Re: Do we really need eq?

[David L. Nicol]

Steve Simmons wrote:

> IMHO the code
> 
>     $a = '3.14'; # from reading a file
>     $b = '3.1400'; # from user input
>     if ($a == $b) { ... }
> 
> should see the two args being tested in numeric context, do the numeric
> casting, get floats, and do a floating compare.  Durned if I know what it
> does now.

I'd like to see every number bundled with a "precision" attribute.  It's
a holdover from when I was heavily into chemistry.  Computers often give
us more precision than is warrented in a given situation, and a language
that would know it was doing GIGO and stop would be a good thing.

With strong types, I can go ahead and write myself a bigfloat::precise
type and use it.  Sometimes the line between "attribute" and "value" is
completely semantic.  But that doesn't mean it isn't there.


-- 
                          David Nicol 816.235.1187 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
                                               Yum, sidewalk eggs!