Andy Dougherty wrote:
>
> On Tue, 29 Aug 2000, David L. Nicol wrote:
>
> > I'd like to see every number bundled with a "precision" attribute.
>
> While that might be useful for simple calculations, I expect it would
> simply get in the way and slow things down for larger, more complex
> calculations.
>
> Alas I don't think there's any shortcut for actual analysis of the
> underlying data and algorithms.
>
> Andy Dougherty [EMAIL PROTECTED]
I'm not suggesting that :precise numbers will truncate, they would
merely track the least precise item that has gone into the calculation
so far, based on the clear engineering guidelines one would use in the
analysis.
It's an example of a non-data attribute -- say we're writing an AI
knowledge system and need to tag everything with a "confidence." this
might make more sense to the people using the system as an attribute
instead of a data element.
So I'm suggesting that the attributes of an object not be limited
to predefined ones, but that a class can extend its attributes as well
as its values.
Maybe the distinction is contrived.
--
David Nicol 816.235.1187 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Yum, sidewalk eggs!
