Luke Paireepinart wrote: > Kent Johnson wrote: >> Luke Paireepinart wrote: >>> I was trying to make it clear that Python wasn't directly accessing >>> the binary from memory with this function Carlos had. >>> The function just mathematically converted a base-10 number into a >>> base-2 number. >> No. It converts a binary representation of a number into a string >> representation of the binary representation of the number. There is no >> base-10 number involved. > Binary is base-2.
yes > Decimal is base-10. yes > Integers in python are base-10. no. Integers are represented in whatever form the C language implementation uses which on most modern computers is binary. When integers are printed in Python, the string representation of the integer is in base-10. The underlying integer is probably not in base 10. > Python doesn't give him direct access to the bits in memory. right > It gives him a base-10 integer (a decimal number) no. > he uses a mathematical conversion to go from a decimal integer to a list > of binary bits. no, he uses a mathematical conversion to go from a number represented in the internal format used by the C implementation (probably binary) to a list of '0' and '1' characters which represent binary bits. > Do you disagree? yes. You have to make a distinction between the bit pattern used to represent the integer value, which is binary, and the character pattern used to represent the integer. Kent > The argument to the function is an integer. >>> Anyway, I just wanted to make sure that Carlos knew that python >>> wasn't directly copying the binary representation from memory into a >>> list, >>> Python was getting the base-10 integer representation out of the binary, >> No, there is no base-10 representation anywhere in Carlos' program, at >> least not on any computer he is likely to be using to run the program. >> >>> and then the function converted this back again into base2 using >>> binary shifts. I.E. the sentence 'copy binary numbers from memory' >>> made me think Carlos thought the binary was directly copied into a list. >>> I also clarified that it's not a 'module' it's a function. >>> >>> Am I still confused, Kent? >> Yes. Maybe someone else can explain better than me? >> >> Kent >> >> > > > _______________________________________________ Tutor maillist - Tutor@python.org http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/tutor
