1024 as 1K?" or anything like that.
I am asking what you CALL that KIND of notation.
If my program outputs numbers as 1234 and 4560000 but your program outputs the
same values as 1.234K and 4.56M, what would you call the *format* that your
program uses? Your program outputs numbers in ______ notation. Mine OTOH
outputs numbers in _____ notation.
Perhaps "powers of 1000 notation." Any term more compact than that that could
be used as a control statement option?
--
Joel C. Ewing, Bentonville, AR [email protected]
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