The current consensus on this subject, afaik, is the rename int/uint to intptr/uintptr. They're awful names, but it frees up int for a *fast* bigint type. Fast here is key. We can't have a suboptimal numeric type be the recommended default. We need to perform at least as well as GMP for me to even consider it. Additionally we'd have generic numeric literals. I don't think anyone wants what we current have for *numerics*. Fixed-size integers are necessary for some tasks, but numerics is not one of them.
As long as we rename int/uint to intptr/uintptr and leave int etc reserved, I think we can defer the language issues to post-1.0. It should be entirely backwards compatible. Development of robust numerics can happen outside the standard library. Talk to bjz about this, he has some ideas :) As an aside, you mention a "real" in your blog post like it's something that exists. Rust does not have any such type. On Sat, Jan 11, 2014 at 12:15 AM, Lee Braiden <leebr...@gmail.com> wrote: > This may be go nowhere, especially so late in Rust's development, but I feel > like this is an important, relatively small change (though a high-profile > one). I believe it could have a large, positive impact in terms of > targeting new developer communities, gaining more libraries and > applications, giving a better impression of the language, AND on performance > and futureproofing. > > However, a lot of people who are interested in performance will probably > baulk at this, on first sight. If you're in that group, let me encourage > you to keep reading, at least until the points on performance improvements. > Then baulk, if you like ;) > > Also, I said it in the post as well, but it's late here, so apologies for > any readability / editing issues. I tried, but sleep beckons ;) > > > > http://blog.irukado.org/2014/01/an-appeal-for-correct-capable-future-proof-math-in-nascent-programming-languages/ > > > -- > Lee > > > _______________________________________________ > Rust-dev mailing list > Rust-dev@mozilla.org > https://mail.mozilla.org/listinfo/rust-dev > _______________________________________________ Rust-dev mailing list Rust-dev@mozilla.org https://mail.mozilla.org/listinfo/rust-dev
